Heroes emerge from the ordinary.

During the fierce years of war, wherever needed, special vehicle repairman Nguyen Van Tan was always present, silently ensuring the technical support of combat units. Although not directly wielding a weapon on the front lines, his perseverance and dedication to his work made a crucial contribution to maintaining the vital transportation and weapons supply lines to the battlefield. From these silent acts, his heroic qualities were forged day by day. In 1973, he was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Van Tan.

A burning desire to contribute to the nation.

When we visited, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, 83 years old, currently living in Cam Giang commune, with his white hair, slender figure, and calm demeanor, was carefully rearranging each medal and award.

These are mementos connected to a youth filled with hardship but also brimming with ideals. Recalling those bygone years, he smiled gently: "Those are old stories from a long time ago. Back then, going to war and contributing to the country was a great honor. Everyone was ready, no one begrudged sacrificing themselves, only hoping for peace in the country soon."

Born in 1942, of the Tay ethnic group, Nguyen Van Tan was studious from a young age and enjoyed tinkering with machinery. In 1965, while working as an accountant for a local cooperative, he volunteered to join the army in response to the sacred call of the Fatherland.

Recalling that momentous decision, he mused: "I was very determined, because life was very difficult at that time, my wife was young, and my two children were small. If I left, things would be even harder for them at home. On the day I left, my only fervent wish was that my country, my homeland, and my children would have a different, better life in the future."

After three months of training, Mr. Tan was assigned to protect the An Phu bridge in Thai Nguyen province. In 1967, he was sent to study electrical engineering. Upon graduation, he was assigned to work at the Vehicle Management Department, General Department of Logistics, Ministry of National Defense , and later transferred to Unit T201, specializing in repairing specialized vehicles.

From then on, Mr. Tan always accompanied military units on many battlefields, performing tasks such as repairing specialized vehicles and supporting combat. According to him, this period demanded high concentration and exceptional patience, because having just completed training, he had to directly participate in repairs under extremely difficult conditions. Due to his limited experience, he and his comrades encountered many difficulties. At times, they had to completely disassemble a tank, struggling to reassemble it many times without success.

“Back then, everything was scarce; weapons and machinery were very precious. If a repair wasn't finished, everyone felt uneasy, worried, and stayed up all night trying to figure out how to fix it,” Mr. Tan recalled. It was from those initial hardships that he cultivated calmness in the face of difficulties. He believed that with patience and perseverance, things would eventually work out. Repairing machinery required flexibility and creativity.

Lacking even rags, the mechanics like Mr. Tan had to fend for themselves. “Engine oil stains and dirty clothes are acceptable, but sometimes the engine still needs to be cleaned before it can be reassembled. So, the sleeves of my shirt and trousers kept getting shorter and shorter, and I cut them up to use for cleaning,” he laughed. Repairing something brought joy because it meant his comrades had vehicles and weapons to continue fighting. In 1972, during operations to recover enemy vehicles, many were severely damaged. He and his men replaced, assembled, and combined parts to continue using them, making the most of every available resource.

Not only was Mr. Nguyen Van Tan a mechanic on the battlefield, but he was also a source of moral support for his comrades. In tense and dangerous times, he often encouraged his men to remain calm and work carefully to preserve their strength and equipment.

For him, each vehicle repaired was not just a completed task, but also a chance of survival for his comrades on the front lines. It was from this dedication, responsibility, and spirit of sharing that his heroic qualities grew naturally, enduringly, and without ostentation.

Throughout the years of fierce warfare, wherever the unit needed him, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan and his comrades were present, meticulously repairing, recovering, and ensuring the technical readiness of various types of vehicles and specialized weapons for combat.

From 1967 to 1973, with a high sense of responsibility and unwavering dedication, he was recognized for many consecutive years with the title of "Outstanding Soldier". In 1973, while working in Quang Binh province, he was honored and awarded the title of "Hero of the People's Armed Forces".

I will always remember the stories from the war.

Recalling his most profound memories, Mr. Tan said: it was the camaraderie and the solidarity between soldiers and civilians. “Back then, we cared deeply for each other. After cooking, those who were busy would eat later, and strangely, those who ate last were usually the most full, because those who ate first didn't dare eat their fill, fearing there wouldn't be enough for the rest. Later, we had to agree on dividing the portions so that no one would go hungry,” he recalled.

Eating rice mixed with cornmeal, living in tents, sleeping in hammocks in the forest, everyone was thin and pale, swarming with mosquitoes and leeches, but their spirit was always one of mutual support and sharing. In 1972, while the unit was repairing a vehicle and had to use a crane to lift it, enemy planes dropped bombs, and one comrade was killed.

Out of compassion for their fallen comrade, the entire unit went to collect ammunition boxes to make coffins. When they were almost finished, an elderly Van Kieu man passed by and said that his son had prepared a good wooden coffin for him to use later, and now he wanted to donate it for the soldier's burial. He recounted: "Everyone in the unit was moved to tears. To this day, the unit still keeps in contact with the old man's family, and one year, at a reunion, his son was even invited to attend."

On another occasion, at Quang Tri Citadel, a comrade of Mr. Tan's was tasked with recovering enemy vehicles. He worked until nearly dawn when he was unfortunately hit by a bomb and killed. Local people organized a funeral and buried him right in his garden. After peace was restored, his family came to take him home. "The people loved the soldiers like their own children, like family members," Mr. Tan said emotionally.

In his story, what he remembers and mentions most often is the pride of contributing to the defense of the homeland, along with the sincere affection of his comrades and the people. War, no matter where you are, means facing danger. For Mr. Tan, it meant navigating the battlefield to recover enemy weapons and vehicles, and spending nights defusing magnetic bombs; a single mistake could have cost him his life.

He recalled a near-death experience in 1971 when his unit, while recovering a vehicle, unknowingly stopped near enemy-controlled tropical vegetation. Just minutes later, enemy aircraft, guided by their GPS, arrived and dropped bombs. He said: "Luckily, there was a deep ravine next to where we stopped, so the bombs fell and exploded there, and no one was injured. This shows that no matter how modern the enemy's weapons are, they cannot subdue us."

Leaving the tree-shaded house, we walked across the vast fields, encountering children wearing red scarves, happily returning from school. Peace appeared serene and precious. As Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Van Tan said: "To have achieved this today has been very difficult. I only hope that the younger generation will always maintain their patriotic spirit. Our people have that tradition, then and now, and will never surrender."

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202512/anh-hung-tu-nhung-dieu-binh-di-2265b2c/