Editing Ho Chi Minh trail (section)

=== Fuel pipeline ===
Initially, fuel was carried by porters, but this was inefficient and time-consuming, and thus highlighted the need to extend the pipeline at a much faster rate. The responsibility to build the pipeline fell to Lieutenant Colonel Phan Tu Quang, who became the first Chief of the Fuel Supply Department, and Major Mai Trong Phuoc, who was the Commander of Road Work Team 18, the secret name for the workers who built the pipeline.<ref name=Morris2006/>{{RP|92}}

Early in 1969, the pipeline crossed the Lao frontier through the [[Mu Gia Pass]] and, by 1970, it reached the approaches to the A Shau Valley in South Vietnam. The plastic pipeline, equipped with numerous small pumping stations, managed to transfer diesel fuel, gasoline, and kerosene all through the same pipe. Due to the efforts of the PAVN 592nd Pipelaying Regiment, the number of pipelines entering Laos increased to six that year.<ref name=Pribbenow/>{{RP|392}}

The 559th Group, still under the command of General Đồng Sỹ Nguyên, was made the equivalent of a Military Region in 1970 and the group was given the additional name, the "Truong Son Army". It was composed of four units, one division and three equivalent units: the 968th Infantry Division; 470th Group; 565th MAG; and 571st Rear Group.<ref name=Morris2006/>{{RP|59}} The units controlled fuel pipeline battalions.<ref name=Morris2006/>{{RP|168}}

In July 1971, the Truong Son Army was reorganized into five divisional headquarters: the 470th, 471st, 472nd, 473rd, and the 571st.<ref name=Morris2006/>{{RP|168}} The group consisted of four truck transportation regiments, two petroleum pipeline regiments, three anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) regiments, eight engineer regiments, and the 968th Infantry Division. By the end of 1970 the 559th was running 27 "Binh Trams", which transported 40,000 tonnes of supplies with a 3.4% loss rate during the year.<ref name=Pribbenow/>{{RP|261}}

Colonel Quang and Major Phuoc would eventually build 5,000&nbsp;km of pipeline and ship over 270,000 tonnes of petrol. Sections of the pipeline were still in use in the 1990s.<ref name=Morris2006/>{{RP|92}}