The love, nostalgia and desire to reunite Major General Hoang Dan and his wife during the war were conveyed through more than 400 letters.
Love story Major General Hoang Dan and Mrs. Nguyen Thi An Vinh are recreated in the book by their youngest son - businessman Hoang Nam Tien. Letter to me. The book consists of four parts: Come back from Dien Bien Phu, I'll get married!; Fragrance causes memory; Letter to me between the two sides, our enemy's guns are still firing; Come here together, Corresponding timelines from when the major general and his wife got married, to the days they were separated because of the war, and finally to their old age together.
Their love story is linked to two wars, with historical events such as the 1953 Upper Laos campaign, the 1968 Mau Than Spring Offensive, and the Battle of Quang Tri Citadel in the summer of 1972.
The book "Letter to You" was released by Nha Nam on March 25. Image: Phương Linh
In the foreword, author Hoang Nam Tien wrote: "I want to tell the story of my parents - a love story that spans two centuries, full of affection and love and associated with great historical milestones of the people. clan. I want to save everything that belongs to them."
Mr. Hoang Nam Tien remembers the moment his father passed away, his mother told him to put in the coffin the letters and diaries between the two of them. However, Mr. Tien kept a box of documents, which contained more than 400 letters, and read them slowly over the years. As the papers gradually faded with time, the author asked his staff to type them up and then take them with him to ponder on business trips. "Each letter is like soft strings tying together a strong 50-year love affair, over time, slowly being opened," Mr. Tien said.
Author Hoang Nam Tien reads an excerpt from the book "Letter to You". Video: Characters provided
Through the messages sent to his wife, the major general appears to be a passionate and romantic person in love. He is the one who takes the initiative in the love affair with Ms. An Vinh. As his feelings grew, with the support of his family, he quickly wrote to his family to have an important conversation. Before participating in the Upper Laos campaign, the major general asked for leave to organize an engagement ceremony, even though he was only allowed to stay one night.
After the Dien Bien Phu victory, he cycled 1.300 km back to Nghe An, to Thai Nguyen and Lang Son to find and ask "Miss Vinh" to marry him. When she said she wanted to focus on work and temporarily put aside having children, he understood and respected. Nearly two months after the engagement ceremony in March 3, they shared their first kiss. Four years after their wedding, the two welcomed their first daughter.
In his letters, he always proactively expressed his feelings with sweet words, calling him "Vinh's brother", "Vinh's husband", "Vinh's husband". Sometimes, the major general shows skill in giving advice to his wife to show him more love. Originally a discreet person, but over time, Mrs. An Vinh gradually changed and wrote letters to him diligently.
According to author Hoang Nam Tien, during the four years that Major General Hoang Dan went to the Soviet Union for advanced military studies, his parents did not wait for each other's responses but took turns writing, on average sending one letter every week, sometimes two pictures a week. In addition to expressing their feelings and longings, they update their children's lives and situations, share their views on love, even being angry with each other and making peace through letters.
Amidst the smoke of war and the separation of not knowing the day of reunion, the love of Major General Hoang Dan and his wife is touching. After the confessions, readers partly see wartime life and the feelings behind the scenes.
Wedding photo of Mr. Hoang Dan and Ms. An Vinh. Image: Family provided
In the letter, Mr. Hoang Dan rarely mentioned the fierceness of the battlefield but always showed his willingness to work hard for the country. The letter he sent to his wife on November 15, 11 while in the Soviet Union mentioned his children: "I look at their future lives and I am even happier because after all, I see that the people who truly live happily are our children. ta. As for you, you exchanged your vibrant youth to contribute to the Fatherland, to the years of war."
Understanding that her husband misses his wife and children, in each letter, Mrs. An Vinh often updates him on how the children have grown and how their health is. She constantly mentioned that her children wanted their father to return, somehow giving him more motivation to fight: "The older An gets, the more he resembles me...", "Baby Hong doesn't know anything yet, and he also doesn't know who his father is." chief. It's thin and weak, but very good", "Brother, if you lived with our two children, you would see our love deeper, not a day goes by that I don't think of you...".
Witnessing the marriage of his father, Mr Hoang Nam Tien said he never stopped admiring them: "In my heart, no love can be more beautiful than the love of my parents, no affection can be greater than my father's affection for my mother. No tolerance can be greater than the tolerance a mother has for her father."
In the book, the author said that even at his age, if Mrs. An Vinh had a stomachache or craved something to eat, regardless of night or cold weather, Mr. Hoang Dan was willing to buy painkillers or her favorite food. His children and grandchildren repeatedly stopped him because they were worried about the major general's health, but he often did not listen and always complied with his wife's every request. So when the major general suddenly passed away in 2003, Ms. Vinh was so sad that she became seriously ill, and it took some time to calm down. 19 years later, she also "returned" to him.
Major General Hoang Dan was born in 1928 into a family of famous generals in Nghe An, is the 21st generation descendant of Hoang Ta Thon, a general of the Tran Dynasty, once awarded the title of Sat Hai Dai Vuong. He was a commander who participated in the resistance war against the French and the Americans.
In 2010, the People's Army Publishing House launched the booklet From Ben Hai River to Independence Palace with his vivid battlefield memories. In the introduction, former General Secretary Le Kha Phieu commented on Major General Hoang Dan: "A man who spent almost all his life and career in the military field, he directly commanded the war." fought on the battlefields from the years of resistance against the French to the resistance against the US in many different positions. Most of the battles were highly effective and completed the mission excellently."
Hoang Nam Tien, 55 years old, is a business administrator, a technology worker, and a teacher. He currently holds the position of vice chairman of the School Council - FPT University.
Phương Linh
