Saigon-Gia Dinh Commandos Museum is expected to become a popular cultural and historical site for local people and visitors to Ho Chi Minh City (Photo courtesy of the museum)

Saigon Commandos is the name of the Special Task Force of the South Vietnam Liberation Armed Forces, a kind of commando force, that specialised in making quick attacks against the Saigon-US forces in the city during the Vietnam War.

The museum was owned by the late Saigon Commandos member and Hero of People’s Armed Forces Tran Van Lai (1920-2002).

Previously on June 21, the museum was granted an operating license by the Ho Chi Minh Municipal Department of Culture and Sports. Under the decision, the museum was managed by the State and the local authorities where it is located.

Located at 145 Tran Quang Khai Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, which was once the secret base of Saigon Commandos operating under the guise of a furniture facility.

The museum was established thanks to a long journey and great effort of Hero of People’s Armed Forces Tran Van Lai. In 1980s, Lai came up with the idea of collecting and preserving mementos of his comrades and the Saigon-Gia Dinh Commandos.

The museum now houses seven collections of precious artefacts which were used by the Saigon commandos (Photo courtesy of the museum)

The museum now houses seven collections of precious artefacts which were used by the Saigon commandos, including secret weapons vaults, vehicles, weapons, daily utensils, communication equipment, and production tools of undercover Communist agent Tran Van Lai - who was distinguished himself in the guise of a rich contractor named Mai Hong Que.

A prominent object on display at the museum is an old map of Saigon-Gia Dinh, in which identified the network of weapon vaults, tunnels, and operation of Saigon Commandos as well as the force’s major battles against the US.

Visitors to the museum can use touch screens to look up images and data about the force’s member soldiers and their legendary feats of arm.

A memorial wall was built inside the museum’s space to pay tribute to the fallen members of the Saigon-Gia Dinh Commandos who laid down their lives for the Fatherland.

According to Tran Trong Nghia, grandson of Tran Van Lai and founder of the Museum, his grandfather and his comrades contributed to the heroic history of the city, and he was aware of keeping these heroic historical pages of history alive.

He also expressed his thank to the Resistance Club of the Armed Forces – Rangers Bloc, of the Cultural Heritage Association and the Ho Chi Minh City High Command for their support to the establishment of the museum.

Nghia said that in the coming time, the museum will focus its attention to enriching its artefacts and enhancing its operation towards becoming a smart museum.

Accordingly, all collections at the museum will be digitised, and modern technologies will be used to provide smart applications, such as QR code scanning, 3D display, VR technology, and augmented reality (AR) to improve the visitor experience and increase the impact of its collections.

The museum is expected to become a popular cultural and historical site for local people and visitors to Ho Chi Minh City, especially foreigners.