In early 1978, Pol Pot's soldiers recklessly encroached deep into the Vietnamese border, committing brutal crimes against our people, including in Bay Nui district of An Giang province—where the 4th Division was stationed. The officers and soldiers of the Division fought valiantly, repelling their attacks. Many heroic collectives and individuals were widely publicized within the unit. During a meeting organized by the Division headquarters to hear accounts from soldiers with outstanding combat achievements about their battles against Pol Pot's forces, I recorded several exemplary stories. Encouraged by the officers in the Propaganda Department, after nights of fighting alongside the political officers to protect the Division headquarters at various checkpoints, I took the time to write down these stories of heroic deeds and boldly sent them to the People's Army Newspaper.

Illustration photo: qdnd.vn

One afternoon, while I was planting vegetables with my comrades, the Head of the Propaganda Department cheerfully announced, "Today, the People's Army Newspaper published your article!" Hearing this, I hurried back to the office to find the People's Army Newspaper. Right on the front page, under the section "Fighting to Defend the Border," I saw my article, "The Final Hours of the Battle," about Team Leader Le Xuan Nam (20th Regiment), who bravely commanded a fighting unit against Pol Pot's forces. Overjoyed, I read it repeatedly; the article was almost entirely published. I was ecstatic and boasted to everyone I met. Then, half a month later, in the same section, on the front page of the People's Army Newspaper, there was my article, "The Gunman and the Medical Bag," about soldier and medic Nguyen Van Hung, who bravely treated wounded soldiers under enemy fire while fighting alongside his comrades to repel numerous enemy counterattacks on the Kien Giang border. From then on, the Head of the Propaganda Department assigned me the task of writing news for the Division's "Victory" bulletin.

I was assigned a new task, arduous but full of passion. Each time I went to a unit to write a news report, my baggage consisted of a backpack, an AK rifle, and two grenades. I traveled from one unit to another using various means of transport, from buses and boats to walking... I followed the instructions of the comrade in charge of the news bulletin. During those months at the units, I witnessed firsthand the exemplary lives, hardships, and sacrifices of my comrades in battle, which further fueled my sense of responsibility...

In late August 1978, I was sent to North Vietnam for further studies. Throughout my military career in the North, and then back to civilian life, the early days of writing for newspapers and working as a news reporter for the 4th Division on the Southwestern border remain vividly etched in my memory. From the bottom of my heart, I am always grateful to the Military Region 9 Newspaper, the head of the Propaganda Department of the 4th Division, and the People's Army Newspaper for guiding and supporting me on my journalistic journey. In my role as a journalist, especially during my time as a reporter for the Northwest Soldiers Newspaper (Military Region 2) and as a reporter on the Ha Tuyen Front, and later as Editor-in-Chief of the Military Region 2 Newspaper, though arduous, difficult, and sometimes dangerous, I gained even more strength and learned a great deal from my comrades, from the leadership and command styles of officers at all levels to the beloved soldiers in the trenches...

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/noi-diu-dat-den-con-duong-lam-bao-882645