" 4 shares" in hardship
Until now, the elders in Le Thuy district still remember the slogan "4 shares": share house, share door, share fire, share blood with the people of Quang Tri . Amidst the many difficulties, almost every household in the communes: Ngu Thuy, Sen Thuy, Cam Thuy, Huong Thuy, Tan Thuy, Hong Thuy... volunteered to become brothers and take care of at least one family from Quang Tri who evacuated.
Mr. Tran Van Doai shares with young people about K15 memories - Photo: QH
Following historical data, we went to Le Thuy district, met K15 witnesses in Ngu Thuy and Sen Thuy communes. When listening to the reporter share his wishes, Chairman of Ngu Thuy Commune People's Committee Hoang Ngoc Hien gently said: "Here, just step out of the gate, meet anyone, you can hear stories about K15. Because for many years, the old men and women have been telling these memories to remind their children and grandchildren to uphold the spirit of solidarity, support, and sharing, especially in times of difficulty and adversity," said Mr. Hien.
Following the staff of Ngu Thuy Commune People's Committee, we visited the family of Mr. Tran Van Doai, residing in Liem Bac village. At nearly 80 years old, Mr. Doai still clearly remembers the memories of K15. He said that at that time, his family had 6 members. Although they worked hard at sea, the whole family could not get rid of the worries of food and clothing.
However, when we heard that a family of four from Trieu Phong district had evacuated to Ngu Thuy and needed a place to stay, the whole family rushed to pick them up. “At that time, we were very worried. My family was used to hardship, and it was okay to have more hardship, we were only worried about the evacuees. So worried, my family shared everything we had, without distinguishing between host and guest.
Thanks to that, the relationship between the two families became closer. Now, the children of both sides still maintain a close relationship. Every time we were sick, my family went to Dong Ha City to ask for Dr. Khich's help. When the four members of the family evacuated here, he was skinny and tiny, and now his hair has turned gray," Mr. Doai said.
Not far from Mr. Doai's house, Mr. Le Quang Minh's family also keeps many memories of K15. Looking into the distance, Mr. Minh said that at that time, his family was one of the poorest in the commune. His father died early, and his mother had to work hard to raise 3 children. However, when she heard that people from Quang Tri were coming, she still volunteered to help.
“I still remember clearly, my family welcomed two groups of people to evacuate. The first group had 4 people, who stayed for a while and then moved away. After that, my mother and I welcomed 5 members of Mrs. Bong’s family. Afraid that we were still young and would not speak well and offend the guests, my mother kept reminding us. Gradually, the distance between guests and hosts disappeared. We shared the good and the bad, seeing each other as family. To this day, I still remember every face,” Mr. Minh shared.
Mr. Le Quang Minh smiled when recalling memories of a difficult but meaningful time - Photo: QH
In Sen Thuy commune, Mr. Tran Cong Hoan (born in 1956), residing in Sen Thuong 2 village, often tells his children and grandchildren stories about K15. At that time, Mr. Hoan was the Squad Leader of the Militia and Guerrilla Squad of Production Team No. 7, Lien Hiep village (now Sen Thuong 2).
Mr. Hoan recalled: “The evacuated Quang Tri people gathered at the warehouse of Production Team No. 7. According to the arrangement of the commune cadres, each family in the village welcomed a family from Quang Tri to stay, some large families had to split into 2 houses. At that time, Lien Hiep village had about 40 households and every family welcomed the evacuated Quang Tri people to stay.”
According to Mr. Hoan, his family lived in Trang Cooc area at that time. Life was very poor, the house was made of thatched roofs and mud walls, potatoes and cassava were eaten instead of rice for meals but still not enough. Mr. Hoan's family welcomed Mr. Le Quang Trung and his wife and their 3 children: Le Quang Hoc (6 years old), Le Thi Huyen (3 years old) and Le Quang Hoan (3 months old) to live with them. Unlike the local people, the Quang Tri people evacuated here received monthly rice subsidies from the State with the rate of 9 - 13.5 kg/person/month (depending on age).
That's why the people here decided to live together but cook separately so as not to use the food of the evacuees.
“But then the people of Quang Tri who came here always shared with the people here, so they cooked separately and ate together. Everyone was willing to share anything they could. To avoid bombs and bullets, there were two types of bunkers here: horizontal bunkers and A-shaped bunkers. Our family lived in a horizontal bunker (covered with a thin layer of soil, not as safe as an A-shaped bunker), and the A-shaped bunker was for Mr. Trung’s family. Not only my family but the whole village was like that, the safest place was given priority for people to evacuate,” Mr. Hoan recalled.
Silent sacrifice
On the journey back in time to find pieces of K15 memories, we accidentally met Mr. Dang Ngoc Thanh (born in 1958), residing in Ward 5, Dong Ha City. Mr. Thanh was born and raised in Le Thuy District, Quang Binh Province, and has lived in Quang Tri for 46 years. When mentioning K15 memories, his eyes blurred with memories of his deceased mother.
“My mother is Pham Thi Dung, former Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Le Thuy district. At that time, she was the Head of the K15 Committee. The image of my mother going back and forth, working hard to take care of the people of Quang Tri who had to evacuate and the stories she told are still deeply imprinted in my heart,” Mr. Thanh confided.
Mr. Tran Cong Hoan (left) in Sen Thuong 2 village, Sen Thuy commune is the one who regularly contacts the K15 generations in Ha Tay village - Photo: LT
According to Mr. Thanh, after receiving instructions from the central government on receiving evacuees, his mother and local officials went to each village and each house to inform, propagate and mobilize people. The leaders of Le Thuy District People's Committee appointed a special committee to take care of the lives of the evacuees. From the time of receiving the task, almost every day, his mother drove an old bicycle back and forth to the communes despite the bitter cold of winter or the strong Lao winds...
Mr. Thanh said: “At that time, my youngest brother was just a few months old. My mother was away so much that my brother kept crying because he was hungry for milk. My father had to carry the baby on his shoulder, walk around the air defense bunker, and sing to the baby until my mother returned, sometimes almost midnight. My mother kept her muddy clothes on, lifted her shirt to feed my brother.”
Just like that, Mrs. Pham Thi Dung, Mr. Thanh's mother, and other cadres of the same time, day after day, seemed to split themselves to take care of nearly 20,000 people from Quang Tri who had to evacuate. The family lacked food, but she still had to provide enough rice, fabric, salt, fish sauce... for each person who had to evacuate. Every time she returned home, Mr. Thanh's mother told touching stories.
Despite living a life of “freeloading,” many times when they went to get rice, the evacuees still asked for some to be given to the soldiers and their relatives in the South. When Mr. Thanh’s mother and the members of the committee refused to accept it, some knelt in the yard until they agreed.
“After retiring, my mother brought back an old bicycle and a pair of tire sandals. Every time she felt that she might not be able to cope with old age and illness, she asked her children and grandchildren to take her to Quang Tri, to visit the Citadel, Ai Tu airport... She wanted to see the villages and hamlets along the way to see that the “heartbreaking desolation and ruin” that she had witnessed when she brought her people back from evacuation was no longer there,” Mr. Thanh confided.
In fact, like many Le Thuy cadres in the past, the story of the silent sacrifice and the spirit of "wholeheartedly for the Quang Tri people who evacuated" of Ms. Pham Thi Dung is rarely mentioned. Because, they themselves never wanted to "show off their achievements and tell their stories". Even those who were taken care of and helped by the cadres in the past probably only knew a few fragments and aspects. However, the silent sacrifice and the steadfast love of them and many other Le Thuy people did not lose their value because of that. On the contrary, it nurtured gratitude and had a profound meaning until today.
Love never fades
During nearly 1 year (1972-1973) of living and working in the evacuated land of Le Thuy, the people of Trieu Phong and Hai Lang districts, together with the people of Quang Binh, built a special relationship, close, united, loving and devoted to overcoming difficulties and hardships. The K15 friendship was so strong that the moment of parting years ago was also full of nostalgia and regret.
After the Paris Agreement was signed, in early 1973, people in the coastal communes of Le Thuy organized a farewell ceremony for the K15 people returning to their hometowns. With great affection and love, many people took the group to the bare, devastated villages in Trieu Phong, Hai Lang... On everyone's shoulders were two carrying poles full of potato shoots, cassava cuttings, animal seeds, rice seeds... given by the people of Le Thuy so that the people returning to their hometowns could immediately start the production season.
After the liberation day, difficulties piled up, because of the difficult life, means of communication and travel, there was a time when many people of K15 in Quang Tri had interrupted communication with people in Le Thuy area.
Mr. Hoang Sau, Head of Liaison Committee K15 Ha Tay village, Trieu An commune (now Trieu Tan commune), Trieu Phong district said: “ When peace was restored, we returned to our hometown, going through many hardships and difficulties to rebuild our living quarters and overcome the consequences of war in our homeland Quang Tri. However, almost everyone still yearned to one day return to visit the government and people of Sen Thuong 2 - the place that wholeheartedly, with all its strength, took care of us and protected us during the fierce years of bombs and bullets”.
Also according to Mr. Sau, in 2019, the K15 Liaison Committee of Ha Tay village was established and organized a gratitude trip with the participation of 25 households (about 50 people). Everyone went to Sen Thuong 2 village to meet the families they used to live with. The K15 Liaison Committee of Ha Tay village signed a contract to rent a car for the families to go together. Before the general meeting at the village hall, the families all went to the families they used to live with to burn incense and report to the deceased; thank those who had taken care of and helped their families in times of difficulty and adversity.
“My mother and Uncle Tham, who took care of my family, have both passed away. However, I still contacted and connected to have this first meeting with the hope of passing on to my children and grandchildren the stories of love from K15. We are where we are today thanks to the people here who shared the joys and sorrows during the most difficult days. We will always remember that kindness,” Mr. Sau shared.
Mr. Hoang Sau added that most of the elderly people evacuated under the K15 Plan have passed away. Many of the young people who went to K15 are currently working in the armed forces, as doctors, commune officials... No matter where they go or what they do, they always carry in their hearts the memories and deep feelings for the Sen Thuy people.
“We have always considered the land that once sheltered us as our second homeland. Now that the two provinces have merged, we feel very happy to have become fellow countrymen. Currently, although the elders have passed away, the descendants of many K15 families in Ha Tay village still keep in touch regularly. When there are weddings, parties, funerals, and death anniversaries, they invite each other to attend as if they were blood relatives,” Mr. Sau confided.
It is expected that in the near future, families who raised K15 in Sen Thuong 2 will meet with people in Ha Tay village. The liaison committee of the two villages will agree on regulations on time, location, and some activities to become a bridge to strengthen love and solidarity among generations of K15 children and grandchildren, creating a close and lasting emotional relationship, contributing to further strengthening solidarity between the countryside in today's life.
Not only in Ha Tay village, as a source of spiritual nourishment, the Quang Binh - Quang Tri affection in the living witnesses of the K15 Plan and their descendants still flows quietly and persistently. Therefore, despite the passing years, despite the many changes and ups and downs of history and life, they still remember and connect closely with each other. Now, when Quang Binh - Quang Tri are under the same roof, those warm and loving hearts are increasingly in harmony, joining hands and hearts to build a more civilized and prosperous homeland.
Lam Thanh - Quang Hiep
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/k15-dau-son-nghia-tinh-bai-2-nam-thang-di-qua-nghia-tinh-o-lai-194618.htm
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