The story of the female guerrilla militia at Tung Luat ferry crossing.

QTO - She sat with her hands resting on the old wooden table, her head turned towards the riverbank where coconut trees cast their shade, her face pensive as she watched the strangers enter her house. At first, she was reluctant to receive us, but after a while of conversation, she realized the goodwill of me and my colleague, and became more cheerful and friendly.

Báo Quảng Trị•31/08/2025

She is Ngo Thi Tho, a female guerrilla fighter and war invalid (category 4/4) who served in combat and support operations at the Tung Luat ferry crossing years ago. She currently resides in Tung Luat village, Cua Tung commune, Quang Tri province. Her life in the revolution unfolds like layers of memories, unfolding story by story, circumstance by circumstance, segment by segment, not seamlessly connected but captivating and moving. Pointing to an altar with a soldier's portrait, she said: "My lover and I were assigned by the organization to row a boat together to transport soldiers from the B ferry crossing across the Ben Hai River to the South to participate in the battlefield and revolutionary activities. Later, we became husband and wife."

Mrs. Tho recalled that one night, while on a mission to transport soldiers from the Song Dinh unit south to fight, they encountered intense artillery fire from the 7th Fleet on their return. He steered at the helm, she steered at the bow, but the boat swayed precariously, unable to reach the shore. She asked him, "Should I jump into the river and use the rope to pull the boat to shore?" He replied, "Don't jump into the river; you might get hit by a bomb and die, and your body won't be found." They struggled to bring the boat closer to shore when a shrapnel fragment whizzed past, landing just a hand's length away from her. She screamed, and he rushed to embrace her, saying, "Luckily, I didn't lose my dear comrade!" From that day on, love blossomed between them, but they didn't get married until three years later.

Monument at Tung Luat Ferry Terminal - Photo: H.N.K

Tung Luat Ferry Terminal Monument - Photo: HNK

For nearly a decade serving at the Tung Luat ferry crossing, Mrs. Tho transported hundreds of soldiers across the river. Every day, the busiest time was between 5 and 8 PM, when the largest number of soldiers crossed from the North to the South bank. Besides transporting soldiers across the river, she also took on the task of bringing wounded soldiers back. A job that, according to her, always filled her with anxiety and compassion for the soldiers, especially the severely wounded, whose lives hung in the balance. During that time, she and her comrades narrowly escaped death several times.

For Mrs. Tho, the greatest pride of her life was dedicating her youth to the revolution. Although rowing the boat wasn't particularly strenuous, it always brought different emotions during her youth, and her heart was always stirred by life. Mrs. Tho admits she can't remember all the soldiers' names, only their Northern accents. Each trip across the river was only a few hundred meters, not enough time to ask questions, so she always prayed for their safety on the fierce battlefield.

Ms. Tho and Ms. Thi recount their lives of revolutionary activities - Photo: H.N.K

Ms. Tho and Ms. Thi recount their lives of revolutionary activities - Photo: HNK

Yet, among the thousands of soldiers who crossed the river, Mrs. Tho still remembered a man named The, from the naval special forces unit. She remembered him because his unit was stationed in Vinh Trung commune (now Vinh Hoang commune). Every night, he carried a folding rifle and crossed the river alone. The secrecy of his mission prevented her from asking many questions, but after each time he disembarked, he would always turn back and wave goodbye. Mrs. Tho recounted that Mr. The wrote many letters to her, signing them "The Sinh," but only to chat and inquire about her well-being. Once, Mr. The gave her a floral parachute as a keepsake, but she refused, feeling that the parachute was essential to him. Their camaraderie and fellowship ended there. To this day, she still remembers the poems Mr. The wrote for her. I suggested she recite them, but she refused, explaining that she couldn't remember them all.

I returned to Tung Luat Ferry Terminal and felt the peaceful scenery with coconut trees casting their shadows on the tranquil river. As evening fell, the people of Tung Luat village leisurely sat on the stone benches, enjoying the cool breeze and chatting animatedly. These were stories about the past, present, and future… And history will always remember the heroic deeds of these ordinary people who dedicated a beautiful part of their youth to the glorious mission at this ferry terminal.

Tung Luat Ferry Terminal, located in Vinh Giang commune (now Cua Tung commune), was classified as a special national historical relic in 2013. During the years 1956-1965, this was the starting point for secret nighttime ferry crossings, transporting soldiers and cadres to the South for operational activities. From mid-1967 to early 1973, Tung Luat Ferry Terminal was under the direct leadership of the Party Committee and the Vinh Giang Commune Militia. A militia company of 80 people, organized into four detachments, regularly operated here: a detachment for rowing boats across the river and clearing mines; a detachment for transporting supplies to Con Co Island; a detachment for protecting 12.7mm anti-aircraft guns and machine guns; and a detachment for digging tunnels, fortifications, trenches, and shelters, organizing medical care, transporting wounded and deceased soldiers, and gathering goods for direct combat and combat support.

Ho Nguyen Kha

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202509/chuyen-ve-nu-dan-quan-du-kich-ben-do-tung-luat-fd948da/