Revolutionary soldiers and the desire for freedom

For the revolution to be victorious, there was an equally fierce battle, which was the battle of revolutionary soldiers who were imprisoned by the enemy in detention camps and prisons. On that special front, the revolutionary soldiers endured many forms of brutal torture, but they remained steadfast in protecting the Party, protecting the revolution, and realizing the aspiration for independence and freedom for the nation. When peace was restored, the former prisoners still maintained the integrity of revolutionary soldiers, kept their oath to the Party, promoted the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, and contributed to building the homeland.

Part I: Memories of a revolutionary soldier

The detention camps and prisons of the French colonialists and the American imperialists in Vietnam are recorded in history as having many forms of brutal torture like in the Middle Ages, haunting anyone who experienced them for life. Being exiled in harsh conditions, suffering physical pain, even sacrificing their lives, the spirit of the revolutionary soldiers was always boiling, turning the prison into a revolutionary school.

Hell on Earth

Veteran and former prisoner Nguyen Thai Hoc from Dong Moi village, Yen Duong commune (Tam Dao) walks with one foot shorter than the other, has many scars all over his body, has lost several teeth, has bullet fragments stuck in his head and is often sick and tired. These are the consequences of Mr. Hoc having to endure the enemy's brutal torture during his unforgettable years in prison.

In 1970, during a battle in Da Nang, Mr. Hoc was captured by the enemy and then imprisoned in the Vietnamese Communist Prisoner of War Camp - Phu Quoc (abbreviated as Phu Quoc Prison Camp). As soon as he was brought to the prison, Mr. Hoc had to endure a series of preemptive attacks from the enemy using hands, feet, batons, and gun butts to interrogate him about the revolution.

Unable to get anything out of him, the enemy took him to prison cells and continued to apply many forms of torture, from sun exposure and dew exposure in a "tiger cage" to breaking teeth and hammering nails into many parts of his body...

The health of former prisoner Nguyen Thai Hoc, Yen Duong commune, Tam Dao district (brown shirt) was greatly affected by the consequences of brutal torture by the enemy. Photo: Binh Duyen

After more than 3 years in prison, Mr. Hoc, a healthy young man weighing more than 60kg, became skin and bones, weighing less than 24kg. Luckily, he survived, but every time he recalls that memory, revolutionary soldiers who were imprisoned by the enemy like Mr. Hoc cannot help but shudder in fear.

During the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, thousands of revolutionary soldiers who were children of Vinh Phuc were captured and imprisoned by the enemy in prisons and detention camps and had to endure dozens of savage and brutal forms of torture such as pouring boiling water into their mouths, forcing wooden planks to break their chests, driving nails through body parts, breaking teeth, throwing people into boiling water until they died, burning them alive, burying them alive, electrocuting them, burning red-hot zinc wire and stabbing it into their skin and flesh, exposing them to "tiger cages", solitary confinement in basements...

The brutality of the enemy caused many revolutionary soldiers to die in dark prisons, never to return, and most of the survivors were injured and disabled. Places such as Hoa Lo Prison, Con Dao Prison, Phu Quoc Prison, which were considered “hell on earth”, have now become famous historical relics, symbols of the indomitable and resilient spirit of patriotic Vietnamese people.

Currently, in the province, among the more than 200 revolutionary soldiers who were captured and imprisoned by the enemy and are still alive, most of them during the resistance war against the US, more than 70% are war invalids, sick soldiers, and people infected with Agent Orange/dioxin. Of these, more than 10% are seriously wounded and unable to work.

Loyal to protecting the Party, protecting the revolution

Despite being brutally tortured, the will of many revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the enemy did not waver. They suffered physically, but their spirit grew more hateful towards the enemy and their desire for freedom boiled. The revolutionary soldiers remained steadfastly loyal to the Party, secretly turning harsh prisons into revolutionary schools, and leading the movement to fight against the enemy.

Revolutionary soldiers who were imprisoned by the enemy in the province were moved to recall their years of imprisonment in the prisons and detention camps of the American imperialists. Photo: Truong Khanh

In 1968, after the second offensive of the Mau Than campaign in Thua Thien Hue, the unit of Mr. Tran Van Thuong, from An Hoa commune (Tam Duong) was almost completely sacrificed, the remaining few fell into the enemy's hands and were taken to prisons and detention camps, including him. In July 1968, Mr. Thuong was taken to Phu Quoc prison camp and like many other soldiers, began a new war, a war between unarmed people and the savage and brutal prison regime.

After a period of torture, under the enemy's clutches, Mr. Thuong was able to connect with the Party organization in prison. He was elected as the secretary of the Youth Union branch, and was assigned by the Prison Party Committee to teach literacy and culture to prisoners, and to participate in struggles in prison.

Mr. Thuong shared: “Gathering enthusiastic people to follow the revolution, follow the Party and Youth Union organizations in prison must follow very strict principles. Along with going through the hometown associations to know the background standards and fighting process, the most important thing is that the members must be trained and tested with specific actions to be trustworthy enough to be admitted.

Each sub-region established many secret groups, each group had a maximum of 3 people to avoid being exposed. No matter how difficult it was, we always kept in mind the 3 no's: no wavering, no betrayal, if we could not do the above two things, we were no longer worthy of living.

With loyalty and indomitable will, soldiers like Mr. Thuong, despite being in difficult prisons, still enthusiastically participated in building Party and Youth Union organizations. From there, they led the masses to fight, protect the rights of prisoners and protect revolutionary forces from enemy attacks, and led prison breaks to return to the revolution.

The struggle movements in prison therefore still took place vigorously in many forms such as shouting, writing petitions, demanding medical treatment, improving life... Every struggle of revolutionary soldiers in prison was suppressed by the enemy, some died, some were injured, some were brutally tortured, but all were not discouraged, united, determined to fight with the truth "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom".

Binh Duyen

Source: https://baovinhphuc.com.vn/tin-tuc/Id/119954/Chien-si-cach-mang-va-khat-vong-tu-do