A living symbol of solidarity and aspiration for unity

Each stone stele crisscrossed with bomb and bullet holes is a living testament to the brutality of war and the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people.

The complex was chosen to be built on a hill on the north bank of the Ben Hai River, about 6km from Hien Luong Bridge, located on National Highway 1A, now in Vinh Linh Commune, Quang Tri Province. This is a living symbol of the spirit of solidarity and the aspiration for unification of the North and the South. Each stone stele, riddled with bomb and bullet marks, is a living testament to the brutality of war and the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people, and needs to be urgently preserved in its proper size and significance.

Seven Immortal Symbols

Since Vinh Linh Martyrs Cemetery was built as the eternal resting place for 6,000 martyrs, the memorial and stone steles are located in the middle of the cemetery, about 100m behind the main monument. The steadfastness and bravery in the face of bullets of the memorial and stone steles is a symbol of victory, for the sons of Vinh Linh to turn to with faith and an oath to die. When the country was still at war, many army units from the North, before continuing their march to the southern battlefield, often stopped to take an oath in front of this complex of buildings.

The country is unified, the North and the South are reunited. In the great days of the nation, the people of Vinh Linh never lack respectful and sacred memorial ceremonies at the monument and the Heroic stele. Perhaps, it was because of these great favors that in 1983, the Vinh Linh district government decided to choose the area of the monument and the Heroic stele to expand into a cemetery for the graves of martyrs.

Along with taking care of the cemetery, Vinh Linh continues to restore the memorial and protect, solemnly displaying the cluster of stone steles with respect. In the above cluster of works, seven stone steles are prominently erected in a horizontal row in a small temple, in the middle is an altar. On the seven stone steles, the heroic feats of seven typical martyrs of the resistance war against French colonialism who sacrificed their lives on the southern battlefield are inscribed. These are elite soldiers, representing provinces and cities across the country, who fought and heroically sacrificed for the ideal of independence and national unity.

Specifically, the list of heroic martyrs recognized at the stele cluster includes: Tran Duc, Le Cong Khai in Thanh Hoa; Nguyen Do Luong in Ha Tinh; Truong Van Ly in old Quang Binh , now Quang Tri; Ngo May in old Binh Dinh, now Gia Lai; Ngo Chi Quoc in Ho Chi Minh City; Wuu in Gia Lai. In the above list, martyr Ngo May became a Hero of the Armed Forces on the occasion of National Day September 2, 1955. The remaining martyrs were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Armed Forces on the occasion of the second anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, May 7, 1956.

According to the remaining documents, the project started on April 28, 1958. After three months of construction, the project was completed on July 27, 1958. The stone steles were all carved from Nhoi Mountain, Thanh Hoa Province, and are uniform in size. Each stele is about 1.5m high, 1m wide and 0.2m thick.

Specifically, stele No. 1 honors martyr Tran Duc, born in 1917 in Thanh Hoa province. Stele No. 2 honors martyr Le Cong Khai, born in 1925 in Thanh Hoa province. Stele No. 3 honors martyr Nguyen Do Luong, born in 1923 in Ha Tinh province. Stele No. 4 honors martyr Truong Van Ly, born in 1924 in Quang Binh province. Stele No. 5 honors martyr Ngo May, born in 1924 in Binh Dinh province. Stele No. 6 honors martyr Ngo Chi Quoc, born in 1929 in Gia Dinh province. Stele No. 7 honors martyr Wuu, born in Gia Lai province.

In the stele system, there is also stele number 8 recording the name of the project; construction time; and the person recording. Specifically, the content of stele number 8: "Monument to honor martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland, stele of 7 heroes who sacrificed in the resistance war on the southern battlefield. Built on April 28, 1958. Completed on July 27, 1958. Recorded by: Phan Ngoc Hoan". At that time, when the project was completed, the Head of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Ton Duc Thang, attended the inauguration ceremony from Hanoi.

Need to implement restoration soon

Chairman of Vinh Linh Commune People's Committee Nguyen Thien Tung said, "The monument to the martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland, the stele of 7 heroes who sacrificed in the resistance war on the southern battlefield" has a very important historical significance. Recently, many working delegations from provinces, cities, hometowns and places where martyrs sacrificed have directly come to Vinh Linh, contacting to find information, documents, and artifacts to serve the work of honoring heroes right in their localities.

Apart from the stone stele of Heroic Martyr Ngo May which is still quite intact, the remaining stele, due to many places being destroyed by war bombs, are showing signs of deterioration over time, making it difficult to read all the content engraved on the stele. “Given the historical stature of the stele cluster, this current situation is worrying if there is no timely and appropriate conservation solution,” Mr. Tung emphasized.

The People's Committee of Vinh Linh commune is implementing a plan to restore and upgrade seven Heroic Martyrs' steles, and at the same time collect and supplement information, documents, artifacts, especially directives and documents of the Party and State on the policy of building this area. However, due to limited resources, the cost of restoring the seven steles is quite large, beyond the commune's capacity.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province Le Duc Tien said, "The monument to the martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland, the stele of 7 heroes who sacrificed in the resistance war on the southern battlefield" is a unique and rare work, marking the deep concern and responsibility of Uncle Ho, the Party and the State. He requested the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Vinh Linh commune to coordinate with the provinces where the heroic martyrs were from to soon find solutions to preserve, restore and rank this unique relic. This is a profound political and humanistic responsibility, contributing to fostering patriotism, educating revolutionary traditions for the younger generation, affirming the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source" and showing deep gratitude to those who have devoted their whole lives to the Fatherland.

LAM QUANG HUY and NGUYEN TRANG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/symbol-of-unification-of-spirit-togetherness-post915407.html