At the foot of Mang Ri mountain

Resilient in resistance

From the center of Tra Tan commune, we drove our motorbikes upstream about 3km, with winding mountain roads to reach the Cay Cho Resettlement Area. There are nearly 30 houses built on a flat plot of land next to the concrete road. Next to the resettlement area is a hundred-year-old Cho tree, a silent witness to the changes of time, protected by many generations of villagers. This season, the Cho tree blooms with brilliant yellow flowers, spreading a fragrant scent. About 100m above the Cho tree is the provincial-level historical and cultural relic of the T30 Medical Station.

According to the elders in the village, during the resistance war against the US, the Tra Ot hamlet area, Tra Tan commune had many caves and high mountains, which were convenient for our army and people to hide and build revolutionary bases. In response to the demands of history, in early 1964, the T30 Medical Station was established under the Ta Na cave, in the Ong Cay and Mang Ri mountains, Tra Ot hamlet. The medical station performed the task of caring for and providing medical examination and treatment for the people, officers and soldiers in the western Binh Son, western Son Tinh, and southern Tra Bong areas; at the same time, it prepared human resources, material resources, medical equipment, and medicines to serve the major battles of local troops and the armed forces of Military Region 5 in coordination in the northern battlefield of the province.

Memorial stele for martyrs at T30 Medical Station, Tra Ot village, Tra Tan commune.

The T30 medical station was also an important bridge, contributing to building the relationship between the revolutionary armed forces and the masses in the area. Knowing this, the enemy used tricks to exploit information about the T30 medical station; regularly surrounded and bombed it, but could not detect the existence of this unit in the Tra Tan area. War invalid Ho Van Danh, in Tra Ot village, shared that at that time, the war in this area was very fierce. Not only did they bomb, the US also used planes to spray toxic chemicals all over the forests and trails to destroy our military bases. However, our army and the people in the area still persevered, increased production, and found ways to fight the enemy.

On the evening of October 14, 1964, heavy rain, floods, and a landslide swept away 5 medical staff of the T30 Medical Station and 30 wounded and sick soldiers being treated there. This was a great loss and sacrifice for the Quang Ngai medical sector during this time. In 2007, the T30 Medical Station relic was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a provincial historical and cultural relic. In 2015, to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed at the T30 Medical Station; at the same time, to promote the value of the historical relic and educate the revolutionary tradition to medical staff and the people, the Provincial People's Committee allocated funds to build and complete the Memorial Monument for the martyrs who sacrificed at the T30 Medical Station.

Many households living in mountainous areas at risk of landslides were relocated to Cay Cho resettlement area, Tra Ot village.

After the liberation day, the country was reunited, the people of Tra Ot village rebuilt their houses along the mountainous areas of Ong Cay and Mang Ri mountains and lived off the forest. The people's lives at that time were extremely difficult, but they always believed in the leadership of the Party and the efforts of each person to rise up and make the land full of bombs and bullets blossom and bear fruit.

Join hands to build our homeland

In the atmosphere of the historic April days, people in Tra Ot village, Tra Tan commune, enthusiastically went to the fields to take care of the rice, and went to the fields to harvest acacia, cinnamon, and tea. The rice fields at the beginning of the village are entering the final stage, the heavy rice grains swaying in the wind. On both sides of the road, more and more bright red tiled-roofed houses are being built as evidence of the prosperity and abundance of the people here.

The road to Tra Ot village, Tra Tan commune (Tra Bong) has been paved with clean concrete, creating favorable conditions for people to travel and children to go to school.

Nearly 30 households living in the area at risk of landslides in Nuoc Lat group have been relocated by the local government to Cay Cho resettlement area to live for more than ten years. In addition to settling down, the villagers also receive support from the State with trees, seeds, policy loans, creating conditions for people to develop the economy and increase income. The road from the commune center to the resettlement area, about 3km long, has been concreted, making it easier for people to travel, and children are happy to go to school.

Mr. Ho Van Thao (39 years old), in Tra Ot village, shared, “Before, my family lived high up in the mountains, so it was very difficult for my children to go to school. Since moving to the resettlement area, I feel much more secure. Now my two children are attending kindergarten at a school near my house, so I don’t have to pick them up and drop them off like before. Moreover, in recent years, the State has invested in rebuilding roads, making it less difficult for everyone in the village to go back to their old place of residence for production. Before, it took a half-day of walking, but now it only takes 40 minutes by motorbike. Thanks to that, the products I make such as acacia, cinnamon, and tea are also purchased by traders at higher prices.”

Preschool students at Cay Cho school, Tra Ot village.

The whole Tra Ot village has 174 households, with 749 people. For generations, the villagers have always lived in solidarity, helping each other to improve their lives. “Now the villagers no longer worry about the “crop shortage”, working in the dry season to save for the rainy season, many people have food and savings. People have known how to apply science and technology to production, increasing the productivity of wet rice instead of growing upland rice. The work of taking care of their children's education is also of increasing concern to the villagers. Many students in the village have passed the university and college entrance exams; the rest have been sent by their families to vocational training or after graduating from high school, they have applied to work as workers in industrial parks in the province”, Mr. Ho Minh Son (86 years old), a prestigious person in Tra Ot village, happily said.

According to Vice Chairman of Tra Tan Commune People's Committee Ho Van Huynh, in recent years, with support from the State, Tra Ot villagers have made efforts to take care of their business, develop the economy, and increase their income. Thanks to the consensus and joint efforts of villagers in donating land and contributing working days, many roads in the village have been expanded and paved with clean concrete, especially the more than 3km long road from the commune center to Cay Cho resettlement area. In addition, the district has invested in building a connecting road between Huong Tra and Tra Tan communes, more than 11km long, with about 3km left to open. Once this road is completed and put into use, it will create a driving force for economic and social development in Tra Tan.

We left Tra Ot village when the afternoon sun was setting. The villagers were starting to herd their buffaloes and cows back home from the mountains after a day of grazing. Children in the resettlement area gathered at the entrance of the village to play and dance. In the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the great victory day of April 30, 1975, the people of Tra Ot village were competing in labor, production, and joining hands to build an increasingly prosperous and beautiful life.

Article and photos: HONG HOA

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/tin-noi-bat/202505/duoi-chan-nui-mang-ri-f0e0242/