When a soldier picks up a pen

Returning from the bombings and shelling, many soldiers not only carried with them war memories but also nurtured a love for literature and art. Their years of training and maturation in the military became a valuable source of living material, from which numerous literary works about soldiers were born, rich in emotion and profound humanistic depth.

Writer Phan Thai.

Writer Phan Thai, residing in Linh Son ward, is the Chairman of the Prose Branch of the Provincial Association of Literature and Arts. Born in 1960, he is one of the prominent writers of Thai Nguyen province. In 1978, he enlisted in the army and was stationed in Cao Bang province. After training, his main duties were as a liaison soldier – conveying orders from commanders to combat positions.

After the war ended, he was assigned to work as a staff member of the Political Department of Regiment 677. Leaving the military in June 1982, he passed the entrance exam to the University of Mining and Geology, and subsequently worked as an engineer at the Phan Me Coal Mine.

From his school days, Phan Thai loved literature. His years spent with his comrades gave him many special emotions. After returning from his duty on the northern border, he began writing poetry and prose.

In all the conversations we've had, I'll always remember his gentle smile and sparkling eyes when he shared: "Having spent time in the military, my feelings for my old comrades and the battlefields of the past are priceless memories that I will always cherish and treasure."

If you have the opportunity to read the works of writer Phan Thai, it's not difficult to recognize the special affection he has for the theme of soldiers. His poetry and prose on this subject always express the deep emotions, pride, strength, and unwavering loyalty of soldiers. Currently, writer Phan Thai is still diligently writing short stories, novels, and even film scripts.

He travels and writes with all his passion and desire to bring quality works to readers. In the last 10 years, writer Phan Thai has published nearly 10 books and won many literary awards from the central to local levels.

Most recently, the novel "Mission Z20" by writer Phan Thai won the Encouragement Prize in the 5th Novel, Short Story, and Memoir Writing Competition on the theme "For National Security and Peaceful Life," 2020-2025.

Author: Dinh Huu Hoan.

Also a veteran of the battlefield, author Dinh Huu Hoan (born in 1952), from Ngan Son commune, a member of the Literature chuyên ngành (specialized field) of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, spent nearly four years in the army. In 1970, he left school to enlist, spending more than two years directly fighting on the battlefield in Laos (Battlefield C).

From his genuine experiences in the military, he pondered and composed poetry from his days as a young soldier. However, the battlefield didn't always provide the conditions for creative writing; sometimes he'd think of a poem but lacked paper and pen to write it down, and other times he'd be too busy and forget...

Throughout his life and work, author Dinh Huu Hoan has many memories of the days he directly fought with a gun. From these genuine emotions, author Dinh Huu Hoan always favors the theme of revolutionary war and the image of soldiers defending the Fatherland. Among them are poems that have been loved by many readers, especially veterans, such as: "Words of July," "The Peach Tree in the Cemetery," "Memories of Muong Lao," "My Sister," etc.

The war is long over, but in the writings of veterans, memories of comrades and battlefields remain vivid. These writings serve as a reminder to the younger generation of the value of peace today.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202601/khi-nguoi-linh-cam-but-4610be3/