"Those years, this battlefield"

Việt Nam•21/12/2023

To commemorate the 79th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, I revisited the epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield" by poet and musician Do Quang Vinh. The work was published by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Thuan Hai province in 1989. The epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield" is about the H.50 Transport Unit of Military Region 6 during the resistance war against the US.

A brief overview of Unit H.50

The H.50 Transport Unit was established in April 1967 and operated until the reunification of the country. At the end of 1976, due to new mission requirements, the unit was disbanded. Comrade Van Cong An, former Political Assistant of the H.50 Transport Unit, recorded in his book "H.50 in those days": "The H.50 Unit was born in the context of the resistance war against the US in the southernmost part of Central Vietnam and the Southern Central Highlands, which demanded weapons and ammunition. It was the main unit receiving all support from the Central Committee from the North and from the Central Bureau of the Southern Region, transporting goods directly to the battlefields in the provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Binh Tuy, Lam Dong, and Tuyen Duc to distribute to units directly involved in combat…".

Comrade Le Van Hien, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and former Secretary of the Thuan Hai Provincial Party Committee, wrote in his memoir, "The Land of Steadfast Loyalty": "Among the examples of enduring hardship on the battlefield of Zone 6, the H.50 Transport Unit is a very beautiful image. This unit is mostly composed of women, many of whom are ethnic minorities. With their shoulders and legs, with rudimentary means, they carried tens of thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition... They fought to protect weapons depots, protected and transported cadres and soldiers safely, and contributed to protecting the villages of ethnic minorities. Their achievements deserve to be recorded in the glorious history of the resistance war against the US for national salvation of the army and people of Zone 6." On August 22, 1998, the H.50 Transport Unit was awarded the prestigious title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State.

Regarding the epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield"

The journey to the creation of "Those Years, This Battlefield" is described in the monograph "Epic Poem about Binh Thuan" by Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Tam, a Doctor of Literature. She wrote: "Through tireless field trips to the battlefields of that era, such as the Le Hong Phong secret zone, the Bac Ai area, Da Kai..., and through diligent research and meetings with the young men and women of the H.50 Regiment, Do Quang Vinh immersed himself in the 'fascination with history and literature' through the 'edgy' epic poem genre. Encouraged by senior artists and with heartfelt gratitude, he completed the epic poem, respectfully writing about the people who contributed to honoring the heroic land and people of Binh Thuan in the resistance war against the US."

The author dedicated three years to the work, so that the epic poem could be published in 1989.

The epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield" is organized into four chapters. Chapter one: "Sketching the Battlefield," is divided into three smaller sections, comprising nine pages. Chapter two: "The Birth," five pages. Chapter three: "The Battlefield on Our Shoulders," this is the longest chapter, 30 pages, divided into smaller sections titled "Moments of Heartfelt Reflections," "Glimmering Everyday Life," "Musings Along the Roads," "A Little Detail," and "Turning Points." Chapter four: "Towards the Day of Victory," with nine pages, includes the sections: "Not Just a Confession to the Forest," "In-Person Recall," and "Entering a New Battle."

Some impressions

With 53 pages of poetry, the epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield" includes various forms of verse: six-line stanzas, five-line stanzas, seven-line stanzas, eight-line stanzas, free verse, etc., interwoven and spread throughout the chapters.

Readers will easily notice that the end rhyme keeps the lines of poetry connected seamlessly, maintaining the coherence of the epic poem and easily guiding readers through the narratives and emotions of the lyrical characters in each chapter and section of "Those Years, This Battlefield".

Slowly, allowing your mind to settle, the reader will open each page of the epic poem and discover many things that the author—a later generation—sees in light of what the members of the H.50 Youth Union had strived to contribute to the sacred resistance war of the nation.

Chapter two contained these lines of poetry: “When bidding farewell to the fields, gardens, and homeland / the only baggage is a patriotic heart / in the army marching swiftly forward / the forest is greener thanks to the long hair.” The image of the long, silky hair of the young women was present amidst the green forest, beautifying and adorning nature, even during the days of war.

Furthermore, the hardships and sacrifices of the soldiers of Unit H.50 were depicted through these images: "Gathering the winds from the far south to create a fiery storm against the enemy / H.50 traversed hundreds of kilometers / with many sacrifices and immense hardships / blood and sweat poured down along the roads."

Chapter three contained many passages, with poetic quality permeating every page, even while still set in the forest, amidst the smell of gunpowder from the battlefield: "It feels like the night is too long / and the forest / the forest is so deep and vast / Even after a lifetime / the forest is still far away."

Our poet has a profound understanding of the fields, the scent of rice, the scent of the countryside, from which comes truly beautiful verses that convey genuine feelings about the scent of the forest, even if only fleetingly in moments of tranquility: “I only pity the wind / The diligent wind carries the scent of the night, creeping to people / even though somewhere there still lingers / the pungent smell of gunpowder / I have smelled the scent of decaying leaves / I have smelled the scent of damp earth / and just a fleeting, wild fragrance rises.”

The harsh weather and arid climate in the Le area intensified the hardships and difficulties that the members of the H.50 unit had to endure: “Oh, my homeland (where else is like this)/ Water is more precious than gold/ One drop of water/ exchanged for so many drops of blood/ How many Le areas are there/ on the battlefield of Zone VI/ O Ro forest/ bathed in fire/ shaking the trees…/ We rise from the hardships of today/ with even greater determination/ and unwavering faith in the day of victory.”

There were verses in the poem that vividly described the hardships, difficulties, and toil that the soldiers of Regiment H.50 had to endure while carrying out their duties during the fierce resistance war: “From footpaths to embankments / When wading through streams, crossing ravines / crossing vast, dark pools of water / Exhausted, burdens growing heavier / For more than ten hours / wading through water / only to cross the entire length / Startled when looking back / The front lines awaited like a burning fire / daring not to be distracted for a single moment…”.

In the final lines of chapter three, the lyrical persona reminds everyone to remember the days of fire and bullets on the battlefield of Zone 6, to remember the contributions of the soldiers of Battalion H.50 in our nation's resistance against the US: "What has passed is easily forgotten / but the name: Battalion H.50 / no one has the right to forget / those years / this battlefield / fire and bullets / must not be erased / and / must not be forgotten."

In the fourth chapter of the epic poem, the author continues his reminiscences, simultaneously encapsulating his profound emotions, which also speak for the hearts of many, expressed through verses overflowing with feeling: "In the future, we will remember / the years of war / the forest will remain in us as a memory / the name H.50 / shines brightly in our hearts / illuminating the footsteps / wading through streams / climbing mountains."

The epic poem "Those Years, This Battlefield" by poet and musician Do Quang Vinh was first published 34 years ago. This is a considerable amount of time for reflection. The epic poem is imbued with heroic spirit, brimming with emotion, and rich in literary quality. Hopefully, it will be reprinted so that future generations can access it and remember a heroic unit that contributed significantly to our nation's sacred resistance war.

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