The bombing of the Independence Palace and the Tan Son Nhat Airport battle in early April 1975, which played a key role in the ultimate Spring Victory, was meticulously prepared in advance. In late 1973, the Saigon–Gia Dinh Military Intelligence Division devised a secret plan to use American aircraft to drop explosives on the Independence Palace, a psychological tactic designed to shake the morale of the South Vietnamese army and boost the spirits of our forces across battlefronts. But which aircraft would be used? Who would fly them? Where would they come from? It sounds like a spy novel, but a Saigon-based intelligence agent made it happen. Who was that person? The answer will be revealed in the documentary Secret Mission.
Fifty years after Vietnam’s reunification, the nation’s heroic fighter pilots have reunited to relive the glory days of the historic Spring Offensive of 1975, especially their daring assault on Tan Son Nhat Airport, carried out using captured enemy aircraft. With deep pride, they recall soaring across the skies of their homeland, engaging in life-or-death dogfights to defend Hanoi and the socialist North. These “suicide missions” in the vast airspace were acts of ultimate bravery. For half a century, these airborne warriors of Uncle Ho's army have remained bound not just by shared memories but by an unbreakable brotherhood, a lifelong bond forged in the skies and sealed in sacrifice.
The documentary Secret Mission will air at 8:10 PM on April 14, 2025 on VTV1, and again at 9:15 PM on April 20, 2025 on VTV9.
