When until October?

"When Will October Come?" is the title of a famous Vietnamese social drama film directed by Dang Nhat Minh, first released in 1984, and is one of 18 Asian films named "The Greatest of All Time" by CNN.

On social media, a journalist and short story writer, in a humorous take on the title "When Will October Come?", satirized and joked about the first "graduation" of a regular journalism graduate in Vietnam.

"When will October come?" according to a humorous short story: In October 1973, the resistance war against the US for national liberation entered its final stage. The whole country prepared for the General Offensive and Uprising to liberate the South and unify the country. The first graduating class of regular journalism graduates completed their studies. Many journalists and journalism graduates at that time followed the main army corps in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign to liberate Saigon, witnessing the unconditional surrender of the enemy. Half a century later, everyone has become grandparents, and many journalists and managers have achieved fame and recognition in their profession.

In October 2023, reporters – graduates who fought in the field 50 years ago, now "veteran journalists" from all over the country – returned to their alma mater in Hanoi for a reunion to celebrate their journalistic careers. Journalist Tran Ba Lan, the head of the journalism department back then, now 94 years old, still walks as nimbly as ever, bringing a box of books titled "Deep Affection and Gratitude" as gifts for his former students.

- This 50th-anniversary reunion is rare and precious, as their journalistic careers have become successful and recognized by society. Veteran journalists from far away have gathered, rejoicing as if it were a festival.

Without any instructions or rules being issued, the elderly women chose to wear their finest traditional dresses; the elderly men donned suits and journalist's jackets, slung over their shoulders their equipment like cameras and video recorders from their school days, to take commemorative photos celebrating their reunion. With their white hair, canes, and even wheelchairs, they still addressed each other informally, using their school nicknames loudly and boisterously, their voices echoing across the schoolyard.

"Grandma" Cúc Hương, forgetting to eat and sleep, mobilized her entire family, with her children and grandchildren painstakingly creating a commemorative photo book titled "Wishing Time Could Turn Back" to give to her elderly colleagues. The images of each person—their youth and old age interwoven vividly—were captured. Cúc Hương's color photo book survived the October floods in Central Vietnam and arrived in Hanoi just in time for the reunion. "Grandma" Tô, a former Youth Volunteer Corps leader on the battlefields of the East and West Trường Sơn Mountains, mobilized all her resources to create a commemorative color photo clip to be shown at the reunion. Her son, MN, sent it to the uncles and aunts for feedback and revisions; her daughter, MH, borrowed a projector for her mother; and her youngest daughter, MP, acted as the technician to deliver the wide-angle clip on time for the 50th anniversary reunion.

Veteran journalist Ngoc Dan, author of the precious historical photographs of the great victory on April 30, 1975, excitedly calls out to his friends:

- Ladies and gentlemen, come here so we can take photos of you with gray hair and wrinkled skin.

Photographer Tran Hong, author of 300 candid photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap, rushed from the school gate, raising his camera high:

- Gentlemen, please be orderly, smile brightly, and move closer together so I can take a picture!

So it was all about taking photos, filming, chatting, and joking around without end: "How many grandchildren do you have?", "That old man is already a great-grandfather, he has three great-grandchildren!", "Back then, the school forbade dating, but you still secretly loved T. like a madman, now you can kiss her!", "My friends and I cycled from Ha Tay to Nghe An, three days and nights, it was great!".

In October 1969, the Party School selected 300 students to study journalism and publishing. They graduated in October 1973 and went to the battlefield, then dispersed to various press and publishing agencies nationwide. More than 50 journalists and editors bravely sacrificed their lives on the battlefields or passed away due to old age and serious illnesses. Nearly a dozen comrades who bravely fought and returned home have now quietly passed away amidst the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. At the reunion, the representative of the liaison committee solemnly called for attention and observed a minute of silence to remember their fallen comrades who have gone to the eternal realm. The solemn music of the fallen soldiers filled the air. The atmosphere became somber, and tears were shed!

The elderly men and women took to the stage to sing and recite poems from their student days. Colleagues Tam Xuan - Vu Dat, Ngoc Dan, Bui Viet, Huu Que, Vu Huong, To Ha… hosted a wine and tea party to celebrate their "Half-Century" reunion. Youth had its own joys. Old age had its own generosity. The love and camaraderie among colleagues soared through the years: living beautifully, living happily, living decently for the world.

When will October finally come, my friend...?

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