Remember May Dien Bien

Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet and the provincial delegation visited the family of martyr Nguyen Quan on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory in 2024. Photo: HO QUAN

A time of volunteering

After the country was completely liberated, Ms. Nguyen Thi Manh (born in 1938, from Ha Nam province) decided to stay in Dai Hong (Dai Loc) - the place where she left her footprints in her journey to pursue revolutionary ideals.

Today, the war wounds on her body still erode her health day by day, making it difficult for her to move around and do daily activities. But for her, each wound is a part of her heroic memories, associated with her proud journey of volunteering.

Ms. Manh was born into a family with a revolutionary tradition. Her house in Ha Nam used to be a secret base for pre-revolutionary cadres and anti-French soldiers. From a young age, she was imbued with a patriotic spirit and cherished the desire to contribute to the revolution.

At the age of 16, responding to the “All for the Dien Bien Phu campaign” movement, she and her friends enthusiastically set off. Assigned to be a “cook” in the unit, she quickly adapted to the harsh cooking conditions in the trenches.

“I heard from my seniors that in the early stages of the campaign, the “foster” had to bring rice from the rear to feed the soldiers to fight the enemy. It was very hard to set up the stove every time, we had to burn it with dry wood, then take turns fanning to disperse the smoke, avoiding the enemy from detecting and firing artillery. Many times, bombs would rumble, causing rice and pots to fly everywhere... Since the Hoang Cam stove initiative, the “foster” dug the stove right next to the gun bunker, so he could cook hot rice every day,” said Ms. Manh.

Digging the Hoang Cam stove was Mrs. Manh’s first lesson in the smoky Dien Bien. “The stove was dug with many smoke-exhausting trenches. Even though the fire was lit during the day, the smoke dissipated quickly so enemy planes flying overhead could not detect it,” she shared.

While transporting food, Ms. Manh stepped on a mine planted by the enemy, leaving her body covered in wounds. Although she was transferred to the rear for treatment, every time she heard the sound of bombs falling and bullets exploding, her heart ached with worry for her comrades. Before she could fully recover, she asked to return to the trenches to continue fighting alongside her unit.

Ms. Hoang Thi Mieu (born in 1938, from Hai Huong, currently living in Dai Hong commune, Dai Loc) confided that she went to the Dien Bien battlefield when she was only 16 years old. On her first day in the unit, she was assigned to support the medical force in the rescue. Although small in stature, she was brave and agile. Whenever there was news of wounded soldiers, she would sneak into the trenches to bring the wounded to the rear for treatment.

Feeling sorry for the soldiers who were shot, covered in blood and mud, Mrs. Mieu assisted the medics in giving first aid to their wounds. Many people woke up after surgery, she gently comforted them, took care of them, and fed them spoonfuls of porridge.

The cheerful volunteer Hoang Thi Mieu often made jokes to help the wounded soldiers ease their pain. The efforts of military medics like her saved the lives of many young soldiers between life and death, helping them regain their health and continue fighting.

Missing relatives

Moving from Tam Son commune to Tam Xuan 1 commune (Nui Thanh), Ms. Nguyen Thi Van brought with her documents, medals, and the Fatherland's recognition of her uncle, martyr Nguyen Quan, to worship. That was the little information about martyr Quan, since the day he joined the revolution in 1941.

Ms. Van said that after the country was completely liberated (in 1975), the family received a death notice. The notice clearly stated that Mr. Nguyen Quan participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign as a squad leader and died on May 7, 1954.

The greatest honor for the family was the First Class Victory Medal awarded by the Government for their achievements in the resistance war against France. The medal was signed by the Minister of National Defense on March 18, 1958.

Up to now, it has been 71 years since the great victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign, but Ms. Van's family still does not know where the martyrs' graves are, only setting up an altar at home.

“The family really hopes that the Party and the State will pay attention and support information about the burial place or the collection of martyr Nguyen Quan. If the body has not been collected, we hope the State will continue to search so that the family can rest in peace,” Ms. Van hoped.

Martyr Phan Duc Huong is the paternal grandfather of Mr. Phan Duc Bon (Binh Duong commune, Thang Binh). Up to now, information about the martyr is only contained in the death certificate sent by the State in 1975. Martyr Phan Duc Huong was born in 1927, enlisted in the army in August 1947; when he died, he was a squad leader, belonging to the 84th Regiment; died on June 15, 1953 in Dien Bien Phu.

“Over the years, the relatives of martyrs have received full attention and care from the Party and the State. But the biggest concern is that the family has not found their remains. For more than 50 years, I have worshiped at home and longed for the day when I can bring the martyrs back to their homeland,” Mr. Bon shared.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nho-thang-5-dien-bien-3154221.html