The love story of a former death row prisoner in Con Dao and the reunion on the day of national reunification

During the fierce years of war, the love of former death row prisoner of Con Dao Le Hong Tu (born in 1934, in Ho Chi Minh City) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau (born in 1938) - two steadfast revolutionary soldiers - was the source of strength for them to overcome hardships, nurture great determination, and wait for the day when North and South reunited as one family.

Mr. Le Hong Tu, a former death row prisoner in Con Dao, is 91 years old this year. (Photo: Dai Viet)

Love just started

We met Mr. Le Hong Tu (born 1934), a former death row prisoner in Con Dao, in a small house in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Tu was born in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. At the age of 15, he learned the trade of ironworker and lathe worker. In 1954, he went to school and worked at the Southern Railway Department. After many challenges, he was admitted to the Vietnam National Salvation Youth Union, and was sent to Van Lang School to work.

It was here that he met Nguyen Thi Chau - a petite, intelligent girl from Bien Hoa (Dong Nai) who came to study in Saigon. Both of them participated in the patriotic student movement. Tu gradually developed feelings for Chau.

Le Hong Tu and Nguyen Thi Chau when they were young.

Chau’s dilapidated rented room at Ngu Hanh Temple (District 3) was where Tu’s group often went to discuss work. Many days, Tu stayed until evening to chat with Chau. They told each other about their families and their relatives participating in the resistance. Chau longed to join the ranks, working secretly like Tu and many others to sacrifice themselves for the country.

At the end of 1959, the organization required Chau to fail the exam in order to continue to stay at Van Lang School to lead the student movement. Tu moved to build a base at Nguyen Van Khue School and joined the steering committee of the “Students for National Salvation Magazine” – a secret newspaper of patriotic students at that time.

Nearly half a year passed, Tu came to Chau's room on a Saturday night. Tu came to say goodbye to Chau before going to the war zone for a long time. But that was not the most important reason. Tu wanted to confess his feelings after 4 years of knowing each other.

“I'm moving soon so I want to ask Chau an important question. I love someone,” Tu said.

Chau replied: "Who is that person, do I know?".

Tu continued: "She is beautiful, gentle, kind, has a simple life and shares the same revolutionary aspirations as me."

Chau said: "That person is good, who is she?".

Tu bravely exclaimed: " That person is Chau".

Chau shyly said: "Don't say anymore", even though Tu's eyes made Chau moved to the point of silence. Chau still hadn't forgotten the promise she made to her mother that she wouldn't get married early, that after finishing school she would find a job and help her mother raise her four younger siblings because her father had passed away early.

Tu understood that Chau was thinking too much, so he comforted her, "I joined the Revolution. If the Revolution succeeds, I will get married. One person helping my mother is not as good as two people helping my mother take care of the whole family."

Tu and Chau's short dates had to stop because of war and distance.

When leaving, Tu held Chau's hand tightly and said softly: "Tomorrow I will leave Saigon, it will probably be a long time before I return. If anything happens, Chau, please don't be angry with me. Right now, Chau is not thinking about getting married, but if that decision changes in the future, think about tonight, think about me." Chau nodded silently and gave Tu a gift package. And Tu's old car drove away...

Back home, Tu thought his confession had failed, and sat down on the bed sadly. Suddenly remembering Chau's gift package, Tu quickly sat up and opened it. Inside was a line of text that read, "Brother Tu, I heard you're going far away, so I'm sending you some money to spend ." Along with that line were 200 dong, 2 tank tops, a sweater, and two pairs of pants.

At the end of 1960, tens of thousands of leaflets and slogans were published to celebrate the important event of the “National Liberation Front of South Vietnam”. From the war zone, Tu returned to Saigon in the midst of the boiling struggle.

Tu also made an appointment with Chau to go to the suburbs to discuss the organization's work. The two rode together on a motorbike, pretending to be a couple of lovers sightseeing near Bien Hoa Bus Station. Around the couple were several undercover policemen loitering.

Tu informed Chau about the special activities to welcome the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the Association of Students and Pupils for the Liberation of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh area.

Tu discussed with Chau very carefully about the plan to print, distribute leaflets, and organize protests.

After work, before parting ways, Tu also asked Chau's opinion about love. Tu asked if there was anything new in love, but Chau replied that there was nothing new. The bus started up and prepared to take Chau away. Tu emotionally said: "As long as I live in this world, I still intend to marry Chau. Even if I have to travel all the way around the world to be with Chau, I am willing."

Chau was moved, silent… and the bus moved further away. Chau leaned out the window, waved and called out loudly “brother Tu”. It was the first time Tu saw Chau calling Tu so intimately and passionately. Tu was overjoyed. The person on the bus, the person on the street, but both understood each other’s feelings. But they did not know that the wave to each other was a long 15 years of separation.

Death sentence, imprisonment and reunion

In 1961, Chau and several other comrades were arrested for treason. This made Tu even more cautious in his activities. That same year, Tu was confirmed by the organization as an official Party member through a short letter from Ho Hao Hon - Secretary of the Vietnam Youth Labor Union in the Saigon - Gia Dinh area. After that, Tu was elected to the Executive Committee of the Student Union for Liberation in the Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh area, directly leading the Executive Committee III and in charge of schools in District 2 and District 5 of Saigon.

In August 1961, while scraping mud from a wheel, Tu was surrounded and arrested by Diem's ​​security forces. Imprisoned and brutally tortured for 9 months, Tu and his 11 brothers had to go to court. More than a year later, the court sentenced Le Hong Tu, Le Quang Vinh, Le Van Thanh, and Huynh Van Chinh to death. However, in the face of strong protests from the people in the country and international public opinion, the Diem government had to stop carrying out the death sentence. Le Hong Tu and his brothers were exiled to Con Dao.

Special military court sentenced four communist soldiers to death.

After more than 2 years, a fellow prisoner texted Tu: “Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau, your fiancee, sends her regards.” Tu was surprised because this was the first time he had heard from Chau after such a long time. “For a death row inmate about to be executed, having a girl he loves accept him as his fiancee… what could be happier?”

Then a few days later, Tu received a pair of pants embroidered with the letters "TC" sent by Chau.

Once, Tu accidentally picked up a thin piece of silver in the trash. Tu polished it into a heart shape, engraved with a hammer and sickle on one side and the letters “TC” intertwined on the other side.

In September 1965, Tu and seven other death row inmates were transported to Saigon for execution at Ben Thanh Market. From Chi Hoa prison, Tu wrote a final letter to Chau expressing his feelings and his love for his homeland. Tu was happy that Chau was released from prison and hoped that Chau would decide his own happiness.

Fortunately, before the execution, the Voice of Vietnam and Liberation Radio broadcast a warning to the enemy, demanding that the lives of Tu and other illegally detained patriots be guaranteed. Otherwise, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam would respond appropriately.

After that, Tu was taken to Con Dao and imprisoned with hero Le Van Viet.

In 1972, a death row inmate informed Tu that Chau was honored to be in the Southern Women's Delegation to meet Uncle Ho and attend the World Youth and Student Congress in the Soviet Union. Chau reported to the organization that she was Le Hong Tu's wife and believed that her husband would return one day.

Ms. Chau was elected as Chairwoman of the Provisional Revolutionary People's Committee of District 10 after the liberation day.

Two years later, Tu was overjoyed when his cellmate handed him a letter from Chau. The first sentence of the letter was “I miss you”, the whole letter was filled with longing and anticipation from Chau and her relatives on the mainland, along with the belief in the day Saigon would be liberated…

At that moment, Tu felt empowered and believed that the day of national reunification was near and that the personal happiness of couples would be so sacred when it merged with the happiness of the North and South reunited as one family.

And then, the news of victory came to Con Dao, on the night of April 30, 1975, the waiting, the imprisonment, the tortures ended, the former death row inmates were extremely happy, choking as they walked out of the “hell on earth”. 14 years, 3 times preparing to go to the execution ground with so much suffering were over…

The day he left the island, he recalled with emotion that when he entered prison, Tu was only 26 years old, and when he was released, he was 40 years old. The loyal soldier's hair had turned gray and he wondered if Chau was still alive or had died...

The happy wedding of former Con Dao death row inmate Le Hong Tu and Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau was held after 15 years apart. (Photo: NVCC)

On May 7, 1975, Tu returned to Vung Tau.

Their separation and waiting in prison ended with a simple wedding ceremony called “Happy Family Wedding Ceremony” on the first Mid-Autumn Festival night since Saigon was liberated.

For them, marital happiness is mixed with the happiness of the whole nation, great, meaningful, sacred and incomparable.

Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chuyen-tinh-cua-cuu-tu-tu-con-dao-va-cuoc-tuong-phung-ngay-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-ar930151.html