H.50 – legend in Da Kai land

April, the month of great historical events, I had the opportunity to follow the uncles, aunts, and former youth volunteers of the H.50 Transport Group on a pilgrimage to Dai Kai (Duc Linh district) - the former revolutionary base. 50 years after the country's reunification, simple and profound historical stories have remained... The names of lands, forests, and people still linger with many memories in this place.

Mr. Van Cong An (white shirt) was the former Political Assistant of the H.50 Transport Group.

1. Da Kai - the sunny days of April. Nearly 200 former youth volunteers from Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong and Ho Chi Minh City... are now all in their 70s and 80s. That day, they met each other, hugged each other: "Do you remember me? Remember that time!...". The overflowing memories, the sacred emotions that had been suppressed suddenly burst out after decades of meeting again. There were tears. So many happy and sad stories, so many memories of comradeship, comradeship, and the days of living and fighting in this place suddenly appeared as if it were yesterday.

During the resistance war against the US, Da Kai was one of the revolutionary bases, a key gateway to the northwest of Duc Linh district; it was the starting point connecting the strategic corridor from the Central Bureau to Zone VI. The H.50 transport group was born in the context of the resistance war against the US in the South Central Coast and the Southern Central Highlands, which was demanding weapons and ammunition. The group was established in April 1967. The members of Group H.50 were eighteen or twenty years old, most of them were women from Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong... This was the focal unit to receive all support from the Central Government from the North and the Central Office for the South, to transport goods to units directly fighting in battlefields such as: Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Binh Tuy, Lam Dong, Tuyen Duc... In addition to transporting strategic goods, the Group also had the task of holding the corridor connecting the Military Region and the Region, closely connecting the North-South line, transporting groups back and forth, being ready to fight and receiving tasks when the Military Region needed it.

Mr. Van Cong An from Ninh Thuan province - former Political Assistant of Transport Group H.50 at that time said: "The area is located in the middle connecting the Southeast with the Central Highlands and the Central Central region and is also the main gateway to our attack on Saigon, the enemy's lair from the East and Northeast, so it has a very important strategic position. At that time, the Youth Volunteer Force - Group H.50 fought with the spirit: "The road is the battlefield - Weapons are goods - Productivity is the feat". "The battlefield needs guns and bullets to destroy the enemy, the soldiers of Group H.50 did not spare their blood and bones, someone said: "Even if we die, we will carry them, carry the goods on our shoulders, face the battlefield and die" or "Even if we still have the hem of our pants, we will carry bullets", said Mr. An.

For more than 8 years (April 1967 - June 1975), the Group transported more than 3,000 tons of weapons, medicine, and food to the battlefield, cut more than 100 roads, built more than 250 bridges, fought and destroyed 354 enemies, shot down 2 planes, burned 2 armored vehicles, and brought more than 100 groups of wounded soldiers to the North safely... The names of the lands and forests such as: Ru Ri stream, Dat Do hill, Nam Sao field, Bau Em, Bau Sen of Da Kai commune created miraculous stories in which 158 heroic martyrs of the Youth Volunteer Force of the H50 Transport Group passed away forever for the cause of national liberation on this steadfast land. Explaining why it was called Bau Em, former Youth Volunteer Force of the H50 Group said: Bau Em is the place where we "hid troops". Behind it is an old field that has not been cultivated for many years. In front is a pond created by the La Nga river. In the rainy season, the La Nga river rises and covers the fields. Many canals crisscrossing the water are obstacles, if you are unlucky enough to fall into them, you can easily slip and fall, and the heavy load will crush you in the water. Therefore, the person in front pulls the person behind, and the person behind supports the person in front. In particular, there are stories told that seem like jokes but are actually the harshness of the fighting days here, that is, eating rice containing poison. Former Youth Volunteers call it eating "dead seeds" to live and fight. Mr. Dang Dinh Bong - former Vice President of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Binh Thuan province said: "Usually, when the enemy attacked our ammunition and food depots, they would take everything. However, at that time, there was only one rice depot, but they did not take it but instead spread poison on it. Although we knew that the rice was contaminated with poison, because there was nothing left to eat, we still had to eat it. "Every time we cooked rice, we put the rice in a basket and put it in the stream for the water to flow through. We did not dare to touch it, because if we touched it, it would all be crushed. When the water boiled, we put the rice in. And we ate like that to be full, to have the strength to transport food and weapons to the battlefield", Mr. Bong said.

Wartime stories recalled by former Youth Volunteers.

2. The last remaining sunlight of the day fell on the bags of goods waiting on the shoulders and wartime love stories also began here. Following the introduction of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Da Kai Commune, we came to the house of the former Youth Volunteers Nguyen Thi Mai and Dao Cao Ve, one of the couples who became friends from the "house" H.50. On this steadfast land, the former Youth Volunteers warmly welcomed us. The photo of the girl who won the title "Brave Warrior Determined to Win" nearly 50 years ago suddenly made us feel so close. Mr. Ve excitedly recounted that: Like thousands of young people of the same age, in August 1964 he volunteered to join the Vietnam People's Army, belonging to the Laos battlefield - Group 119. In 1968, he transferred to the battlefield of Zone 6 - Transport Group H.50. During the battle, he was seriously injured and had to be treated, with a disability rate of 50%. Sympathizing with him, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, Deputy Political Commissar of C8 - H50 Group, Military Region VI, full of enthusiasm in her twenties, is a Phan Thiet native who tied the knot with him for life. “Talking about hardship, who doesn’t remember the H.50 Group? Eating betel leaves and cassava instead of rice for a whole month was a common thing. And during those fierce years, my wife and I met and fell in love without realizing it. That love gave us the strength to overcome the difficulties of transporting ammunition to the battlefield,” said Mr. Ve.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Sau (Youth Volunteers of Ham Thuan Bac district) was moved when burning incense for her comrades.

50 years after the liberation, the land of bombs and bullets is now a peaceful green life. With the attention of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Binh Thuan Province and Da Kai Commune, through social mobilization, have built a monument to record the names of 158 martyrs in this steadfast land. Since its establishment, this place has become a "red address", a place to educate the revolutionary tradition, patriotism, and national pride for today's and tomorrow's young generation. At the same time, the relic has become a place of origin for former Youth Volunteers of Group H.50, cadres, soldiers, youth union members, students and all classes of people in localities in the province. Today, the young men and women of the past all have gray hair. Tears welled up when recalling the heroic tradition of a time of bombs and bullets in front of the monument to record the names of 158 martyrs. Ms. Nguyen Thi Sau (a Youth Volunteer of Ham Thuan Bac district) came to visit her resting comrades and could not help but be moved. “Today, returning to this land after so many years, we feel like it was just yesterday, together with our comrades participating in clearing roads, fighting mud and transporting ammunition and food to the battlefield. We cannot forget the arduous but heroic days, despite the danger but still warm with comradeship. The letters from families sent to one person as if to the whole squad, eased the homesickness in each person’s heart. I miss the bright eyes and bright smiles when sharing a package of dry food, a plate of wild vegetables. I feel sorry for the female Youth Volunteers, not used to pouring rain and exploding artillery, who still resolutely asked to go to the front line, despite the days of carrying the wounded and transporting ammunition that left calluses,” Ms. Sau said.

After 8 years of fighting on the important battlefield of Military Region VI, the former Youth Volunteers, whether staying on this land or returning to their homeland, still remember H.50, remember Da Kai, the beloved land where the group was stationed and from there made great achievements. Those years, until today, the fierce moments, the places, the events, the specific people have become unforgettable memories.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/h-50-huyen-thoai-tren-vung-dat-da-kai-129454.html