The words 'compatriots' are sacred!

(PLVN) - On the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), Vietnam has risen to become a modern and developed nation. However, the memories of war, the fierce years of bombs and bullets, and the unwavering solidarity among compatriots always remain deeply embedded in the hearts of every Vietnamese person...

The army and the people are like fish and water.

One of the key factors contributing to the historic moment of the Great Victory of Spring 1975 was the unity of the Vietnamese people. As President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed: "Unity is our invincible strength."

During the long years of the war against the US to save the country and liberate the South, countless generations of Vietnamese people, regardless of age or gender, braved bombs and bullets to supply food, ferry soldiers across rivers, and even shoot down enemy aircraft. Like the story of Mother Suốt in Đồng Hới town, Quảng Bình province, who made hundreds of ferry trips, braving falling bombs and exploding bullets to bring soldiers safely to shore.

Mother Suốt was born in 1906, and when the war against the Americans broke out, she was over 60 years old. Responding to the call of the revolution and President Ho Chi Minh, Mother Suốt volunteered for a seemingly ordinary but extremely dangerous job: ferrying people across the Nhật Lệ River during the fierce war years. This was one of the three important tasks of Team 3: fire prevention and control; first aid and transport of wounded soldiers; and transportation.

During combat service, my mother became even more proactive and diligent. Whenever cadres and soldiers needed to go on assignment, regardless of the time, she was always happy to transport them; even in the middle of the night, and she never hesitated in case of an air raid alert. There were times when Dong Hoi was "shaking" from the aerial bombardment of hundreds of planes in 1965, or during the rain of bombs and rockets, my mother never hesitated to transport cadres and civilians to safety.

The photograph "North and South Reunite" by photographer Vo Khanh An has moved many viewers.

From ancient times to the present day, the Vietnamese have had a saying: "When the enemy comes to the house, even women will fight." Mother Suốt was one of many simple, down-to-earth Vietnamese women who stood alongside soldiers and cadres in the struggle against the US, saving the country and liberating the South. Like hundreds, even thousands, of heroic Vietnamese mothers who dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the independence and freedom of the nation.

There were also "elderly" militiamen ready to take up arms when the country called, regardless of their age, even those over sixty or seventy. Like the image of the elderly militiaman Tran Van Ong shooting down an F4H aircraft on November 16, 1967, in Duc Ninh commune ( Quang Ninh district , Quang Binh province), captured by former war correspondent and journalist Chu Chi Thanh. Militia units composed of these "elderly" men were established in many provinces and districts across Vietnam at that time. In Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province, during the resistance against the US, most young men went to the battlefield. To contribute to protecting their homeland, the "Hoang Truong Elderly Militia Platoon" was established in September 1967, consisting of 18 members, the youngest being 49 and the oldest 69. This was the only elderly militia unit in the North that shot down an American jet with infantry weapons and received a letter of commendation from President Ho Chi Minh. At the Hoang Hoa District Museum today, President Ho Chi Minh's writings are respectfully preserved as treasures.

Throughout Vietnam's history, the close, blood-bond relationship between the army and the people has become a sacred symbol, a source of strength that has enabled our nation to overcome countless challenges and achieve numerous victories. Particularly throughout the struggle for independence and national defense, the army-people relationship has not only remained a sentiment but has also been forged into a beautiful cultural and spiritual value, deeply ingrained in every glorious page of our nation's history.

During the war of resistance against the US, the close, blood-bond relationship between the army and the people deepened even further. Not only did soldiers and civilians wholeheartedly contribute their efforts, but tens of thousands of people also worked day and night, traversing forests and streams to build roads and transport goods, medicine, and food for the troops. In the rear, the people readily shared their food and clothing, ensuring "not a single grain of rice was lacking, not a single soldier was lacking" to support the front lines. This bond between the army and the people, connecting the people, created immense strength that enabled Vietnam to defeat the enemy and liberate the South.

Beautiful moments of war

On April 30, 1975, the Great Spring Victory completely defeated the war of aggression and the neo-colonial rule of the US imperialists in the South, completely liberating the South and gloriously ending the most arduous, difficult, and greatest war of national salvation in the history of our people's struggle against foreign invaders.

The image of two soldiers on opposite sides of the battle lines embracing each other and looking towards former war correspondent Chu Chi Thanh deeply moved many. The photograph, taken in 1973, just two years before the country's complete reunification, was shared with the media. Chu Chi Thanh explained that he captured the "Two Soldiers" photograph in the Long Quang border area, Trieu Trach commune, Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri province. At that time, he was assigned to document the largest prisoner exchange in the history of the Vietnam War.

The image of two soldiers on opposite sides of the battle lines, with their arms around each other's shoulders, symbolizes the desire and aspiration for peace and national unity felt by every Vietnamese citizen. (Photo: Chu Chi Thanh)

At that time, during the day, our soldiers would come over to visit, and at night, the North Vietnamese troops would wave to the South Vietnamese army's outpost on the other side of the border, inviting them over to drink green tea and smoke Dien Bien cigarettes. Journalist Chu Chi Thanh said that this was a very special phenomenon at the time. He thought that the day of North-South reunification was very near, the war was about to end, and there would be no more sacrifices of blood and tears from the entire nation.

In 2007, journalist Chu Chi Thanh organized solo photo exhibitions: "Unforgettable Moments" in Hanoi and "Memories of War" in Ho Chi Minh City. At these exhibitions, his photograph "Two Soldiers" was featured and included in a book. The photograph attracted considerable attention. After much searching, in 2015, Liberation Army soldier Nguyen Huy Tao reappeared. Then, in 2017, Bui Trong Nghia, a soldier from the Southern front, also appeared in the photo.

A simple photograph of two young soldiers shows that, even before the Great Spring Victory in April 1975, Vietnamese people, regardless of which side they were on, still held deep affection for their fellow countrymen. Despite disagreements over the times, whenever they had the chance, they were ready to chat, shake hands, and offer each other cups of tea and local specialties. This is a beautiful cultural tradition that contributed to the resounding victory and reunification of the country.

After 1975, the reunions of people from both North and South Vietnam were the most beautiful images showing that, no matter how many years of separation, Vietnamese people always held the deepest affection for their compatriots. There are many touching stories about the moments of reunion between relatives after many years of separation.

This is the photograph "North and South Reunion" taken by photographer Vo Khanh An. He shared that during a field trip to Ninh Thanh Loi commune (Hong Dan district) in October 1976, his main focus was photographing local people working in pineapple plantations in Hong Dan. However, after liberation, many families from the North came to the South to find their lost relatives.

He happened to spot a woman from the North wearing a headscarf and with blackened teeth walking towards a woman from the South. The two mothers, one from the South and one from the North, embraced joyfully, and he managed to capture this moment. It was the last film he had, so whether it was good or not, the photographer had run out of film to take another shot. He inquired with the locals and learned that the mother from the North had come to the South to visit relatives. Thanks to this fortunate coincidence, he was able to capture this incredibly valuable moment. This is also one of 180 photographs taken by Vietnamese photographers during the war that were exhibited at the International Center for Photographic Art in the United States in early 2002, and later permanently exhibited at the Explorers Hall Museum (USA).

Throughout his life, President Ho Chi Minh always affirmed that the people are the subjects of the revolution, possessing boundless creativity and immense strength. He clearly stated: "In the sky, nothing is more precious than the people. In the world, nothing is stronger than the united force of the people." Throughout four thousand years of history, the strength of the Vietnamese people has not only triumphed over the most powerful invaders but has also been the heart and soul that unites the country, developing the Vietnamese nation to become strong and stand shoulder to shoulder with friends around the world.

Throughout its history of building, maturing, and leading the revolution, our Party has consistently upheld the ideology of "the people are the foundation of the nation," defining revolution as the undertaking of the people, by the people, and for the people. Continuing the traditions of our ancestors, the Vietnamese people are united in leading the country into an era of progress.

Huong Ngoc

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/thieng-lieng-hai-chu-dong-bao-post546634.html