National Route 9

The Road, more than 300 kilometers long, connects Cua Viet, Vietnam to Laos’ Mekong river border with Thailand. It crosses the Truong Son Mountain Range and the Ho Chi Minh trail and served as an important route for moving supplies, equipment and troops from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the anti-US war. In an attempt to disrupt that supply route, American forces established several bases along Route 9 between Dong Ha and Vay village. The bloodiest battles of the war were fought at the Campcarol, Campfuller, Rockpile, Vendergrift, Khe Sanh, and Vay bases.  Between 1965 and 1972, the Vietnamese army won great victories here. The Khe Sanh victory in 1968 and Route 9 – Southern Laos campaign significantly contributed to the success of the Ho Chi Minh Spring Offensive in 1975 which totally liberated Southern Vietnam and unified the country.

National Route 9 still connects many historic places closely associated with Vietnamese military victories – Cua Viet port, Khe Sanh base, Vay village, Lao Bao prison and Ta Con airport. The National Route 9 martyrs’ cemetery is the final resting place of more than ten thousand martyrs who fought and died nere National Route 9 during the war. Mr. Nguyen Viet Minh, deputy head of the management board of the National Route 9 Relic Site, said: “The site now has helicopters and tanks on display. Our infrastructure and service has improved. We welcome many foreign tourists, especially Europeans and American veterans who come to visit the old battlefields”.

The National Route 9 martyrs’ cemetery.

Many war memorials and relics can also be found in Laos – reminder of the closeness of the Vietnamese and Lao people during the war. Bountanitha, Chairman of Savanakhe province’s War Veterans Association, says National Route 9 manifests the staunch spirit and solidarity of the Vietnamese and Lao people and armies: “The image of Vietnam’s volunteer soliders remains in the hearts of Lao people. They traveled from the North to the South along the legendary road across Laos and fought for the national liberation of Laos and Vietnam”.