Looking for the owner of the diary

Following the addresses on the identification documents (all in the north), the first thing we did was to Google to find local websites. The writer found the website of the People's Committee of Hai Hau District ( Nam Dinh ). It took the third email to receive the information provided by the writer. The sense of responsibility of the staff of the Hai Hau District People's Committee office is commendable, as by dusk we had received positive information. Mr. Do Thanh Hung (Chief of the District People's Committee Office) called the writer: "Immediately after receiving the email, we started searching. Thanks to the journalist who sent along a photo of the driver's license (with a photo attached), Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung's comrades and family members immediately recognized him. In Hai Hau, the return of "wartime relics" often happens, but usually in the case of martyrs. In this case, the owner was still alive after the war, but Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung passed away on May 15, 2013 (the 6th day of the 4th lunar month)."

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung and his former comrades took a photo on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his enlistment (September 22, 1965 - September 22, 2005)

Provided by Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung's family

Mr. Do Thanh Hung also added that in the 1960s, young people in Hai Hau (originally a rural area) were rare people who were relatively literate. Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung was one of those "rare" people who were chosen to go to driving school. Mr. Hung enlisted on September 22, 1965... After 1975, Mr. Hung was discharged and returned to his hometown. That was hamlet 12, Phu Quy village, Hai Ninh commune (from Nam Dinh city, it took 35 km to reach the center of Hai Hau district, then another 26 km to reach his hometown). Mr. Hung married Ms. Vu Thi Mui (born in 1955), they had 4 daughters (the eldest was born in 1977) and a youngest son (born in 1987). The family was not very well off, and because he was exposed to Agent Orange during the war, his health gradually deteriorated. He also passed away from cancer caused by the after-effects of Agent Orange...

Mr. Hung also gave us the phone number of Mr. Nguyen Van Thang (born in 1946), who was from the same village but different hamlet (Mr. Thang was in hamlet 13) and was a comrade of Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung. Mr. Thang told us the following: "Hung and I joined the army on the same day (September 22, 1965), and were both selected to learn to drive at the Motorcycle Management Department, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Vu Van Don. After finishing school, we each went to a different unit but still kept in touch with each other. After being discharged, we often participated in activities in the Veterans Association, or visited each other, so we understood each other very well. I also know very well about the case of Nguyen Manh Hung's "lost backpack". At that time (1968), Nguyen Manh Hung was a driver for the Petroleum Department (there was a system of petroleum pipelines from the Northern rear running along the Ho Chi Minh trail to supply fuel to the battlefield), the area of ​​operation that Hung's unit was responsible for was the Eastern Truong Son area (Khe Sanh, A Sau, A Luoi...). When soldiers went on duty, their military equipment was left at the station (camp) with someone watching over it. However, that day the US army and the Saigon army Suddenly, troops were sent to this area. The evacuation order was very quick, and military equipment had to be left behind. As a result, Hung's backpack and that of many other soldiers fell into the hands of American soldiers. After that, the psychological warfare agency of the US and the South printed Hung's diary pages and photos into leaflets and distributed them to the North. At that time, Hung's family as well as the local government confirmed that Hung had been taken prisoner by the enemy. A while later, they learned that he and his comrades had escaped to the forest. The story of the lost backpack was also forgotten, no one remembered it anymore... Unexpectedly, today, we were informed by the soldiers that, unfortunately, Hung, our comrade in arms, is no longer here...".

Mr. Do Thanh Hung also sent us a photo of Mr. Hung with his old comrades at a reunion to celebrate their 40th anniversary of enlistment (September 22, 1965 - September 22, 2005). In the photo, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung is standing in the last row (5th from the left). Mr. Nguyen Van Thang is standing to the right of Mr. Hung (3rd from the left).

Among the 9 "souvenir" photos, we found a photo of a handsome soldier with a female soldier in uniform, with a rank collar and a cloth cap with a star badge. The girl had a very pretty face, her hair braided over her right shoulder. Looking at the photo, we hoped to discover an interesting love story, but when we turned to the back of the photo, we read the words Hung wrote and signed: " Commemoration, December 20, 1967. Far away and there are many historical memories in this photo, the time living in land 9009 with the miserable job of "Raising pigs". Had to laugh and...disappointed! (to be continued)

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-ky-vat-thoi-chien-di-tim-chu-nhan-cuon-nhat-ky-18523122523290488.htm