The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum held a ceremony on April 27 to announce the Prime Minister’s decision to recognise a Type 59 tank used in the 1972 battle of Dak To - Tan Canh as a national treasure.
The Type 59 tank 377 at the Dak To - Tan Canh Victory Monument.
Numbered 377, the tank crew consisted of commander Nguyen Nhan Trien, driver Cao Tran Vinh, and gunners Nguyen Dac Luong and Hoang Van Ai.
On April 24, 1972, the Vietnamese army launched an offensive at Dak To - Tan Canh, with tank 377 leading the formation and fighting against the enemy’s ten M41 and M24 tanks.
Commander Nguyen Nhan Trien and his fellow soldiers died heroically in the battle after destroying seven of the enemy’s M41 tanks, contributing to the full liberation of Dak To - Tan Canh.
In 2009, then President Nguyen Minh Triet conferred the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” to the tank 377 crew in honour of their military feats.
In January 2023, the tank was listed among the 27 national treasures recognised by the Prime Minister in the latest addition of special important artefacts to the national register.
The tank is currently being kept and displayed on the premises of the Dak To - Tan Canh Victory Monument in Dak To District, Kon Tum Province.
