The story of the palm tree in Hop Minh

Currently, hostile and reactionary forces are pursuing and stirring up the Khmer Krom issue, accusing Vietnam of "grabbing land" from Cambodia, and blatantly distorting the policies of our Party and State on ethnic issues, especially issues related to the Khmer ethnic group.

One of the arguments they still spread is: "Wherever the palm tree grows, the land of the Khmer people is there". This article tells the story of a veteran, about a palm tree in Dat Den area, Hop Minh commune, Tran Yen district, now group 3, Hop Minh ward, Yen Bai city. For decades, the palm tree has stood there, growing tall and lush in the veteran's garden, not knowing whether the extremists in neighboring Cambodia have claimed that land as "their land".

It was drizzling at the end of June. The change in weather made veteran Dao Duc Sai's illness worse. We went to Dat Den area to visit the old veteran and admire the palmyra palm tree in his garden. I believe it is the only palmyra palm tree in Yen Bai province.

At the age of 81, and having been exposed to Agent Orange, his health was very weak, his eyes were dim and only lit up when we asked about his military life. Following the call of the Fatherland, in 1963, the young man Dao Duc Sai enlisted in the army, went to the South to fight in many battlefields, and participated in many major battles. Due to many illnesses and declining health, he was discharged and returned to his hometown.

In 1968, the battlefield in the South became more fierce. When his health improved, he volunteered to go once again and was honored to be a soldier of the Yen Ninh 4 Battalion. On January 29, 1969, the Battalion went to the front. 50 soldiers of the Battalion were sent to study reporting, the rest, including Mr. Sai, were added to the 5th Division in the Southeast.

Together with his comrades, he directly participated in the battles, destroyed the Dong Du base, liberated Phuoc Long, Xuan Loc. After the great victory in the spring of 1975, thinking that peace had come, he could return to his hometown to plow the fields, get married, unexpectedly, the Pol Pot reactionaries attacked the southwestern border, committed many crimes, forcing the soldiers to go to war once again; his unit marched to Cambodia to protect the Fatherland and fulfill the noble international duty, helping the people of the neighboring country.

War is fierce, there is no victory without sacrifice! During the time fighting in the neighboring country, the palmyra palm trees and the Khmer and Cham people sheltered the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers. Many nights, the soldiers ate and slept under the palmyra palm trees, many times the palmyra palm tree trunks, which were so strong that they could hug the whole body, shielded the soldiers from enemy bullets and many of his comrades sacrificed under the palmyra palm trees, lying next to the rows of palmyra palm trees.

The soldiers were very glorious, but they were also missed very much! While fighting fiercely, his health declined significantly, perhaps the Agent Orange from the previous period had penetrated deeply into his body. When he was no longer strong enough, he was demobilized and returned to his hometown. And from that moment on, he missed his comrades, missed the Khmer people of Kampong Cham province, missed the rows of straight palm trees that provided shade and shelter for the Vietnamese soldiers.

The desire to have a palm tree planted in front of his house was burning inside him, and then a relative helped him fulfill that wish. The palm tree from the Khmer land was planted and cared for by Mr. Sai in front of his house, welcoming the dawn every morning, spreading shade at dusk and growing tall with bamboo, hop, grapefruit and jackfruit. In a flash, 40 years have passed, the palm tree is now so big that a person cannot hug it, is tens of meters high and has green leaves all year round.

Then Mr. Sai and the cadres of Hop Minh ward lowered their voices when mentioning the reactionary and extremists' argument that "wherever the palm tree is, that is the land of the Cambodian people". It's okay, that's their business, but we; especially the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers still hold our heads high, still proud of having fulfilled our noble international duty, saving the people of our friendly country from the disaster of genocide. The Khmer people are still intoxicated by the apsara dance, the Mekong River is still blue and deep, the palm tree in Mr. Sai's garden, in the Southeast region and in our friendly country, still grows tall and strong.

Le Phien

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/351349/Chuyen-ve-cay-thot-not-o-Hop-Minh.aspx