(VOV) - Ngoc Ha village in Hanoi became in late 1972 a historic landmark of the  Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air victory. The wreckage of a B52 bomber shot down by Vietnam’s air defense fell in Huu Tiep lake in Ngoc Ha flower village. VOV reporter Huyen Trang today takes you to the historic B52 relic site. 

It has been 40 years since the B52 bomber was shot down in Huu Tiep lake in Ngoc Ha precinct but memories of 12 days and nights of heroic struggles are still fresh in the minds of the people of Hanoi. Ms. Pham Thi Quy, a former member of the Ngoc Ha self-defence platoon, recalled the peaceful flower village which became a target in the bombing campaign by US air force B52s in late December, 1972. For Quy, the image of the falling plane shot down by the 72^nd battalion of the Vietnamese air force on the morning of December 27, 1972, never fades from her mind. Quy told VOV: "We experienced a mixture of feelings when the plane was shot down. Some villagers were killed during the shooting down. Bombs scattered around the village but did not explode. Our air defence soldiers managed to shoot down the plane before the bombs were dropped. On that day, sappers were sent to help the villagers in bomb disposal. Then, General Vo Nguyen Giap visited the village and encouraged the villagers to keep their fighting spirit. Those are unforgettable memories to me".

Another villager, An Viet My, never forgets the village’s great pride and happiness at seeing the B52 plane shot down right in their midst. That night, the whole village was sleepless. Every villager was eager to see how “the American flying fortress” was destroyed. My recalls: "The plane burst into flames and looked like a torch. The burning plane fell into the lake and killed many fish. Some of the villagers emerged from their shelters to look at the fallen plane. The village became quiet following the fierce air attacks. We had never been so happy before and cheered the moment. The village spent a sleepless night".

One of the oldest witnesses in the village, Nguyen Trong Hien feels proud that he took part in the fierce fight to protect Hanoi. In the late 1960s, Hien fought in many battles in Quang Tri and Cambodia. He was sent back to defend Hanoi. His wife also joined the self-defence forces of Ngoc Ha village to be close to her husband. Mr. Hien told VOV: "This task was important to me to come back to defend the capital city of Hanoi, my homeland. Though my battle station was only 1 kilometer from the shelter, I could not be with my children because the fighting was so fierce. Fortunately, one day I managed to visit my family while marching to the other side of the Red River, but I didn’t see any family member. I was very worried, but the villagers told me my wife was helping with bomb clearance. Then, I felt relieved enough to return to my unit and continue fighting".

The historic lake is now a peaceful place for children and old people to play and do exercise. Beside the lake is Ngoc Ha primary school. The lake serves as an exhibit in history lessons here. 4^th-grader Do Pham Chau Giang was born in the village. She has been told about the historic relic by her grandparents since she was little and is now learning more about it in her history class, which makes her appreciate this place even more: "Every week, we come here to collect rubbish and ask people to keep the environment clean. I can now confidently talk about the history of the B52 plane in my village if I meet visitors one day".

The wreckage of the B52 bomber is a source of great pride to all Vietnamese people and Huu Tiep lake in Ngoc Ha village is considered the site of a great heroic victory.