Goldstone, Sharpstone

Dong Loc Crossroads (Can Loc District, Ha Tinh Province) has become a sacred symbol of the resistance war against the US, saving the nation. Here, tens of thousands of people, from soldiers, youth volunteers, workers, drivers to civilian laborers, militia, and guerrillas... sacrificed their youth and blood to write legendary heroic deeds. During those historic April days, we met and talked with Ms. Le Thi Nhi, a former youth volunteer, who was the inspiration for the poem "To You, My Young Volunteer" by poet Pham Tien Duat.

Le Thi Nhi was born and raised in the coastal area of ​​Cua Sot, Thach Kim commune (Thach Ha district, Ha Tinh province). Her youth was spent amidst the fire and bullets of war, on roads riddled with bombs and bullets. Now, at 79 years old, time has left its mark on her face with wrinkles and age spots. Few know that she is the inspiration for the famous poem "To You, Young Volunteer" by poet Pham Tien Duat, a poem that has touched the hearts of countless readers.

Former Youth Volunteer Corps member Le Thi Nhi recounts her youthful years at Dong Loc Crossroads.

In 1966, at the age of 20, Le Thi Nhi volunteered to join the Youth Volunteer Force and was assigned to Squad 4, Company 554 (General Team 55 of the Ha Tinh Youth Volunteer Force). At that time, Le Thi Nhi was a beautiful, vibrant young woman. Tall, with long, black hair reaching her waist, and a fair complexion, she stood out in her green Youth Volunteer Force uniform. She was notable not only for her beauty but also for her strong will and spirit. In 1968, Le Thi Nhi volunteered to join a suicide squad tasked with clearing bombs, counting bombs, and placing markers near unexploded ordnance along the front lines of National Highway 15A.

“When my mother heard I had joined the suicide squad, she traveled dozens of kilometers to the unit, crying and begging me to come home. She said that she only had two daughters left, one was married, and if I died, she would have no one to rely on. But I hugged her and reassured her: 'Don't worry, Mom, I won't die. Without us, how could there be peace …',” Mrs. Nhi recounted emotionally.

One evening in mid-1968, flares filled the sky as Le Thi Nhi and her squad were filling in bomb craters. In her brand-new green uniform, the young woman stood out among her comrades, her long hair gently blowing in the wind, her fair skin glowing in the flares, creating an image that was both proud and gentle. Just then, a convoy from the 559th Command, supplying the Southern battlefield, passed by. As Nhi and several other women were erecting barricades around a bomb crater to warn passing convoys, a tall, handsome soldier with a straight nose and a Northern accent approached. He greeted everyone, then approached Nhi and asked, "Where are you from?" Nhi glanced at him briefly and replied, "I'm from Thach Nhon." Everyone around chuckled, causing the soldier to look bewildered and ask, "Where is Thach Nhon?" Another person explained, "It's Thach Kim." The soldier turned to look at Nhi and asked, "Why do you say Thach Nhon when you're from Thach Kim?" Nhi smiled and replied, "If Kim isn't sharp, then what is?" Another burst of laughter erupted...

A casual joke, unexpectedly, became the inspiration for the famous poem "To You, Young Volunteer," which was read on Vietnam Radio a year later.

 

 

When the poem was broadcast, the company commander immediately summoned Le Thi Nhi for a "reprimand" for "deceiving the soldiers." With tears welling up in her eyes, Nhi choked out her explanation: "Whatever punishment you give me, I will accept it, but please don't send me back to my hometown. Where would I hide my face if I went back home now? I would be ashamed in front of my family, friends, and villagers!" Afterward, Nhi only received a mild reprimand, as it was just a poem...

Thinking that the story of the past had faded away with the passing days, one afternoon in Hanoi in 2007, Mrs. Nhi met the poet Pham Tien Duat again, the man who had incorporated her image into his passionate wartime poems. At that time, the poet was being treated at the Central Military Hospital 108. His serious illness prevented him from speaking. The room was silent, only the steady hum of the ventilator and the faint light filtering through the window could be heard. She approached, bent down, and whispered softly into his ear, like a call from a distant memory: "Mr. Duat, I am the young volunteer from Thach Kim all those years ago, I am Thach Nhon..." As if by magic, the poet's eyes suddenly opened wide, shining with weak but deeply emotional light. His hands trembled as he reached out to her, as if wanting to touch the past, to touch the image of the girl who had been so deeply imprinted in his mind.

Upon hearing the news of the passing of poet Pham Tien Duat, Mrs. Nhi quietly packed her bags and traveled to Hanoi, blending in with the mourners. Tears flowed silently, her heart heavy with grief as she bid farewell to a close friend, a part of her incredibly heroic and beautiful youth.

Recalling the sacrifice of the 10 young women at Dong Loc Crossroads on July 24, 1968, Mrs. Nhi couldn't hold back her tears. Bombs rained down on this "fire zone." Smoke and fire filled the air, rocks and earth were thrown up as if to tear the sky apart. Ten young women, eighteen or twenty years old, had just finished filling bomb craters and hadn't even had time to leave their shelters... when another series of bombs struck. Mrs. Nhi's unit was on duty elsewhere at the time; hearing the bombs explode, her heart ached. Afterwards, the entire unit rushed to the scene, digging in desperation...

Victory monument at Dong Loc Crossroads (Ha Tinh).

Every time she returns to Dong Loc Crossroads, Mrs. Nhi cannot hide her emotions. Although the war is long over, the place is now peaceful with its cool green pine forest and silent rows of stone monuments, but in her heart, each step still evokes painful memories mixed with pride. In the past, when she was still healthy, Mrs. Nhi would return to Dong Loc Crossroads every year, bringing a bag of soapberries, the simple fruit that the girls used to pick to wash their hair after filling bomb craters. She would place three soapberries on each grave as a heartfelt greeting to her deceased sisters and brothers. The rest she would take to the bomb craters where the girls had fallen and set them on fire. The smoke from the soapberries rose, their fragrant scent spreading in the wind like a whisper from the past.

Today, Dong Loc has donned a new, peaceful, and vibrant appearance. However, every inch of this land remains steeped in the memories of a time of bloodshed. The Dong Loc Crossroads historical site has not only become a sacred pilgrimage destination but also a "red address" for educating the younger generation and the people about patriotic traditions. Every year, the site welcomes over 400,000 visitors who come to offer incense, pay tribute, commemorate the heroic martyrs, and study the artifacts, documents, and images, listening to moving stories about patriotism and the heroic sacrifices of the 10 young female volunteer soldiers and countless other cadres and soldiers. This place will forever be a symbol of courage, strength, unwavering fighting spirit, faith, and the aspiration for peace.

Text and photos: HOA LE

 

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/thach-kim-thach-nhon-826124