Cross-Latin Love and Special Wedding Across the 'Unification' Bridge

Cross-border love and special wedding across the

(Dan Tri) - Every time they tell their love story, Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa (Quang Tri) are moved to tears, because they were the first people to have a wedding procession across the historic Hien Luong bridge after peace was restored.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 2

Following the winding alleys along the Ben Hai River, under the sunshine of the first days of summer, we found the small house of Mr. Hoang Nghi (81 years old) and Mrs. Hoang Thi Hoa (75 years old), in Hien Luong village, Vinh Thanh commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province. In the distance, beside the trellis of squash laden with fruit, Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa are taking care of their chicks together. Although they are over 70 years old, they are both still healthy, with kind faces and skin darkened by wind and time. Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa have been married for 50 years now, and every time they talk about their "once-in-a-lifetime" love story, they are moved to tears. Mrs. Hoa said that in 1972, she was a guerrilla in Tam Huu village (South bank of Ben Hai river), Trieu Trung commune, Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri province. During those years, the enemy attacked fiercely, destroying people's houses and fields. To ensure safety, superiors ordered Ms. Hoa and her teammates to evacuate people and their families to a safe area on the North bank of Ben Hai River.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 4

In the "rain of bombs and bullets", and not being familiar with the terrain, Ms. Hoa and her family got lost in Hien Luong village, and accidentally met Mr. Nghi. At the time the two met, Mr. Nghi was the Captain of the Militia and Guerrilla Team and the Captain of the Production Team in Hien Luong village. "At that time, my father was seriously injured by a cluster bomb dropped by the enemy, Mr. Nghi immediately took my father to the emergency room. His enthusiasm, gentle and honest personality moved me and I fell in love. My whole family loved Mr. Nghi and wanted us to become husband and wife", Ms. Hoa recalled. After nearly a month of knowing each other and falling in love, Ms. Hoa was ordered by her superiors to return to her old location on the southern bank of the Ben Hai River to carry out revolutionary duties. Hearing that his lover was about to leave, Mr. Nghi personally knitted a sweater for Ms. Hoa to prove his love and make it a token of their love. Flipping through the pages of his diary, where he recorded memories of his time in the fire and his love story with his wife, Mr. Nghi confided that when Mrs. Hoa returned to her old unit to perform her duties, he felt very sad and sorry for himself. In his spare time, Mr. Nghi wrote letters to Mrs. Hoa on the other side of the Ben Hai River, including poems he composed himself to give to his beloved.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 5

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 8

Time passed, the war became more and more fierce, communication between Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa became difficult, then gradually cut off. During the long period of no information, the longing grew more and more, longing to see his lover, Mr. Nghi determined to cross the Ben Hai River to find Mrs. Hoa. After many times crossing the river to find Mrs. Hoa but with no results, Mr. Nghi both missed his lover and worried, just afraid that in the midst of the bombs and bullets, something unexpected would happen to Mrs. Hoa. It was thought that the relationship between Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa had been cut off by the smoke of war. Luckily, one day, a soldier on duty on the southern bank of the Ben Hai River knew Mr. Nghi's story, as well as Mrs. Hoa's address, so he reported the news and used a motorboat to take him across the river. "On that trip, I went all the way to the place, but still couldn't find my lover, because she was on duty, so I had to leave a message and go to the boat dock to return to the North bank. When the boat was about to leave, I burst into joy when I saw a familiar figure running towards the riverbank," Mr. Nghi tearfully recounted.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 10

When they met, it was pitch dark, and Mrs. Hoa was shivering with cold. During the short time they were together, Mr. Nghi only had time to give his lover a warm coat, send her the longing of the days apart, then hurriedly got on the boat back to the fighting position. From then on, the two continued to express their love and longing in hastily written letters, and asked the soldiers at the base to deliver them to each other. Occasionally, Mr. Nghi also crossed the river to visit Mrs. Hoa.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 11

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 14

In January 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed, ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. The Hien Luong Bridge over the Ben Hai River, which had been destroyed, was rebuilt a year later. People on both sides of the parallel joyfully held hands and crossed the bridge in the joy and happiness of the days of peace. In that joy, with the agreement of the two families and the help of the unit and local authorities, at the end of 1974, Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa decided to hold a wedding ceremony and create a special wedding after the day of peace. From the southern bank of the Ben Hai River, a car driven by soldiers carried Mrs. Hoa in a traditional Vietnamese dress to the foot of the Hien Luong Bridge. On this side of the bridge, in his military uniform, Mr. Nghi walked step by step across the 17th parallel - the place that once divided the North and South - the place that witnessed the brutal battles - to bring his wife back to Hien Luong village. "Ben Hai River has one side filled with sediment, one side eroded/Hien Luong Bridge has one side filled with memories, one side loved/Separated by years of endless distance/Who knows when the road in and out will be reconnected/Now the bridge is built again/Fresh planks and new wood let us meet each other", a poem composed by Mr. Nghi and given to Mrs. Hoa when the two held their wedding ceremony.

Mối tình đôi bờ vĩ tuyến và đám cưới đặc biệt qua cây cầu thống nhất - 16

The wedding ceremony of Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa was held in a simple hall, built with bamboo and thatch, two rows of tables hastily woven with bamboo but filled with joy and tears of happiness, with the participation of family, teammates, authorities and local people. "Those days were difficult and hard, I only brought a few sets of clothes when I went to my husband's house. On the day the bride was taken across Hien Luong bridge, the people who saw and met all shook hands and congratulated, the couple was moved to tears. How could we not be happy when we returned to the same house, peace was restored after many years of waiting, the two banks of Hien Luong were no longer divided. Later, every time I crossed Hien Luong bridge, many memories came flooding back to me", Mrs. Hoa confided. The wedding of Mr. Nghi and Mrs. Hoa is a testament to the faithful love of a couple, the steadfast connection between the South and North banks, as well as the aspiration for peace and national unity of our nation. In 1975, the country was unified, and the joy doubled when Mr. Nghi and his wife welcomed their first son, and then they had four more children together. Together for nearly half a century, overcoming the fierceness of war and many ups and downs of life, Mr. Nghi and Ms. Hoa created a timeless love story at the 17th parallel.