Musings on a major holiday

North of the Ben Hai River - Photo: TRAN TUYEN

In that same pensive state, I often think of the photograph of two soldiers from opposing sides with their arms around each other's shoulders during the first days of peace after the Paris Agreement officially came into effect in March 1973.

The author of the photograph is photographer and journalist Chu Chi Thanh, who was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Art in 2022 for his series of four photographs titled "Two Soldiers": "Shaking Hands and Smiling Faces", "Two Soldiers", "Quang Tri Bridge", and "Farewell Hands".

The photograph "Two Soldiers" was taken by the author on a day in late March 1973, at the Long Quang outpost in Trieu Trach commune, Trieu Phong district, when he witnessed soldiers from both sides of the battle lines sitting together, drinking water, smoking, and sharing their daily stories.

“At that moment, I witnessed a special occasion. It seemed as if they were no longer adversaries on the battlefield but had become friends. In that atmosphere, a Saigon soldier put his arm around a liberation fighter and asked: ‘Could you take a picture of us?’” the photographer recalled. Slightly surprised, Chu Chi Thanh immediately raised his camera and took the picture.

And so the photograph titled "Two Soldiers" was born, foreshadowing the reunification of the country two years later. "Without their uniforms, they would look no different from their peers. At that moment, I thought, this image is a symbol of the aspiration for peace. The day North and South are reunited is perhaps very near," photographer Chu Chi Thanh recounted emotionally.

For various reasons, it wasn't until 2007, when the exhibitions "Unforgettable Moments" in Hanoi and "Memories of War" in Ho Chi Minh City were held, that "Two Soldiers" was widely introduced to the public. It wasn't until 2018 that the photographer and the two subjects (Liberation Army soldier Nguyen Huy Tao and the soldier from the opposing side Bui Trong Nghia) reunited for the first time on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Paris Agreement on January 27th (1973-2018).

I remember the photograph by artist Chu Chi Thanh vividly because I was about the same age as the two soldiers in the picture, and I too had been present in the suffering land of Quang Tri, and I had longed intensely for moments of peace. Peace meant that we would be able to return to the lecture halls, the fields, the factories, and most importantly, to the loving embrace of our mothers...

Regarding the day of reunification, one cannot forget another photograph that evokes strong emotions every time one looks at it: the photograph "Mother and Son on Reunion" by photographer Lam Hong Long. The photo captures the moment when death row inmate Le Van Thuc embraced his mother, Tran Thi Binh, upon his return from the hellish prison of Con Dao in May 1975.

Many believe that Lam Hong Long's masterful work can be seen as a sacred symbol of the nation's and people's aspiration for peace. Personally, I see an even deeper meaning; it speaks of maternal love and can also be seen as a symbol of the noble sacrifice of Vietnamese mothers. And from that feeling, I am reminded of the words of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet: "For every million who rejoice, there are millions who grieve."

It might not be entirely accurate, but I think it's impossible to draw a clear line between joy and sorrow, separating those who are happy and those who are sad into "this side" or "that side." And it's also difficult to say that, within a community or for each individual, joy or sorrow is complete. Imagine a mother whose sons went to war. On the day of victory, amidst the shared joy of the nation, she rejoices at the return of her sons but grieves when one, or even two or three, of them perish on the battlefield.

Then there are mothers whose sons fought on both sides. Joy and sorrow are inevitable. Not to mention, a mother's love seems to always lean more towards the children who suffered and were disadvantaged. Vietnam, having endured decades of war, has seen countless mothers like that.

Former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, in an interview with an international press on the 30th anniversary of the Liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country, said: “History has placed many families in South Vietnam in a situation where they had relatives on both sides, even my own relatives were like that. Therefore, when an event related to the war is recalled, millions rejoice while millions grieve. It is a shared wound of the nation that needs to be healed instead of being allowed to continue bleeding.”

Twenty years have passed since that day. Along with the achievements of the reform and national development process, and the Party and State's policy of national reconciliation and harmony, the aspirations of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet have gradually become a reality. Although the joys and sorrows in the hearts of each mother remain indelible, with the country's current position, the children of Mother Vietnam, whether on one side or the other in the past, whether in the country or abroad, all wholeheartedly strive towards the common goal of building an independent, unified, prosperous, and powerful Vietnam.

I want to reiterate these points because, even these days, there are still voices expressing prejudice and nostalgia for the past. I know that war brings suffering and loss. But it's also important to understand that while the sacrifices of soldiers on the battlefield are immense, the pain of mothers separated from or losing their children is immeasurable. And that pain is the same for mothers in Hanoi and Saigon alike.

The Vietnamese have a saying: "A child should not scorn their parents for their hardships..." Our country is still facing difficulties and hardships. Whether sad or happy, remember that you are a child of Mother Vietnam. We cannot forget the sorrows. But let us open our hearts to share the joys, especially when those joys bring reunions to tens of millions of Vietnamese people separated by war, bringing smiles and even tears to every mother. Let us join hands to help Vietnamese mothers lessen their sorrows and experience more joy each day...

Ta Viet Anh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tan-man-ngay-le-trong-193346.htm