Memories of a time of fire and flame of former youth volunteers - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station

Former youth volunteers who participated in Support Group B to support the Southern battlefield recall memories through souvenirs.

In early April 2025, we visited former Youth Volunteer Force Nguyen Thanh Binh, who had participated in the Support Group B of Lang Son province for the Southern battlefield. Although he was 70 years old, he was still very clear-headed. Over a pot of hot tea, Mr. Binh confided: When the resistance war against the US entered its fiercest stage, the desire to go to the battlefield kept urging me. In 1973, when I was just 18 years old, I volunteered to write an application to join the Youth Volunteer Force. After a period of training, at the end of 1974, I and 140 Youth Volunteer Force of Lang Son province set off for the Southern battlefield. At that time, all of us young people wanted to go to the battlefield to contribute and fight with our comrades. We considered it a responsibility and an honor of youth. When we arrived here, we were all very young, only 18 or 20 years old, with only enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. We were assigned to ensure traffic, break rocks to open roads, spread rocks, build roads… on the Mo Duc - Ba To (Quang Ngai) route. This is an important route for transporting food and weapons for our army and people.

While telling the story, Mr. Binh sat admiring the souvenirs, flipping through the photos taken with his old comrades, the memories of the time participating in the Youth Volunteers appeared before his eyes like slow-motion films. Despite the many difficulties, the spirit of the Youth Volunteers at that time was always optimistic. In their memories, the camaraderie and the militia on the battlefield became an invaluable source of encouragement.

“We ate and slept right in the forest. At that time, the equipment and machinery for road construction were still very scarce, and we mainly relied on human labor, but no one complained. Right at the construction site, during the rare moments of rest, our unit formed an art troupe to sing for each other. The singing drowned out the fatigue and harsh weather, helping us forget about hunger and thirst, and even the fierceness of war," Mr. Binh recalled.

Although the years of fighting were difficult, they left Mr. Binh and the former Youth Volunteers participating in Support Group B with many unforgettable memories. Mr. Hoang Van Trinh, a former Youth Volunteers participating in Support Group B, shared: At that time, we lived in a collective, always filled with laughter. For the Youth Volunteers, those were difficult but also the most beautiful and meaningful days in life. For men like us, it was not a problem, but for women to join the Youth Volunteers, it was extremely difficult. I remember that day, there were about 20 female Youth Volunteers participating in Support Group B. Although small in stature, they had extraordinary strength and were very resilient, ready to do hard work, and were not afraid of difficult or hard work.

Not only the two former Youth Volunteers above, during the resistance war against the US, many children of Lang Son were trained and tested in the fire and smoke. Among the more than 140 Youth Volunteers participating in Support Group B at that time, currently, there are more than 40 Youth Volunteers from districts and cities in the province. Every year, the former Youth Volunteers still maintain activities once a year on April 30.

50 years have passed, many former Youth Volunteers have gray hair, hunched backs, and freckled skin, but for them, the memories of those difficult, heroic days of youth dedicated to the Fatherland are still intact in their minds.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/ky-uc-mot-thoi-mau-lua-cua-nhung-cuu-thanh-nien-xung-phong-5043776.html