The first time I took my father to visit the Long Khot Border Post Historical Site , his eyes welled up with tears as the political officer of the Border Guard Post introduced him to this land once ravaged by bombs and bullets. Slowly placing incense sticks around the tree trunks, my father suddenly embraced the largest tree. That night, he woke up at 3 a.m. In his dream, he heard someone calling his name. The voice echoed from the temple shrouded in incense smoke.
In December 2020, the first phase of the Long Khot Fort Historical Site project was completed, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the second phase of the project took place on May 18, 2024 (Photo: Van Dat).
Although it has been recognized as a provincial-level historical site in Long An province, the Long Khot Border Post Historical Site was quite simple back then, built by border guards and local people working together.
Located right next to the border guard post gate, the structure consists only of a memorial stele and a shrine, which is a single-story building. The memorial stele is about 9-10 square meters in size, with a curved cement roof covered with red tiles, resembling the curved eaves of a temple.
Within the four square reinforced concrete pillars stands a memorial plaque commemorating the border guards and local troops who bravely sacrificed their lives during the 43 days and nights of fighting against the invading Pol Pot forces.
Until the early 2000s, soldiers of the 174th Regiment (Cao Bac Lang Regiment) gradually returned to visit their old battlefields. With the mindset of those who had shed their own blood for the green of peace and independence, they cherished and treasured every tree and blade of grass, because more than anyone else, they understood that within the glistening alluvial soil amidst the vast fields stretching as far as the eye could see in the Vinh Hung border region today lay the souls, blood, flesh, and bones of their fallen comrades.
But what must be done to forever remember the sacrifices of these heroic martyrs ? What must be done so that present and future generations will know the sacred name "Long Khot"? The heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of the soldiers who were fortunate enough to survive and return home.
Among them, some rose through the ranks in the military, many returned to civilian life as diligent farmers and workers, and some became successful entrepreneurs; some were journalists, poets, and so on.
Regardless of their position or circumstances, the spirit of these soldiers from the wartime era remains unchanged. They leverage the gratitude of the government at all levels, the support of their comrades and philanthropists to mobilize all available resources. During those times, we border guards were fortunate to be able to work alongside the veterans of Regiment 174.
Stone memorials listing fallen soldiers have been erected in place of typewritten paper lists. The list of fallen soldiers provided by the Political Department of Military Region 7 is becoming increasingly complete.
The once simple temple has been upgraded to a grander, more beautiful structure. Inside that temple are four lines of poetry by Colonel and poet Tran The Tuyen, inscribed on the front of the large bronze bell:
My body falls to the soil of the Fatherland.
The soul ascends and becomes the spiritual essence of the nation.
The melody will resonate forever, for a thousand years.
The sound of the Long Khot bell, adorned with brocade and flowers, offers its glory to the world...
The first two lines of that poem are inscribed as a couplet at the Long Khot temple and many temples dedicated to heroic martyrs along the foothills of the Truong Son Mountains and throughout the country, including the martyrs' temple in the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield Special National Monument.
These two verses have also been recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage because, with just 16 short words, they encapsulate the immortality of millions of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the great war of national defense.
The Long Khot Fort historical site serves as a reminder to future generations of the sacrifices made by their ancestors who fell for independence (Photo: Van Dat).
In December 2020, on the border region of Vinh Hung district, amidst vast green fields, the first phase of construction was completed. This included a large temple with a red tiled roof, where a bright bronze statue of President Ho Chi Minh stood in the main hall, leaning against a relief depicting a bronze drum face.
Surrounding the interior of the temple are solemn granite stone walls inscribed with the names of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the Long Khot battlefield during the two wars. In front of the center of the historical site stands a majestic, imposing triple-arched gate...
Every time my father came to visit my house in Vinh Hung town, I would take him to see the Long Khot Martyrs' Memorial Area. His hands trembling as he traced the inscriptions on the memorial plaques, my father said: "Long Khot has many similarities to the Ta Bang stronghold where my unit fought before. So many of our soldiers sacrificed their lives! Many of the martyrs on the plaques enlisted around the same time and were from Thai Binh province. Perhaps that's why, on my first visit to light incense at the temple, the spirits of the martyrs called out the names of my comrades who fought alongside me."
On May 18, 2024, I was fortunate enough to be present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the second phase of the historical site's construction. In the solemn atmosphere, respectfully commemorating the contributions of President Ho Chi Minh and the heroic martyrs, I was struck speechless by the sight of elderly people embracing each other in tears.
Some wore high-ranking military ranks, while others simply donned faded uniforms without insignia. They addressed each other informally, like young soldiers. They came from all corners of the country; some had fought in the Long Khot battlefield , others hadn't, but all shared the same feeling: to be here on the anniversary of the memorial, to light an incense stick before the spirits of the heroic martyrs, and to reunite with comrades who had fought and sacrificed their lives.
Together with my fellow border guards, I am part of the group of soldiers who today offered flowers and incense at the Long Khot temple. Although the temple is very familiar, at that moment it still felt sacred and noble! More than anyone else, we understand the value of every inch of borderland we are guarding, steeped in the blood and bones of generations of our ancestors.
Two rows of flamboyant trees, planted by the veterans of the 174th Regiment and our border guards, line both sides of the road from the temple gate (next to the border post gate) to the border patrol road. In May, they blanket the sky with a vibrant red. Someone suddenly exclaimed: "This road is bright red, the color of blood and also the color of glorious victory!"
Nguyen Hoi
Source: https://baolongan.vn/long-khot-nhung-ngay-thang-5-a195492.html
Comment (0)