That place is peaceful

And every year, the numbers are added, the rows of graves are longer… There are so many historical stories of each martyr that no one knows, even the mothers, making anyone who sees the graves feel sympathy.

Private historical stories

The old soldier sat silently watching the children running around the martyrs' graves. Strangely, they did not play with the bright red flower beds on the path, did not pick up white frangipani flowers that had fallen here and there, did not look curiously at the lotus flowers that were blooming... in the grounds of the provincial martyrs' cemetery, but instead clung to the graves. It seemed that they were very familiar with this place, not shy as is often seen when people come to visit the provincial martyrs' cemetery. "Martyr... I call him grandpa, because he is the younger brother of the grandfather sitting there" - a little girl said. The child's grandfather was that old soldier, nearly 75 years old, sitting opposite the grave of his younger brother, deep in thought as if immersed in the memories of a time when bombs and bullets were falling. Many witnesses of those years were lying here. They were lined up neatly in an arc towards the Monument of the Fatherland in the center of the cemetery. Silent. Solemn every minute. But not gloomy. The space was peaceful and cool after the pouring rain yesterday afternoon. Every now and then, there was the sound of birds chirping. The sound of people bustling about echoed. In the 10-hectare provincial cemetery for martyrs, today there were more people than usual coming to visit, as tomorrow was War Invalids and Martyrs Day... For someone wearing a faded soldier's uniform like him, sitting in this scene, the loss, both personal and shared, kept rising in his eyes.

“I am Nguyen Tien Manh. A veteran. I left Ha Nam to live in Binh Duong many years ago. The whole family of 3 generations just went to the provincial martyrs cemetery this morning to visit my younger brother!”. Decades have passed, but now when he talks about his younger brother, he still feels like it was just yesterday. Several times, he was silent, with tears in his eyes. And it was my turn to sympathize, when I heard that his younger brother, when he passed away in Hoa Da (now Bac Binh district), had just turned 19. The age when the times at that time did not know how to love… “Yes, after finishing 10th grade, following the call of the country, he volunteered to go to the battlefield in the South. That was in 1967. He died in 1969… And I was in C2, Regiment 46 at that time…”. Silence. His face seemed to express the heart of an older brother who always ached and missed his younger brother. So, he understood the story better after the liberation, he followed the death notice to look for his brother. Finally, he knew that his brother had been taken to the provincial martyrs cemetery by the Binh Thuan government. Since then, every year his family has arranged to go to Binh Thuan, sometimes on July 27, sometimes on both April 30 and July 27 like this year, because there is a convenient highway...

Mr. Nguyen Tien Manh, at the grave of his younger brother, Martyr Nguyen Tien Le.

Not far away, other families also visited their relatives like Mr. Manh's family. Each family certainly has its own historical story about the deceased, the person who in his youth followed the call of his heart, devoted himself, sacrificed his blood and bones for the independence of the Fatherland. But it seems that is not enough, when in all the rows of martyrs' graves, there are still many steles with the words "Unknown martyr". And every year, the number is added, the rows of graves are longer... There are so many historical stories of each martyr, no one knows, even the mothers, making anyone who sees the tombstones feel sympathy. And since when, the great solidarity of departments, localities and the whole community in caring and taking good care of each grave here has taken place every year, especially on this occasion of July 27, more bustling than ever, as if continuing the common historical story of the Binh Thuan region.

The entrance to the tombs is paved with clean stone and cool under the shade of trees on both sides of the road.

Martyrs' Graves at the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery

Green, clean, beautiful

On these days of July 27, the parking lot of the provincial martyrs cemetery is always full of motorbikes and cars, not only with license plates from Binh Thuan but also with license plates from other provinces and cities. Despite the rain caused by storm No. 2 in the afternoon, it cleared up and the sun came out in the morning, and relatives of martyrs from all over the province, from the northern provinces and even the southern provinces came here to visit. That scene made me, the post-liberation generation, able to imagine how fierce the Binh Thuan battlefield was in those years. This land at the extreme South Central Coast, the gateway to the Southeast region and the Central Highlands, was like an important link in the revolutionary struggle campaigns during the 30 years of resistance. In the History of the People's Armed Forces of Binh Thuan Province 1945 - 2000, it was recorded: "Hundreds of cadres and soldiers in the Liberation Army Battalion 1 and the divisions from the South were a very important force in the early days of fighting the French in Binh Thuan. Thousands of cadres and soldiers, children of the Northern provinces, followed the call of the Party and Uncle Ho to "cut through Truong Son" to come here to Binh Thuan".

Many relatives came to visit the Martyrs at the provincial Martyrs Cemetery on the occasion of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day, July 27.

Thanks to that, there is a day of peace for today's construction and development. The history book also has a passage: "The people of Binh Thuan and the successive generations of descendants will forever be grateful to the people of the North and the children of all over the country who fought bravely, shed blood and sacrificed in this homeland". In memory of that, 3 years after the liberation day, Binh Thuan started to build the provincial martyrs' cemetery in Hong Son commune, Ham Thuan Bac. It was not until 1983 that it was basically completed and the remains of martyrs from all over the province were gathered. Up to now, the report of the provincial martyrs' cemetery management board shows that it is currently managing 8,927 graves, of which 9 are mass graves and 8,918 are single graves; 4,016 graves have complete information; 1,530 graves are missing part of the information, and 3,381 graves do not have information. That does not include the graves remaining in the 2 martyrs' cemeteries in Duc Linh and Tanh Linh. According to information from the Provincial Military Command, there are currently nearly 3,000 more martyrs lying somewhere in the province's regions that are being searched for and gathered at the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery.

Businesses support the installation of solar lights.

“In addition to the provincial budget for annual construction and renovation, the community also joined hands to build a more spacious, green, clean and beautiful cemetery landscape. Agencies, departments, branches, localities, businesses, organizations, individuals, and relatives of martyrs have planted trees, fruit trees, donated stone benches, and items for the care of martyrs' graves. In particular, the construction of a solar power system helps save electricity bills...” - Mr. Pham Ngoc Minh, who has been associated with the provincial Martyrs' Cemetery for more than 20 years, said as if to express his thanks. Mr. Minh continued that, with a large campus, the care of flower gardens, ornamental plants, and martyrs' graves, in addition to the staff of the management board who regularly carry out the work; departments, branches, units, and localities also support on important occasions. Thanks to that, the provincial Martyrs' Cemetery has a truly green, clean and beautiful landscape and always receives many compliments from leaders as well as organizations and individuals who visit.

Therefore, last year, despite the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the cemetery still welcomed more than 15,000 relatives from inside and outside the province to visit. In the first 6 months of this year, thanks to many favorable factors, including the appearance of highways through the province, it has welcomed more than 10,000 relatives. Not counting Mr. Manh's family and many other martyrs' relatives who came to visit on July 27, the provincial tourism industry has included them in the number of visitors. Because Mr. Manh's family's schedule is to go to Mui Ne after visiting the martyrs. The same goes for the martyrs' relatives in other provinces and cities that I met that day, when each time they go, the whole family goes. Because now traveling to Binh Thuan is very close. Because the martyrs' cemetery is so spacious and clean, and especially the martyrs resting there have been taken care of wholeheartedly by the Party, government and people of Binh Thuan, so I trust and feel secure...

BICH NGHI - PHOTO BY N. LAN

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