Page 352 - Xuan Giap Thin 2024 FINAL 2

of the war. No time on the 28th was when the Paris Armistice came into force. From 8

p.m., the Viet Cong gathered at Doi Tieu and Le Van Phuoc plantations. At ten o'clock in

the evening, they gathered people on the national highway, hoisting flags and slogans
celebrating peace. The rebel station in An Lac reported to the Bao Loc subdivision at 11:00

that there were strange noises on Highway 20 toward the commune headquarters.
Everyone was wary that the Viet Cong would launch a campaign for encroachment

before the truce. Subdivision for the alarm order. The 260th and 261st local battalions

prepared to march. On the morning of the 28th, the 260th Battalion, commanded by me,
opened a tactical formation from the Đai Nga Bridge along Highway 20 towards An Lac.

Lieutenant Thang's 1st Company handled the spearhead. The command moved along

Route 20. The 261st Battalion, commanded by Captain Lai Lead, advanced from
Kilometer 16 to the west, capturing Le Van Phuoc plantation north of Route 20. The Sub-

District Command was stationed at the Đại Nga Fort by Lieutenant Colonel Dam,

Deputy Sub-District, and one platoon of local artillery. At this time, Lieutenant Colonel
Lưu Hữu Thành was the governor of Lâm Đồng.

Việt Cộng formed a defensive line about 1 kilometer long on the side, cutting across
Highway 1 to block reinforcements from Bao Loc. The support unit located at Pepper

Hill had 1 82 mm gun. The reserve force at Le Van Phuoc plantation was used to intercept
the army from Di Linh. The headquarters commanded by the Eight Police were located

at the Transpir plantation. On the high voltage conductive second, a blue-red Southern

Liberation Front flag with a yellow star in the middle was hovering. The trees before the
commune headquarters also have flags tied on their branches. The national flag is on the

corrugated iron roof and in front of the wall of the commune headquarters. The yellow

background with three red stripes has been painted tightly for the previous few days.
Both sides wanted to fly or paint as many flags as possible in the encroachment

campaign. According to the straightforward and naïve definition of the Paris Agreement,

during an armistice, whoever is there, where there is an army or government symbolized
by which side's flag, the other side must not encroach. But no one respected it. All

factions spread their troops to the surrounding land as vast as possible. So, before the
truce, there were two or three times as many deaths as during the war. Later, a high-

352