Students pose for photos with historical witnesses.
The program included a meeting and exchange with Mr. Tran Cong Ngu - former Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ben Tre province and Chairman of the Association for the Support of Poor Patients and Disabled People in Ben Tre province; Mr. Nguyen Tan Dat (Musician Lan Phong) - former Director of the Ben Tre Provincial Cultural Center; and Mr. Le Van Thuc - former prisoner of Con Dao. These are historical witnesses who experienced the fierce war and have unforgettable memories. The meeting was attended by a large number of youth union members, students from schools in Ben Tre city.
Mr. Le Van Thuc, a former prisoner of Con Dao, recounts his wartime memories.
Meeting Mr. Le Van Thuc, a former prisoner of Con Dao, originally from Tam Phuoc commune, Chau Thanh district, he recounted his stories about why he was captured and sentenced to death, the tortures he endured, and the harsh conditions he faced during his time in Con Dao prison.
Mr. Le Van Thuc is also the central figure in the famous photograph "Mother and Son, Former Con Dao Prisoner" (taken by Lam Hong Long in 1975). The photo captures the moment when Mrs. Tran Thi Binh embraced Mr. Le Van Thuc, both weeping on the day of their reunion. Mr. Le Van Thuc recounted: "At that moment, when my mother and I met again, we just hugged and cried for a very long time. My mother didn't think I would survive and return, and that we would be reunited." Due to the demands of the revolution, Mr. Thuc was infiltrated into enemy ranks, which deeply saddened his mother. Only later did she learn that Mr. Thuc was a revolutionary soldier sentenced to death in Con Dao prison. Therefore, the reunion was even more emotionally charged.
Mr. Tran Cong Ngu shared this at the thematic talk.
The program also included a meeting with Mr. Tran Cong Ngu, who shared stories about the Liberation Performing Arts Troupe. During the war, facing enemy oppression, revolutionary cultural and artistic activities became even more crucial and served as an important driving force in boosting the fighting spirit of the army and the people. The province's Liberation Performing Arts Troupe traveled throughout the country, closely connected with the army and the people, and served the people. Mr. Tran Cong Ngu also recounted important battles he witnessed, as well as the story of the hero Hoang Lam and the Naval Special Forces Team.
"Culture and arts are also a battlefront, and artists are soldiers on that battlefront," President Ho Chi Minh 's words have always resonated deeply in the minds of those working in culture and arts. During the resistance war, many poets, writers, painters, and musicians created works that upheld the spirit and will to fight, strongly encouraging victories and continuing to write glorious chapters in the nation's history.
Musician Lan Phong shared unforgettable stories from the resistance war era.
The program also featured a meeting with musician Lan Phong, where he shared stories and memories from the war, unforgettable experiences that nurtured the musician's emotions and created musical works that resonated deeply with people.
Composer Lan Phong has composed over 200 works in various genres, expressing rich content about the land and people of Ben Tre, praising the steadfast and indomitable examples of soldiers and people of Ben Tre in the war to defend the Fatherland, celebrating patriotism, inspiring solidarity, encouraging labor and production, and inspiring the spirit of patriotic emulation... His representative works such as the songs: "Our Homeland, Talented Men and Women," "The Mother of the Coconut Land," "Battalion 516," "Legend of a River," "Brilliant Coconut Forest,"... have left a deep mark on the province's musical composition.
Students participate in answering research questions during the program.
Composer Lan Phong also discovered and nurtured many artistic talents, having trained over 800 actors, teachers, and artists in the province. He made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage, especially the Southern Vietnamese folk music and singing art form.
The talk program left a lasting impression on the attendees. Through this activity, the aim was to remember, recall, and promote the revolutionary traditions and patriotic spirit of generations of ancestors who sacrificed themselves for the cause of fighting against foreign invaders and achieving national independence and reunification.
Text and photos: Thanh Dong
Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/noi-chuyen-chuyen-de-ke-chuyen-ngay-dai-thang-18042025-a145370.html
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