War invalid Tran Ngoc Doanh has a deep affection for his comrades.

Regardless of the difficulties and hardships, over the past 50 years, he has made thousands of trips to old battlefields, directly searching for and collecting more than 100 martyrs' remains to bury them in martyrs' cemeteries in his hometown. He is veteran and war invalid Tran Ngoc Doanh, currently occurring in Hai Van ward (Da Nang city).

Once upon a time on the fierce battlefield

On a weekend afternoon, in a simple level 4 house on Nguyen Phuoc Chu Street (Hai Van Ward), veteran and war invalid Tran Ngoc Doanh told me about his memories of a time on the fierce but also very proud battlefield. The story and memories of the old soldier who left a part of his blood and bones on the brought battlefield him back to the unforgettable heroic years nearly 60 years ago.

Born and raised in a family with a revolutionary tradition in Dong Nam commune, Dong Son district (now Dong Quang ward), Thanh Hoa province. In February 1968, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, young Tran Ngoc Doanh enlisted in the special forces training school. After the training course, Tran Ngoc Doanh was mobilized and reinforced to fight in the battlefield of Zone 5, in turn in the following units: Special Forces Company 31 (Military Zone 5), Water Special Forces Battalion 471 (Front 44 Quang-Da), Command 559.

Veteran and war invalid Tran Ngoc Doanh researches information about martyrs from letters sent by families across the country.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, Tran Ngoc Doanh and his comrades participated in many battles, but for him, the battle against the US outpost in A Vuong, Tay Giang district, Quang Nam province on August 16, 1970 left many memories. "In the battle at A Vuong, I was a squad leader of the 31st Special Forces Company. During the battle, comrade Le Van Son (B40 gunner) and I were thrown into the stream by the pressure of enemy bombs. After 10-15 minutes of waking up, although our faces and bodies were scratched, we still tried to return to the unit's fighting formation. We won this battle. The unit had no casualties," veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh said.

After the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, from 1976 to 1980, Tran Ngoc Doanh was assigned to several units under the Truong Son Command to carry out the task of sweeping away the remnants of the enemy in the border area of ​​the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. During this time, Tran Ngoc Doanh was injured three times, the most serious of which was in Attapeu (Laos). Mr. Doanh recalls: "When I and my teammates were sweeping away the remnants of the enemy in March 1979, I was hit by their claymore mine and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found my whole body bandaged in white. Only then did I realize that I was injured and was taken to a hospital in Laos for emergency treatment."

In 1982, Tran Ngoc Doanh changed his career to work at Da Nang Railway Materials Company, Vietnam Railways General Department until his retirement in 2005.

After retirement, veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh actively participated in social work and continued to search for the remains of his comrades. He held many positions in local organizations and unions. In every position, he was enthusiastic, proactive, caring for and helping the poor, actively propagating and mobilizing people to participate in environmental protection activities, practicing a cultural and civilized urban lifestyle...

Keep your promise to your teammates

- When did you start looking for your comrades' remains?-I asked him.

Before I could answer my question, the phone rang. After listening, he told me: “In addition to the phone calls, I have received nearly 1,400 letters from families from all over the provinces and cities sending information asking for help finding the graves of martyrs.”

Then his voice choked up, his eyes filled with tears: “On May 15, 1970, when the unit came to strengthen and fight against the sweep at a warehouse cluster in the South of Military Region 5, the enemy had already retreated. Comrade Luu Thanh Hai (warehouse keeper) before closing his eyes said: “I probably won't be alive anymore. When peace comes, remember to return home and tell my family.”

Keeping his promise to his comrades, in 1978, Tran Ngoc Doanh searched for, collected, and brought the remains of martyr Luu Thanh Hai back to the Martyrs' Cemetery in Chu Pong District, Gia Lai Province for burial. At the same time, he went to Tam Di Commune, Luc Nam District, Bac Giang Province to inform and support the family in carrying out the procedures to bring the remains of martyr Luu Thanh Hai back to the martyrs' cemetery in his hometown.

After that, every year, Mr. Tran Ngoc Doanh made trips to search for the remains of his comrades. There were years when his agency granted him leave, he did not return home to visit his family (at that time, his wife and children were still living in Thanh Hoa) but spent time searching for his comrades. At first, he personally searched at the request of the family. Later, many units invited him to join in searching for and collecting the remains of martyrs not only in the battlefields of Military Region 5 but also in Laos and Cambodia.

After nearly 50 years, each trip is an unforgettable memory for veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh. There are martyrs, he only needs to go once to find their graves, but there are cases where he has to go many times. Among them, the most memorable is the trip to find the grave of martyr Ngo Xuan Thu (Hai Van Engineering Battalion) when he had to go 11 times to find this martyr's grave.

In November 1971, comrade Ngo Xuan Thu was assigned to participate in attacking an enemy train in Hoi Mit, Lang Co, Thua Thien-Hue. Being exposed, Ngo Xuan Thu hugged a block of explosives weighing more than 7kg and rushed into the train and heroically sacrificed herself. In 1976, martyr Ngo Xuan Thu was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State. In Da Nang City, the street named after martyr Ngo Xuan Thu is located in Hai Van ward.

Through sources, veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh and the Hai Van Engineer Battalion Veterans Liaison Committee have repeatedly visited the area where the battle took place to search for the remains of martyr Ngo Xuan Thu but have not found any results. Undaunted, he persisted, continued to ask questions, and connected information. In March 2016, Mr. Doanh was accidentally told by a local named Tu (from Quang Nam, appearing in Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue) that he had been a soldier and was assigned to manage the railway section where comrade Ngo Xuan Thu sacrificed his life. It was Mr. Tu who mobilized people to bury comrade Ngo Xuan Thu's body. After determining the burial location, veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh coordinated with the Hai Van Engineer Battalion Veterans Liaison Committee and the Phu Loc District Veterans Association to contact the family, organize the exhumation, and bring the remains of the martyr back to his hometown in Nguyen Uy commune, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province for burial.

Talking about the journey to find comrades, veteran and invalid war Tran Ngoc Doanh shared: "The war is long gone, for us, being alive is very lucky. The memories of our fallen comrades are always in our hearts. Many people fell in the deep forests and mountains, never returning to their families and homeland. Therefore, participating in the search for comrades is not only a responsibility and obligation but also a deep gratitude to those who sacrificed for the Fatherland. I hope that today's young generation will not forget the past and continue this cause." work."

With outstanding achievements in providing information, searching and collecting martyrs' remains, in 2021, veteran Tran Ngoc Doanh was awarded a certificate of merit by the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Association for the period 2013-2020; the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs awarded a certificate of merit; the Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City awarded a certificate of merit to veteran members for their outstanding achievements in implementing Directive 05 of the Politburo for the period 2016-2021. In 2022, party member Tran Ngoc Doanh was awarded a 50-year Party membership badge by the Central Executive Committee of the Party.

Article and photos: NGUYEN VAN CHUNG

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-16/thuong-binh-tran-ngoc-doanh-nang-long-voi-dong-doi-835803