Tens of thousands of martyrs still lie somewhere in the green forests and deep mountains. There are also those who sacrificed on friendly lands, engraved with a national love of selflessness to save friends is also a sacred duty.

I have been to Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery many times. The martyrs' graves are lined up next to each other according to the old province's location. The lines of words that have faded over time are still familiar to read. Young men in their 20s, from the countryside, went straight to the battlefield. Students put down their pens and went to fight. There were even people who folded up their overseas study notices and went to war. "The most beautiful life is on the front line against the enemy." Simplicity writes history. Simplicity is like sacrificing for the Fatherland is the reason to live.

Visiting heroic martyrs at Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery. Photo: qdnd.vn

I went to the cemetery at Dong Loc T-junction where 10 young female volunteers sacrificed their lives. Their names have been engraved in the minds of many generations. Their stories of life and love will be passed down forever. When the country is in trouble, no one can sit still. Youth dedicated to the country is eternal youth.

Cemeteries also stretch along the northern border. The heroes who stood firm on the rocks, sacrificed on the cliffs of Ha Giang . The steel wall stopped the enemy, keeping the border firm. A gentle, tolerant nation but never surrendered. Those who dreamed of invading, encroaching, and wanting to crush that nation must have also drawn profound lessons from history.

There are also cemeteries where many names of martyrs have not been identified. The martyrs cemetery in Dien Bien has a golden plaque recording the names of those who have fallen. My grandmother’s younger brother’s name is on it, but the cemetery does not have his grave. His grave in the hometown is just an empty grave, an illusion. Leaving at the age of 20 without any worries, that generation peacefully returned to the motherland like smoke and mist embracing the beloved land, mingling with the will to die for the Fatherland. But the pain and anguish of those who stayed behind will last forever.

Forever in this country, the mark of those who sacrificed for the Fatherland. Forever in the hearts of people, gratitude and respect. The peace of the Fatherland was exchanged for blood and sacrifice. Maintaining that peace today is still a challenge and hardship. Only by building a strong country can we hope to avoid war. The ambition to occupy land and enslave other peoples is still in the blood of greedy people. Bombs still explode, blood still flows in Ukraine, in the Middle East. The words of Czech journalist J. Fucik from nearly 100 years ago still echo: Be alert, humans!

We must grow up and stand firm on the land of sacrifice and hardship. To be worthy of our ancestors, we must build a strong and rich country. Our ancestors put down their spears and swords and took up the plow and hoe. The golden harvest comes from hard-working hands. The most prosperous dynasties are those that know how to care for their people; know how to be tolerant and united; know how to expand trade. Many dynasties have succeeded each other in expanding learning, considering knowledge as deep as the sea and as high as the mountains as the height of the nation; knowing how to "save grain for emergencies", taking the people as the deep and lasting roots...

Looking deeply into the past, looking towards the future, clearly understanding strengths and weaknesses to take steady steps. "Our country has never had such a foundation, potential and international position as today". But compared to developed countries, there is still a huge gap. Right next to us, not to mention Singapore and Malaysia which have developed before, now Indonesia and the Philippines are also making spectacular efforts to rise up. In the era of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, so much new potential is being exploited. If we do not seize the opportunity and are satisfied with what we have, the risk of falling further behind is real.

Therefore, the country is also witnessing unprecedented changes. 63 provinces and cities are now reduced to 34. More than 600 districts, towns, and cities belonging to provinces and cities no longer exist. A historic shift that General Secretary To Lam called "rearranging the country" is taking place at an unimaginably fast speed. The apparatus is streamlined so that the country can fly high into the new era. The highest measure is serving the people. Local government is at two levels, 4-5 communes are merged into one commune, and above that is the provincial level. Communes are given full authority to handle administrative procedures, provinces guide, supervise, and support in resolving difficult situations. Maximize coastal provinces and cities to realize the vision of reaching out to the sea. Gia Lai has Quy Nhon beach, Dak Lak has Tuy Hoa beach, and Lam Dong has both Da Lat of thousands of flowers and Mui Ne, generously developing tourism. Hai Phong now encompasses both Ninh Giang sticky rice cake and Thanh Ha lychee specialties. The metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City extends to Vung Tau oil rig and Binh Duong industrial zones. The largest city in the country now has two airports, Tan Son Nhat and Con Dao, spreading its wings for the dream of becoming a leading developed city in the region and Asia in the near future!

A change also has its struggles, but it is a struggle for development. There are cadres who still have years of service but voluntarily submit an early resignation, leaving their positions to younger people to take over, also to make the apparatus more streamlined. One of them laughed and said that he always thought he was important, experienced, and that the agency could not do without him. Was there a time when he was a burden to the organization without knowing it? Or at least because of the concept and structure of the apparatus, he thought that no one could replace him? There are departments and branches that are sluggish and heavy because the mechanism of the head cannot control the troops. If the specialist below "rejects" him, the boss has to accept it. Every step that is a little bit slow is the people and businesses that suffer. Now there is digital transformation, simplification of administrative procedures, everything is stored on the system. Who solves it and how, right and wrong are clear. This commune and that commune, my ward and your ward, why can they do it but I am stuck? Surely no communal or provincial leader can sleep well when the people's and the country's affairs are still facing difficulties because the awareness of the officials is not up to par or the machinery here or there is not yet smooth.

The revolution posed many problems, fundamentally solving even problems that had been pending for many years. It was as if each furrow was clear and coherent, seemingly unrelated but very synchronized and rhythmic.

I remember the poem of poet Che Lan Vien: "Even God is born from blood and flesh/ I give birth to this world, how can I avoid pain?" To achieve success, we must go through many hardships and challenges. To make the right decisions in life, we need consensus and common goals. The aspiration to bring the nation forward, this year's economy will grow by 8% or more, creating momentum for double-digit growth from next year. Do a good job of repaying gratitude. Complete the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses. Resolutely fight against counterfeit and fake goods, protect the rights and health of the people. Then exempt tuition fees for general education, preschool, universal education for children 3-5 years old. Aim for free hospital fees for all people. Propose a new strategy on investment in education, on caring for the race and people's health... We must surpass ourselves to have a bright and lasting future!

The troops who went to war in the past also had the same will for the nation's survival, for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. The effort of today's generation is to make the country strong, the people prosperous and happy. The whole country must unite, great unity will bring success. This "rearrangement of the country" is supported and responded by the people because it also aims at the goal of building a more decent and beautiful country as wished by many previous generations who did not hesitate to shed blood for the Fatherland!

DO CHI NGHIA

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/chinh-tri/tiep-lua-truyen-thong/tri-an-va-vung-buoc-838299