People who went through the war

Our nation's resistance war against the US lasted more than two decades and ended with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in the spring of 1975.

Our nation's resistance war against the US lasted more than two decades and ended with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in the spring of 1975. Contributing to that historic spring were the patriotic spirit, the yearning for peace, the indomitable will, and the blood and sacrifices of countless soldiers, youth volunteers, and patriotic citizens. Fifty years have passed, but in the memories of those who lived through the war, the ferocity of bombs and bullets, the camaraderie among comrades, and the joy of victory remain vivid.

In April 1968, answering the sacred call of the Fatherland, young Dao Xuan Ke, from Hung An commune (Kim Dong district), then a truck driver at the Hung Yen Fruit Factory, enlisted in the army, joining the infantry and being assigned to the Route 9 front to transport troops and goods. During this period, transport convoys were the number one target of the American enemy's attacks. Drivers, upon receiving a mission, knew they were ready to "sacrifice themselves," but no one wavered; they simply set off upon receiving orders.

Mr. Dao Xuan Ke, from Hung An commune (Kim Dong district), reviews books about the war.

Mr. Ke enthusiastically recounted: In 1970, deep in the Truong Son forest, the American army deployed a commando unit of nearly 50 men to intercept our convoy transporting food and equipment to the South. The situation was such that if we didn't open the way, our convoy of over 100 vehicles would be exposed and bombed at any moment. Mr. Ke, then a platoon deputy commander, was assigned to reconnaissance. However, during the mission, one member of the reconnaissance team was exposed, forcing him and his comrades to open fire immediately, and fortunately, they managed to eliminate the entire enemy force. After that victory, Mr. Ke was awarded the title of "Hero of the Anti-American Struggle" by the State. In March 1972, amidst the vast Truong Son forest, Mr. Ke had the honor of being admitted to the Party. For seven years in the Southern battlefield, along with the trucks that shuttled through the fiery Highway 9 transporting food and equipment to the South, many times the engineering corps only managed to clear bombs and mines along the tire tracks. He and his comrades "racked their brains" driving through with the sole determination of ensuring the safety of goods serving our troops on the battlefield.

One day in early April, we met Mr. Le Quang Trong in Le Loi ward (Hung Yen city). After some conversation, Mr. Trong emotionally took out his military record book and a collection of commendation certificates that he had kept for over half a century. Opening each page stained with the passage of time, memories of a fiery era, from the battlefields of Quang Tri to the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, flooded back into the veteran's mind as if they had just happened.

Mr. Le Quang Trong, residing in Le Loi ward (Hung Yen city), examines war relics.

Mr. Trong recalled that on one occasion, he and three comrades were assigned a reconnaissance mission, setting up an observation post on a hill right in enemy-occupied territory. During the mission, the reconnaissance team was hit by enemy artillery fire; one person was seriously wounded and two were killed. Receiving orders from superiors to retreat to preserve their forces, Mr. Trong was slightly wounded by the pressure of the artillery shells but still managed to carry equipment, communication devices, and help his comrades escape from enemy-occupied territory. Three days later, despite the danger, Mr. Trong and his comrades crossed the river into enemy-occupied territory to bring the two fallen comrades back to base for burial.

From the afternoon of April 29, 1975, his unit was ordered to assemble in the Nha Be River area; if the enemy did not surrender, they would cross the river and attack Saigon. On the morning of April 30, many American planes flew from Saigon towards the East Sea. While anxiously waiting in their hiding places, upon hearing the news that the Duong Van Minh government had surrendered, everyone poured into the streets, cheering and celebrating the victory with overwhelming joy.

When the war against the US entered its most intense phase, Vu Dinh Luat, a young man from Minh Hoang commune (Phu Cu district), put aside his studies and volunteered to join the army. He was assigned to an anti-aircraft artillery unit and fought valiantly alongside his comrades until the great victory. After the triumphant victory, the veteran and wounded soldier Vu Dinh Luat always felt his joy was incomplete because many of his relatives and comrades remained on the battlefield. He then returned alone to the battlefield to search for the remains of his fallen comrades.

Mr. Vu Dinh Luat, from Minh Hoang commune (Phu Cu district), stands alongside his former comrades from the military.

In 2012, Mr. Luat joined five more veterans from Tho Son commune, Bu Dang district, Binh Phuoc province (where his family moved to live in 2000). From a small volunteer group of five, it has now grown into the Binh Phuoc Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, with over 200 members, including many volunteers from provinces and cities across the country. Mr. Luat and his volunteers have searched for 168 remains of martyrs and assisted many families in bringing their loved ones back to their hometowns free of charge. This included a search and recovery operation in 2013 that resulted in the discovery of 74 remains of martyrs reported by the people in Binh Nghi commune, Tay Son district (Binh Dinh province).

With the slogan "Not a single grain of rice is lacking, not a single soldier is lacking," during the years of resistance against the US and for national liberation, the Party Committee of Hung Yen province led the army and people to wholeheartedly compete in production, fulfilling all obligations to the great front line. Tens of thousands of young people went south to fight, and youth forces, civilian laborers, and technical workers volunteered to serve in the war effort.

Fifty years since that victory in the spring of 1975, the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army have returned to civilian life, but not for a moment have they forgotten their comrades who fell just before the nation's triumph. They live with the beautiful memories of their youth fighting to save the country, and today they continue to preserve and promote the fine qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, with unwavering faith in the Party's leadership, striving to build a more prosperous, beautiful, and civilized homeland.

Le Thu

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/nhung-nguoi-di-qua-chien-war-3180827.html