Pages that send back peace

In the age of smartphones and social media, it's hard to imagine that memoirs and diaries were once written amidst the sound of falling bombs. From those pages emerges the portrait of a generation of soldiers who "went wherever there was enemy," fighting with the belief that peace would come.

War veteran and teacher Nguyen Thuy (top row, second from the left) presents a reader with her wartime diary.

1. On October 15th, at the Vietnam Women's Museum, the memoir "Wherever There Are Enemies, We Go" (original title "The Path I Walked") by Heroic Martyr Le Van Dy was launched to the public in its third reprint. More than 55 years after his sacrifice, the memoir returns with many additional documents.

On December 22, 1964, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, he began writing his memoirs in the award book of the 316th Division's Emulation Congress: "...As a communist party member, as a revolutionary cadre of a heroic class and nation - I will certainly reach my destination on the path I have chosen. No matter how many obstacles and hardships I encounter, no matter how difficult or dangerous it may be, I am determined to overcome them..."

Each page of his memoirs recounts nights of marching through waist-deep mud, meals that had to be hastily packed into backpacks, and memories of camaraderie and the bond between soldiers and civilians. He wrote: "A revolutionary cherishes their family, their country, and their people, but must also possess a noble international spirit…"

The manuscript was stopped on March 17, 1965, before he went to Laos to take up the position of Deputy Head of Operations of the 316th Division and left the notebook at the Moc Chau base. In 1970, he died in the Plain of Jars-Xieng Khouang Campaign.

The work was first published in 2009, titled "Wherever there are enemies, we will go." This is a famous quote of his during the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Campaign and inspired musician Do Nhuan to compose the song "Marching Far Away."

Born in 1926 in Me Linh commune ( Hanoi ), Le Van Dy joined the revolution at the age of 18. During his more than 20 years in the military, he participated in many major campaigns. The battle that cemented his name was the C1 stronghold at Dien Bien Phu. As the commander of Company 811 (Battalion 888, Regiment 176, Division 316), he was assigned the task of commanding an independent defensive unit and attacking C1, a key stronghold of the Dien Bien Phu complex. During his 20 days and nights of holding the position, he proposed two bold initiatives: digging a tunnel from our position directly to the enemy's flagpole bunker and constructing a system of interconnected defensive positions. Thanks to these initiatives, the company quickly destroyed two pockets of resistance and planted the flag on top of C1. In recognition of this outstanding achievement, General Vo Nguyen Giap commended and awarded Company 811 the Third Class Military Merit Order at the battlefield.

The Vietnam Military History Museum currently preserves the original copy of the memoir "My Path." On the page dated March 22, 1966, he wrote in blood: "...I absolutely believe, agree with, and am wholeheartedly loyal to the Party, devoted to the people; I will complete any task, overcome any difficulty, and defeat any enemy. I will go wherever the Party and the Fatherland call me..." This letter of determination has been placed in the "Archives Room" of the General Political Department.

At the book launch ceremony, poet Tran Dang Khoa emotionally said: "This book is not only the story of Hero Le Van Dy, but also the story of the Vietnam People's Army, because true history is sometimes found in specific individuals."

This book is not only the story of Hero Le Van Dy, but also the story of the Vietnam People's Army, because true history is sometimes found in specific individuals.

Poet Tran Dang Khoa

2. To commemorate Vietnamese Teachers' Day on November 20th, the "Soldier's Heart" organization and the "Forever 20" Club introduce the wartime diary "Quick Notes on the Artillery Platform" by wounded soldier and teacher Nguyen Thuy. The diary was written between 1965 and 1968, while he was on duty guarding the skies of Northwest Vietnam and Upper Laos.

The diary begins with the lines: "I ride the high clouds over the vast mountains / Sitting on the artillery platform, gazing up at the clear sky…". Those pages contain the roar of bombs, the sound of airplanes mingling with the chirping of insects; rice balls with roasted salt, bowls of wild vegetable soup, and water from the stream divided into canteens; nights sleeping in hammocks in the wilderness, and marches through the night; and also bursts of laughter mixed with homesickness, longing for his mother, and for the girl he never had the chance to meet…

On October 31, 1967, during a fierce battle at Muong Nga (Sam Neua), his artillery unit was hit by bombs. Nguyen Thuy jumped from his trenches onto the artillery platform to replace a fallen comrade. A cluster bomb exploded on his head, shrapnel embedded throughout his body, one piece breaking a rib and piercing his lung. His steel helmet was deformed and riddled with holes. He collapsed, his face covered in blood. Twenty officers and soldiers died on the spot. His comrades placed him on a stretcher as the 21st fallen soldier to prepare for burial, only to discover that his "body" was still faintly breathing…

During his treatment, Nguyen Thuy always hoped to return to fighting alongside his comrades, but his wounds were too severe. In July 1968, he received his discharge papers and was sent to school.

Despite hardships and sacrifices, his diary entries are imbued with optimism: "...my life has been a series of beautiful days, the most beautiful being the years I fought under the glorious banner of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh in the fierce struggle against foreign invaders...".

At Hanoi University of Technology, he became a "youth leader," participating in youth projects such as building the Youth Road, dredging the Lu and Set rivers, and digging lakes like Bay Mau and Thanh Cong. In 1993, he underwent brain surgery to remove bomb fragments. After the major operation, a shrapnel fragment remained lodged deep in his brain.

Colonel and writer Dang Vuong Hung said that in August 2025, the "Soldier's Heart" organization received two diaries from teacher Nguyen Thuy, containing authentic, vivid, and heroic writings of the first generation of air defense soldiers. Considering that "this is not just the memory of a soldier, but the spiritual legacy of a time of war and fire," writer Dang Vuong Hung encouraged the family to publish them as a book and include them in the "Forever Twenty" bookshelf.

3. In 1971, before his death in Quang Binh, Platoon Leader Doan Anh Thong (324th Regiment, 361st Division) had the opportunity to visit his home. As if by premonition, he left behind all his mementos, including his diary, over a hundred letters, books, a hammock, and his military uniform. The diary begins on September 14, 1965, with poignant lines of poetry: “I will write – write the truth / Of my life in the smoke and fire of war / In the fire, bullets, and bombs piled high with enemy / Or in peace, when the trees and leaves turn green again.”

Over 100 pages of writing, a blend of poetry and prose, chronicles the marches from Thai Nguyen and Hanoi to Quang Binh, along with reflections on love, camaraderie, and longing for family and homeland.

Poet Doan Van Mat, a nephew of martyr Doan Anh Thong, recounted that on November 16, 1971, ten days before his death, he wrote a letter to his young wife, who was then pregnant with their first child. In the letter, he instructed her to name their son Phong and their daughter Thuy if they had a son.

It wasn't until 1976 that the family received the official death certificate. For many years, Mrs. Le Thi Chay and her son, Doan Nam Phong, traveled from Nam Dinh to Quang Binh (now Quang Tri) many times to search for his grave, but without success. The diary and letters are where the family placed their hope of finding his grave, and also where they preserved the sacred memories of the deceased…

These writings transcend war and time, becoming witnesses to a generation of soldiers who lived, fought, and sacrificed for their country. Reading them again, we gain a deeper understanding of the nation's arduous yet heroic resistance, and further appreciate the value of peace today.

ANH THO

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nhung-trang-viet-gui-lai-hoa-binh-post930264.html