From the red Lao wind hills of the past, Ta Con airport, which was once the “life and death knot” in the Khe Sanh campaign in 1968, now lies quietly in the middle of the scorching Quang Tri land. Standing on the old runway looking at the distant forests, it is hard to imagine that this place once suffered more than two months of bombs and bullets. That battle has passed, but it has not faded from the memory of history.
And today, with Mind Connector, the journey to Ta Con is a journey to listen to the land speak, the wind tell, and the people remember.
From the most fierce military base in Indochina…
In 1968, in the middle of the fiery plateau west of Quang Tri, Khe Sanh became the focus of one of the bloodiest and most persistent battles of the Vietnam War, which the Western press once called “the second Dien Bien Phu”.
The center of that “fire pocket” was the Ta Con base, a field airport with a particularly important strategic position, connecting the Khe Sanh valley with the entire US McNamara defense system.
The Ta Con attack campaign took place from January 21 to July 9, 1968, lasting 170 days and nights. During that time, this place suffered tens of thousands of tons of bombs and bullets, including artillery, air force and toxic chemicals. However, with the determination to “fight the Americans out”, the Vietnamese People’s Army surrounded, divided and finally forced the enemy to flee from the Ta Con stronghold, opening a new battle situation in Tri – Thien in the resistance war against the US.
In this battlefield, blood has soaked into every patch of land, every step of the runway. The number of casualties on both sides is still unclear, but it is certain that it was extremely large, a painful price for every inch of land retained.
… to the peaceful stop of history lovers
Nearly 60 years later, Ta Con airport no longer echoes with the sound of bullets. The once hot runways are now overgrown with weeds. The former base has become the Khe Sanh historical site, located on Highway 9, about 15km from Lao Bao town.
Visiting this place, visitors will not only see evidence of war such as:
- Runway longer than 3,000m
- Reinforced concrete command bunker
- C-130 transport aircraft rusted over time
- Tank wrecks, artillery emplacements, defensive trenches
But more importantly, there is a strange sense of calm that covers the harsh past. Amidst the clear sky, the chirping of cicadas and the gentle breeze through the trees, one can see that time really knows how to heal.
Foreign tourists often stay silent for a long time when they come here. Some film, some just stand and admire the hills, some stick a wild flower in the rusty barrel of a cannon. A small gesture, but full of hidden meaning: the past may be fierce, but the present and future can be gentle.
Experience not only to remember but to understand
Ta Con is not a place to recount glorious feats, nor to incite hatred. For young people and those working in culture, this is a place to listen more than speak, to understand more than judge.
Because the 1968 Khe Sanh battle, no matter which side you stand on, was a confrontation that shocked the world. With more than 40,000 soldiers on both sides, thousands of tons of bombs every day, and terrible political pressure behind it, this was not simply a local war, but a slice of global events.
But now, when we step on the old runway, it is not to take off to fight, but to ask the question:
- Why did we fight like that?
- Why can we sit together now?
- And should historical memories be kept only to remind, not to recreate?
Marked by silence
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about Ta Con today is its silence. There are not many information boards, no loudspeakers, no hustle and bustle like some other tourist destinations. Everything here is kept almost original, true to the spirit of “not embellishing memories”.
You can stand in the middle of the runway, close your eyes, imagine the roar of the planes… then open your eyes to see the sky bluer than ever. That feeling is enough to make the trip profound, no further comment needed.
Save to move on
For Mind Connector, Ta Con is not a “war destination”. But a memory fulcrum, where we, regardless of generation, need to stop to understand that:
“Every inch of peaceful land today was once exchanged for things that cannot be measured in price.”
And perhaps, the greatest thing that the past leaves us is not glory but the lesson of preservation.
Information for those who want to experience:
- Location: Tan Hop Commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province
- How to get there: Located on the West branch of Ho Chi Minh Road, easy to combine with the journey to visit Lao Bao, Cau Treo, or Road 9 Southern Laos
- Note: The sun is very strong from April to September, so prepare hats, drinking water and suitable shoes
