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Part 1: Long Nguyen - a testing target of B52 In the small house on Nguyen Ngoc Vu Street of Ha Noi City, we met Colonnel Reporter Nguyen Xuan Mai, former Editor-in-Chief of Antiaircraft Newspaper, former Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Veteran Magazine, and a living witness of heroic days, talking about prediction of Uncle Ho. “To catch the tiger, you should come to its lair,” said Nguyen Xuan Mai as retelling the story. The unexploded bombs poured down onto Ha Noi capital are now put on display at Museum of B52 Victory The former field reporter Nguyen Xuan Mai was opening the yellowish pages of his notebook and telling story of Uncle Ho’s prediction of victory against B52 stratofortresses. The 40-year-old notebook read the lively lines early 1962 ưhen Phung The Tai was just designated to Commander of Antiaircraft Troop. The commander was once asked how to fence off the B52 bombers while he only had anti-aircraft in hand. “Sooner or later, the US Army shall put B52 bombers into use in Vietnam,” said Uncle Ho to Huynh The Tai. Through the recalling words, Nguyen Xuan Mai reminded us of June 18th 1965 when the US Army dispatched 30 turns of B52 stratofortresses from Guam covering 9,000 kilometers to initiate the first ever strategic bombing in Vietnam (Long Nguyen region of Ben Cat District or the North-West of Saigon). By the end of July 1965, land-to-air missles SAM II was established in Vietnam with specialized operative troops under direct command of Phung The Tai. People’s Armed Force Hero, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Phiet (first row, second from the left) and other commanders stands for photo with Xo Viet Red Army After examining the BQM-34A prone, Uncle Ho asserted that the US Army would bring B52 stratofortresses to the North. And, just the way it was, on April 12th 1966, B52 bombers poured down the destructive bombs in Mu Gia mountain path of Quang Binh before bombing Vinh Linh. On September 17th 1967, the Bridgade No. 238 succeeded in bringing down two B52 bombers from the sky in the battle field of Vinh Linh, marking the successive elimination of B52 later on. The success of Bridgade No. 238 had prompted strategists to form their own profiles of B52 helping the missle teams to face up the deadliest bombers. “During the time, we only worked on encouraging the forces to face up the stratofortresses,” said Mr. Xuan Mai. He also told us of the occasion when Uncle Ho summoned Phung The Tai to warn him of the upcoming bombing in Ha Noi – the heart of Vietnam. “In Vietnam, the US Army will be defeated; however, they only accept failure in the sky of Ha Noi,” said Uncle Ho. And, as expected, on December 18th 1972 the US Army rogered Linebacker II in an ambition to bring Ha Noi and northern provinces to stone age. Reported by H. Van – T. Dong – Translated by Vi Bao