The enemy's crimes are countless.
One historic day in early April, we followed the coconut-lined road to Mr. Dinh Dac Kham's house.
More than 50 years since escaping the shackles of Phu Quoc Prison Camp, Mr. Dinh Dac Kham has forgotten many things, but his prison days in this camp are still forever in his memory.
Mr. Dinh Dac Kham was born in a poor village with a difficult childhood. At the age of 14, he participated in ambushes, sent letters to cadres, and surrounded enemy posts. When the American invaders began to send troops to the South, listening to the call of the Fatherland, the young man volunteered to go to the South to fight, leaving behind his old mother, wife, and two young children.
On August 19, 1965, Mr. Kham enlisted in the 312th Division, 209th Regiment, stationed in Thai Nguyen province and was later transferred to the 141st Regiment. After 4 months of continuous marching, crossing the Truong Son mountain range, Mr. Kham's unit finally reached the assembly point.
Mr. Kham's last and most impressive battle was on July 11, 1967. The battalion sent him to attack the No. 1 explosive device, opening the unit's big battle. During that battle, Mr. Kham was captured by the enemy and taken to Bien Hoa prison camp, then transferred to Phu Quoc prison.
In his memory, the prison had barbed wire fences 8 to 10 times. They oppressed and beat prisoners without reason. He remembered that on May 7, 1970, a prison camp for resistance, they opened fire on the prison, killing and injuring nearly 200 people...
"They used stingray whips to beat comrade Hai in Kinh Mon. They peeled off 1/3 of his back skin, it was extremely cruel. The enemy also built solitary confinement cells and tiger cages in the prison camps. No amount of paper or pen can describe all their crimes... In the dry season, each of us got half a liter of water a day. Seven of us gathered together for one person to bathe. Many prisoners were sick and ill, and due to the torture and abuse, they passed away," Mr. Kham recalled.
Mr. Kham was held by the enemy for 2,049 days, most of which were in Phu Quoc prison. Longing to return to the sky of freedom, to hold guns and fight for revenge, many prisoners tried to escape. Prison food was hard to swallow, and prison beatings were often inflicted, but they could not shake the will of the loyal soldiers. Among them, our Party and Youth Union organizations still secretly operated.
Happy return day
In prison, the soldier never stopped believing in the victory of the revolution. After the Paris Agreement in 1973, ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam, prisoners were exchanged between the parties. Mr. Kham and his comrades were informed to gather, have their personal information checked, and board a car to the airport, then taken straight to Phu Bai ( Hue ).
At the gathering area, Mr. Kham saw the proud national flag flying on the northern bank. On the shore, on the wharf, soldiers and villagers had prepared boats to welcome their children returning from far away. Mr. Kham and his comrades silently looked over here, looking towards the liberated land, tears welling up in their eyes…
In his hometown, on February 3, 1972, the Hai Hung Provincial Military Command at that time received a death notice for martyr Dinh Dac Kham. The local government at that time solemnly held a memorial service for "martyr Kham". In 1973, when he was released as a prisoner of war, Mr. Kham did not know that he was already a "martyr".
In the preface to the diary "Remembering the night of carrying a lost friend in the forest" by teacher and war invalid Dinh Duc Lam (Mr. Kham's younger brother) compiled and introduced by Colonel and writer Dang Vuong Hung, it is written: "A martyr comes back to life is the autobiography of Phu Quoc prisoner Dinh Dac Kham introduced in the second half of this book. Readers will be surprised to know that Mr. Kham has never been to school and has only finished 4th grade, but can write poems and autobiographies so well."
Returning to normal life, carrying with him the wounds and traces of the enemy's whips, the pride and indomitability of Uncle Ho's soldiers still remained in former prisoner Dinh Dac Kham. After returning to his hometown, he became the village Party Cell Secretary and Production Team Leader.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lieu, Chairman of Tien Dong Commune People's Committee, shared: "What impressed me about Mr. Kham is his spirit of self-study. He is old this year, and although his eyesight is poor, he still diligently studies and reads books every day."
NGUYEN THAOSource: https://baohaiduong.vn/cuu-tu-phu-quoc-o-hai-duong-va-nhung-ky-uc-chua-nguoi-409385.html
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