Tell the story of the great victory.

BDK - The thematic talk program "Telling Stories of the Great Victory Day," organized by the Provincial Museum in collaboration with the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Library and the Provincial Cultural and Film Center, brought together young people and numerous students to meet and interact with historical witnesses and soldiers who participated in the resistance war against the US to save the country. The stories, recounted 50 years later, still retain their original emotional impact.

Students pose for photos with historical witnesses during the thematic talk program "Telling the Story of the Great Victory Day".

Tears welled up in my eyes from joy.

Fifty years ago, on the day of national reunification, the entire nation erupted in joy at the victory. In that joy, there were not only smiles but also tears. It was at that very moment that some tears were captured by camera lenses and became part of history. One such famous photograph by journalist Lam Hong Long is "Mother and Son of a Con Dao Prisoner," featuring Tran Thi Binh (born in 1908) and Le Van Thuc (born in 1941), both from Tam Phuoc commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province.

Recounting unforgettable memories, Mr. Le Van Thuc said: "At that time, when my mother and I met again, we just hugged and cried for a very long time. My mother didn't think I would survive and return, and that we would be reunited."

During the days when the country was still engulfed in bombs and bullets, Mrs. Binh's mother always anxiously awaited news of her son. Hearing that he had joined the puppet army, she was deeply saddened and angry, unaware that Mr. Thuc had been assigned by the revolution to infiltrate enemy ranks to gather intelligence. After the Tet Offensive and Uprising of 1968, Mr. Thuc was exposed and sentenced to death by the enemy, exiled to Con Dao Island. Mrs. Binh's heart ached even more. During his years in Con Dao prison, Mr. Thuc's revolutionary spirit was further tempered.

Shortly after April 30, 1975, upon learning of a ship bringing prisoners from Con Dao back to Vung Tau, Binh's mother went to find her son, unsure if he was still alive. She pleaded with the camp administrator in Vung Tau to allow her to see him. Unexpectedly, among the group of former prisoners returning from Con Dao, she recognized Thuc. The two embraced in overwhelming joy.

Photographer Lam Hong Long was working in the field when he heard Binh's mother calling her son's name: "Thuc, my son... Thuc, ... It's me, son... Thuc." Witnessing that moment of reunion, he quickly raised his camera and captured the moment of "Mother and son of a Con Dao prisoner." This photograph was awarded an Honorable Mention by the International Federation of Photographic Art and has been used in many newspapers both domestically and internationally. The photograph has also been given many different names such as: "The Day of Reunion," "Mother and son meet again," "Mother and son meet on the day of liberation"...

Memories inspire creativity.

The program included a meeting with Mr. Tran Cong Ngu, former Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Chairman of the Provincial Association for the Support of Poor Patients, and a sharing of the story of the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe. During the war, facing the oppression of the enemy, revolutionary cultural and artistic activities became even more urgent and were an important driving force, contributing to encouraging the fighting spirit of the army and the people. The province's Liberation Performing Arts Troupe traveled throughout the country, closely connected with the army and the people, serving the people.

Mr. Tran Cong Ngu recounted important battles in which he was a witness, as well as the story of the hero Hoang Lam and the province's naval commando unit, with their glorious achievements that have become legendary. “People still sing: ‘Hear Hoang Lam’s song somewhere…’ (lyrics from the song 'Springtime Fragrant with Heroic Flowers'), it sounds simple but it tells the story of the heroic spirit of a revolutionary soldier in the resistance war. That was when Hoang Lam and the naval commando unit carried a 200kg explosive device to attack the American warship 833 anchored at the mouth of the Ben Tre River. Swimming out into the river, they waved goodbye to Comrade Ba Dao and sang the line ‘Liberating the South, we are determined to march forward’,” Mr. Tran Cong Ngu recounted.

"Culture and arts are also a battlefront, and artists are soldiers on that battlefront" - this saying of President Ho Chi Minh has always been deeply ingrained in the thinking of those working in culture and art. During the resistance war, many poets, writers, painters, and musicians created works that upheld the spirit and will to fight, strongly encouraging victories and continuing to write the glorious history of the nation. It is the memories of wartime, the experiences they went through during the most brutal period of their homeland, that have nurtured the emotions of the musicians, creating musical works that touch people's hearts.

Composer Lan Phong has composed over 200 works in various genres, expressing rich content about the land and people of Ben Tre, praising the steadfast and indomitable examples of soldiers and people of Ben Tre in the war to defend the Fatherland, celebrating patriotism, inspiring solidarity, encouraging labor and production, and inspiring the spirit of patriotic emulation... His representative works such as the songs: "Our Homeland, Talented Men and Women," "The Mother of the Coconut Land," "Battalion 516," "Legend of a River," "Brilliant Coconut Forest,"... have left a deep mark on the province's musical composition.

“Our forefathers fell so that we could have peace in the future. Amidst the smoke of war, everyone willingly sacrificed themselves. We express our gratitude to the soldiers who forgot their personal feelings, even themselves. A warm blood, the blood of Lac Hong, flows within them…” The stories of these witnesses are just a few glimpses into the glorious history of our nation, stirring deep emotions in today’s young people. With pride and gratitude, and building upon the spirit of their ancestors, the younger generation continues to “write the story of peace,” stepping into a new future.

Text and photos: Thanh Dong

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/ke-chuyen-ngay-dai-thang-21042025-a145507.html