After years of searching, we finally got information about hero Tong Van Cho. When we reached Muong Cang commune (Than Uyen, Lai Chau ), the locals said: "He went to live in the forest since the Huoi Quang - Ban Chat hydropower plant started construction (January 2006)", and showed us how to get to the hill where he lived by the lake, by both motorbike taxi and motorboat, which took nearly 2 hours.
From the water's edge to the top of the hill, the boatman kept encouraging us: "Stay here" and called out. Ten minutes later, a square-faced man in Thai ethnic clothes came out: "Here. What are you asking?", and looked at us with wide eyes: "The superiors came to visit and encourage me, and they all called me to the commune. Only you dare to come all the way here."
Hold the key alone
Born on May 5, 1957, at the age of 17 (1974), young Tong Van Cho was called to join the army. But at that time, his family was poor, both his brothers Tong Van Son and Tong Van Kien had joined the army, so his family asked for a deferment, he stayed home to work and went into the forest to dig cassava to save his younger siblings from starvation. In mid-1976, seeing his older brothers insisting on going home, Tong Van Cho was upset: "Going to protect the Fatherland and the village, why is everyone afraid? You guys stay home to take care of your parents and younger siblings, let me go". He went to the commune and volunteered to join the army.
Hero Tong Van Cho, 1979
MTH
On September 2, 1976, new recruit Tong Van Cho enlisted in Regiment 254, Hoang Lien Son Provincial Local Army (now Lao Cai Provincial Military Command) stationed in Ban Lau Commune, Muong Khuong District, Lao Cai. Not knowing how to read or speak common language, so for several months as a new recruit, Tong Van Cho was trained through... interpreters. Because he was older than his teammates, and at home, he was used to all the hard work of going to the forest and climbing mountains, and he jumped in to help his brothers with any task, Tong Van Cho was sent to build the road from Ban Lau to Pha Long.
Rediscovering the Heroes: Memories of the Battle to Defend Pha Long Fort
In early 1978, Private First Class Tong Van Cho joined Company 6, Battalion 2, Regiment 254, stationed in Lang Ma (now Na Ma 1-2 hamlet, Ban Lau commune, Muong Khuong district) and was assigned to herd cattle, because he was "strong, used to the forest, and could easily find lost cattle"... At the end of 1978, the border situation began to become tense. There were continuous clashes over land, and Chinese soldiers even crossed the border into Vietnam to kidnap cadres and shoot provocatively at the troops. In early February 1979, Tong Van Cho was ordered to "hand over the task of herding cattle, go to the border to dig trenches and fortifications".
Mr. and Mrs. Tong Van Cho and Hoang Thi Lai
MTH
Working hard all day, Tong Van Cho was loved and trusted by the local ethnic people. Before February 17, 1979, the people of Na Loc village (Ban Lau commune, Muong Khuong district) ran to the unit to find him, reporting that the 4-man reconnaissance team was ambushed and shot dead by Chinese soldiers, and also told him: "There is going to be a big fight, find a way to go home". But Tong Van Cho shook his head: "It would be shameful for soldiers to desert. I will not go back". On January 28, 1979, Tong Van Cho went to high point 391 to consolidate the position, guard the Lang Ma area and protect Phong Hai farm behind. At dawn on February 17, 1979, the Chinese side simultaneously fired artillery at the Lao Cai border line. Private Tong Van Cho was on the last shift... "We deployed to fight back, but the enemy soldiers had already flooded half the hill. After fighting for about an hour, the outposts of Platoons 1 and 2 were lost. From 8:00 a.m. on February 17, 1979, the enemy, with artillery support, launched a massive attack in an attempt to capture Hill 391, opening the road from Muong Khuong town to Ban Phiet to carry out the intention of pulling back to Bao Yen and Yen Bai districts behind," Tong Van Cho recounted. Holding the outpost of Platoon 3, Tong Van Cho was shot down by the enemy and lost his fortifications, and he fainted. When he woke up, he saw the ground up to his neck. He used a bayonet to dig the ground, freed himself, and found his unit. On the morning of February 20, 1979, Company 6 had only 26 comrades left, deployed in the saddle hill area next to Phong Hai farm, each person 50 - 60 meters apart. Private First Class Tong Van Cho was assigned to be in charge of a rice field area nearly 100 meters long. Taking advantage of the nearby ravine, the enemy secretly crawled up to attack from the flank, but Tong Van Cho immediately discovered it and fought back the entire enemy company by himself, from dawn until noon.
Daily work of hero Tong Van Cho
MTH
Learning letters is harder than fighting
"Oh my gosh! I wasn't afraid of fighting, but after fighting I was so afraid!", Mr. Cho exclaimed in the middle of telling the story. The first time he was afraid was after March 6, 1979, when Chinese soldiers began to withdraw their troops, Private First Class Tong Van Cho had to return to the forward command post of the Hoang Lien Son Provincial Military Command located in a cave at Km 21, National Highway 4E (Pho Lu, Bao Thang District, Lao Cai ) to report on his combat achievements. "The experts asked me to reenact the fighting process, explaining it on a sand table. At that time, I was not fluent in Mandarin, so I had to talk with gestures. They didn't understand, so later they had to call the unit to send a younger brother who knew Mandarin to interpret", hero Tong Van Cho recalled, and laughed: "I told my superiors to let me go back to fight or clean up the battlefield. If they forced me to meet the experts, I would run back to my hometown. Hearing that, everyone laughed".
Smiling brightly when receiving souvenirs from Thanh Nien Newspaper
MTH
At the end of 1979, Private Tong Van Cho was able to return to Hanoi to report his achievements and meet President Ton Duc Thang. Before receiving the title of hero, he set a condition: "I will accept only if you do not make a speech in Mandarin." When he was taken on a tour of the Soviet Union and Cuba, he also set the same condition and wherever he went, he asked "Are there any Thai people in any nearby villages?", causing the interpreter to shake his head in disbelief.
Finding the heroes: 45 years of searching for her husband's grave
The second fear was… learning to read and write. Tong Van Cho was sent to the cultural school of the Hoang Lien Son Military Command (now separated into Lao Cai and Yen Bai), and was ordered to "read and write fluently within 8 days". For a week, the group of 5 teachers lived with the Thai soldier who was big and strong but not fluent in Mandarin, and was scared whenever he saw strangers. Every day, Mr. Cho only had 4 hours to eat, sleep, and take care of personal hygiene, the rest was studying and studying. From reading, writing to adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. "There were times when I wanted to run away, but the guards were very careful. Besides, I had to obey orders," Mr. Cho laughed. After receiving the title of hero, Tong Van Cho was promoted from private to second lieutenant and was ordered to study at the Military School of Military Region 2 for 3 consecutive years; each year he completed 3 classes. In early 1983, after finishing his 9th grade graduation exam, Lieutenant Cho put on his backpack and ran out of the school gate, begging: "Let me go to Vi Xuyen to fight."
Tobacco smoking corner of hero Tong Van Cho
Seeing Lieutenant Cho's determination to go to war, his superiors had to transfer him to the position of captain of the 819 Hoang Lien Son Regiment and in October 1984 to the Military Command of Than Uyen District (now Lai Chau Province) as a mobilization assistant and militiaman. In early 1993, due to not meeting the qualifications requirements and his family's difficulties, Captain Tong Van Cho asked to retire from military service. Returning to his locality, he became the Party cell secretary and head of Pom Bo village (Muong Cang Commune, Than Uyen District, Lai Chau) and in early 2006, he asked to retire from his duties and moved to the hill next to the hydroelectric lake, where he has lived until now. In 1985, hero Tong Van Cho married Mrs. Hoang Thi Lai (born in 1960) and had 4 children: Tong Van Quyet (1986), Tong Thi Thiet (1988), Tong Van Tum (1990), Tong Van Tuyen (1993). His children all stayed home to do farming . The youngest son Tong Van Tuyen invested in raising fish in cages in the lake in front of the hill where his parents lived.
Hero Hoang Van Khoai
Hoang Van Khoay was born in 1945, of the Nung ethnic group, from Thuy Hung commune, Thach An district, Cao Bang. When he was proclaimed a hero, he was a second lieutenant, deputy captain of Company 3, Cao Bang Provincial People's Armed Police (now Cao Bang Provincial Border Guard).
Hero Hoang Van Khoay as a major, deputy battalion commander
From 1969 to 1975, Hoang Van Khoay made many achievements in battles on the southern battlefield. As a war invalid, after the reunification day, he volunteered to join the People's Armed Police, directly participating in protecting the northern border of the Fatherland.
Hero Hoang Van Khoay (left) with generals and senior officers
On February 18, 1979, Hoang Van Khoay commanded a platoon to support the unit holding the Chong Mu post (in Dinh Phong commune, Trung Khanh district), breaking up the siege plan and disintegrating a small enemy base. On March 3, 1979, Hoang Van Khoay commanded the attached force to block the enemy's sweep into Thang Loi commune, Trung Khanh district...
Hero Hoang Van Khoay and his son Hoang Van Viet, 2017
After being awarded the title of hero, Hoang Van Khoay worked at the Border Guard Command of Cao Bang province, holding the rank of major - deputy commander of the mobile training battalion. In 1987, hero Hoang Van Khoay retired and returned to his wife's hometown in Phu Hoa commune, Luong Tai district, Bac Ninh. On April 8, 2021, hero Hoang Van Khoay passed away.
The area where boundary marker No. 108 (2) is located in Ban Lau, Muong Khuong, Lao Cai, 45 years ago was the site of fierce fighting in the fight to protect the northern border of the Fatherland.
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