WRITING CONTEST “INVIOLABLE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY”: Memories of a time of war

Half a century has passed since the liberation of Thua Thien - Hue (now Hue City), the soldiers of Division 324 have had the opportunity to return to the old battlefield. In the joy of reunion, the old soldiers who had fought and died together shook hands and talked about the time of war and unforgettable heroic memories.

What a pity for blood and bones

In the afternoon, the golden sunshine poured like honey, the convoys brought more than 1,000 veterans back to the old battlefield, to attend the 50th Anniversary of Hue Liberation Day. In front of the sovereignty milestone of Hoang Sa island in the Hue City Military Command - the soldiers of Division 324 met again in joy mixed with emotional tears.

"Just turned 20 years old, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, I and my comrades crossed Truong Son to fight on the Thua Thien - Hue battlefield, contributing to the liberation of the South and the unification of the country" - veteran Pham Dinh Niem (Hai Phong City Veterans Association, from Thai Binh) began the story in a deep, proud voice. That year, Mr. Niem was a cipher soldier, tasked with decoding top secret information between levels, contributing to ensuring the smoothness of the communication system on the battlefield.

Veteran Nguyen Thanh Van (middle) recounts heroic fighting days

The three-month march through dense forests, high mountains, and dangerous rapids along the Truong Son mountain range to advance to the South, many soldiers fell before they could even reach the front line. Mr. Niem recalled: "At that time, we thought that leaving meant fighting to the end, completing the mission of liberating the South. Even if we had to sacrifice ourselves, future generations must live in peace."

For veterans Nguyen Thanh Van, Nguyen Van Chien, Le Si Hoa (Thai Binh Province Veterans Association)..., Hue is forever a part of their lives. The heroic and tragic memories of the old soldiers are forever engraved on each fierce battlefront: A Sau, A Bia (also known as Minced Meat Hill, A Luoi District); Bong Mountain, Nghe Mountain (Phong Dien District); Dong Tranh (Huong Tra Town); Bo River; Rao Trang River; Mang Ca..., with hundreds of days and nights of bloody and tearful fighting. Comrades sacrificed right before their eyes, unable to be brought back.

The most unforgettable memory in the mind of veteran Nguyen Thanh Van is the fierce battle on A Bia Hill in 1969. He and his comrades marched at night, crossing every ravine, every slope, surrounded by flares, bombs falling overhead, to enter the battlefield. During that battle, he personally buried 3 comrades right at the foot of A Bia Hill, which is now a national historical site "A Bia Hill Victory Site".

Standing on the vast, windy and peaceful hill on this return, the soldier's heart ached when thinking about his comrades who remained here, whose remains have yet to be found. "Every time we stand in the middle of A Luoi Cemetery, among thousands of silent martyrs' graves, we are silent and respectful. Where are many of our comrades in the graves with the words "identity not yet determined" engraved on the tombstones?" - Mr. Van was moved.

Strong character

I remember Mr. Van's joyful shout when he met his old comrade Nguyen Van Chien, returning to the old battlefield, to share the joy and pride with the Party Committee and people of Hue City on this important holiday.

Putting his arms around Mr. Chien, Mr. Van "boasted": "This is the bravest wired soldier on the battlefield. Wherever the danger is, where communication is broken, the superiors send Mr. Chien there."

Two veterans Nguyen Van Chien (left) and Pham Dinh Niem reunited at the sovereignty marker of Hoang Sa island in the campus of Hue City Military Command.

In the battle at "death stream" and "death stream" in the old Binh Dien commune (now Binh Tien commune, Huong Tra town), American bombs were continuously falling. Mr. Chien was like a shuttle, sometimes crawling into the rock crevices and then rushing out to connect, regardless of the danger, his life was always between life and death. Mr. Chien recalled: "When facing bombs and bullets, I only thought that I had to complete the mission at all costs, not afraid of sacrifice, had to ensure that the lines were open, and that command and communication information were always seamless." That brave soldier was honored many times to be awarded the Third Class Military Exploit Medal right on the battlefield, at the A Bia and Dong Tranh fronts...

At the battle of Dong Tranh (Phong Dien) in 1972, Mr. Van was surrounded by the enemy for 7 days in a flooded bunker. Between life and death, he still steadfastly held out. The bunker was flooded, contact was lost. The enemy continuously patrolled above. He lay still in the bunker, determined at all costs not to let his base be exposed. Overcoming that dangerous moment, Mr. Van was admitted to the Party right on the battlefield. The moment he stood at the mouth of the bunker to take the oath, amidst the whistling wind and the deafening sound of firecrackers exploding in his ears, no soldier will forget.

In the memories of old soldiers, the old battlefield was fierce but also a land of love. Veteran Le Si Hoa, a logistics soldier of Division 324, said that in his young mind, the gentle but resilient Hue girls were deeply imprinted. They were liaisons, overcoming the dangers of bombs and bullets to transport documents between the mountains and the plains. "In the highlands of A Luoi, Pa Co, Ta Oi, Co Tu women... helped soldiers carry ammunition over the mountains. Their slender backs bent over carrying ammunition, crossing streams and passes, passing through bullets and smoke, still singing loudly. They were small but persistent, resilient, and strong. All for a day of victory. The people of this land gave soldiers like us the strength to hold our guns firmly in the days that seemed impossible to overcome" - Mr. Hoa expressed his emotion.

Hue City is bright with flags and flowers to welcome the big festival, also joyfully welcoming the old soldiers back to the old battlefield to join in the joy of national reunification. It is also the gratitude of today's generation to the generations of fathers and grandfathers who devoted and sacrificed for the Fatherland, sacrificed for the independence and territorial integrity of Vietnam.

For independence, national unity

On the journey back to the old battlefield, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Van and the veterans of Division 324 stopped by Truong Tien Bridge, under an old royal poinciana tree blooming bright red in the middle of a summer day, recalling the attack on Hue Citadel during the Mau Than campaign in 1968. Mr. Van said that when he crossed Truong Tien Bridge, 3 of his comrades were hit by enemy bullets. Seeing his comrades fall right in front of him, his heart ached, but because of his duty, he had to continue moving forward.

"In the forests, hills, river banks, and rice fields of Vietnam, there are still many heroic martyrs and our comrades who lie behind, blending into the trees and grass, becoming the sacred soul of the country. They spared no blood and bones. All for independence and national unity," Mr. Van was moved.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cuoc-thi-viet-chu-quyen-quoc-gia-bat-kha-xam-pham-ky-uc-mot-thoi-hoa-lua-196250510195820013.htm