Visit the man who hung the article on his wall for 10 years

Mr. Be Van Sam and author Si Anh next to the article hanging on the wall of his house.

Journalist La Van Tuat is 65 years old this year. Before retiring in 2019, he worked for many years at Lao Cai Newspaper, holding the position of Deputy Head of the Party Building and Internal Affairs Department.

Journalist La Van Tuat recounted the origin of the article: around April 2014, leading up to the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2014), while reporting at a conference in Lao Cai province that brought together hundreds of veterans and soldiers of the Dien Bien Phu battle, the reporter met, spoke with, and was deeply impressed by the example of Mr. Be Van Sam, who had the Dien Bien Phu Soldier Badge personally pinned to his chest by President Ho Chi Minh.

Dien Bien Phu soldier Be Van Sam is a historical figure and a source of inspiration for many journalists.

After the conference, journalist La Van Tuat visited Mr. Be Van Sam's residence in Chieng On village (now Group 14), Binh Minh ward, Lao Cai city, to chat further and learn about his years fighting in the Dien Bien Phu battlefield and the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi , where the beloved President presented and pinned the Dien Bien Phu Soldier Badge on his chest. Admiring the example of the Dien Bien Phu soldier from the past, journalist La Van Tuat, under the pen name Sy Anh, wrote the article "Treasures" of the Dien Bien Phu soldier, which was published in the Lao Cai Newspaper and the Lao Cai Journalists' Association's newsletter.

z5524845880845_9255fbfcad69f5d6d81df742ecb6aa01 (1).jpg — The article by author Sy Anh has been displayed on Mr. Sam's wall for the past 10 years.

Mr. Be Van Sam recalled that he and his family were very proud of journalist La Van Tuat's article. According to Mr. Sam, this was also the first article about him that was soulful, full of emotion, truthful, and informative. The Lao Cai Journalists' Newsletter was smaller and more compact than the Lao Cai Newspaper, and printed in color on coated paper. The two-page newsletter fit perfectly into a standard-sized frame for the award, so Mr. Sam separated the article and framed it to hang on the wall.

For the past 10 years, every visitor to Mr. Be Van Sam's house has taken the time to admire and read the article "Treasure" of the Dien Bien Phu soldier, which contains complete information and serves as a tribute to the Dien Bien Phu soldier Be Van Sam, a testament to his enduring legacy.

"I value newspaper articles far more than any gifts I receive, because only newspaper articles can tell the truth, preserve it for so long, and spread it far and wide," Mr. Sam confided.

The author and the characters reminisce about their memories after meeting again 10 years later.

After 10 years, the reunion between the Dien Bien Phu veteran and journalist La Van Tuat, also at Mr. Sam's private residence, was moving, filled with handshakes and joyful expressions. What pleased the author most was that after 10 years, at the age of 89, Mr. Be Van Sam still maintained his health and lucidity, recounting vividly the story from 70 years ago on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield.

Another touching aspect of the pen name Sỹ Anh is that the old wooden house of Mr. Bế Văn Sâm has now been replaced by a sturdy, spacious house with all the modern amenities. Pointing to the article hanging on the wall, Mr. Bế Văn Sâm praised the quality of the printing, noting that his photo illustrating the article was almost perfectly preserved in color, and the text was also intact. He said that he had many medals and decorations on his chest, but the Điện Biên Phủ Soldier Badge that President Ho Chi Minh pinned on him was a "treasure," and in his house, the article was a precious item, which he would keep hanging there as long as it hadn't faded.

With a heavy heart, meeting the reporter again after the country celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, memories flooded back from the depths of the Dien Bien Phu soldier's mind. Mr. Sam was born and raised in Tra Linh district, Cao Bang province. He embraced the revolution early on, joining the Viet Minh as a liaison at the age of 13 before being assigned to the 375th Viet Bac Regiment. In 1953, Mr. Sam and his unit participated in the Northwest Campaign, and in early 1954, he directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Mr. Sam vividly remembers his unit's mission at the time: to attack Muong Thanh airfield to cut off the French air supply route to the Dien Bien Phu strongholds. He recalled that during the campaign, he sometimes served as a liaison officer, and in normal times, he directly participated in combat, fighting with the enemy for every inch of land around Muong Thanh airfield. He confided: "We defeated the powerful colonial and imperialist powers thanks to our patriotic spirit. Our soldiers went into battle with only the intention of attacking, never shying away from sacrifice or hardship."

Mr. Be Van Sam recounted his battlefield experiences to the Chairman of the Veterans Association of Binh Minh Ward.

We bid farewell to Mr. Be Van Sam, our hearts filled with many emotions about the Dien Bien Phu soldiers, about journalism, about colleagues, and about life. It's a source of pride that, amidst the overwhelming presence of television and digital information, an article has remained proudly displayed on a wall for a decade. As for me, I secretly think that throughout their writing careers, journalists receive countless accolades, awards, and accolades on stage, but few have their articles so respectfully preserved by readers that they are displayed on a wall.

In conclusion: I learned about the article by author Sy Anh that had been hanging on the wall for 10 years in April 2024, when I visited Mr. Sam's house to interview him and write a propaganda article about the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. When I recounted this to journalist La Van Tuat, he was very surprised by this detail and was eager to visit the subject again after 10 years.

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