Comradeship and camaraderie
Recalling the arduous years on the battlefield, sharing joys and sorrows, and facing life-or-death situations amidst enemy bullets, they found solace in each other and came together in a shared home called the Thai Binh Truong Son Women Soldiers Association. Established in October 2014 by a decision of the Central Association of Truong Son- Ho Chi Minh Trail Traditions of Vietnam, the Association has now gathered more than 3,600 members. Despite many difficulties and hardships in life, they always uphold the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers - Truong Son soldiers, setting a high example of the courage, loyalty, and resourcefulness of the women from the five-ton rice-producing region.
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| Activities expressing gratitude and appreciation to fellow soldiers are regularly organized by the Thai Binh Truong Son Women's Veterans Association. |
We had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Pham Thi My, from Tran Hung Dao ward ( Hung Yen province) - one of the veterans who fought on the legendary Truong Son Trail. In 1973, she volunteered to join the army, serving in Company 14, Regiment 542, participating in road construction and ensuring transportation on the Truong Son strategic logistics supply line. Despite the numerous hardships, she and many other women in the unit encouraged each other to overcome obstacles and complete their mission. Upon returning to civilian life, she joined Ms. Tran Thi Khanh Vuong, Ms. Ta Thi Hanh, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, Ms. Vu Thi Vy, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, Ms. Do Thi Mien... becoming key figures connecting, enthusiastically participating in activities, and developing the Truong Son Women Soldiers Association of Thai Binh. As the President of the Association, she, along with the Executive Committee, actively participated in the activities of the Truong Son Women Soldiers Association, doing good work in providing assistance to members who were sick or in difficult circumstances. Since 2020 alone, the Thai Binh Truong Son Women's Veterans Association has awarded 25 savings accounts worth 75 million VND to members suffering from illnesses and serious diseases. In addition, the Association, in coordination with local authorities and families, has searched for and brought the remains of 5 fallen soldiers back to their hometown cemeteries. Every year during the Lunar New Year, the Association organizes visits and distributes thousands of gifts to disadvantaged members. With the support of the government and philanthropists, the Association has built and renovated nearly 30 houses of compassion for members who are elderly, lonely, or facing housing difficulties.
Improving spiritual well-being
Besides focusing on the material well-being of its members, the Association also has many meaningful activities and programs that contribute to improving their spiritual lives. Most recently, it organized a campaign to encourage the writing of poems, essays, short stories, etc., about female soldiers of the Truong Son Mountains in general and their homeland in particular during the resistance war against the US and in the current national construction efforts. The campaign received a strong response from many members. After a period of campaigning, the Executive Committee of the Association selected high-quality works, directed their editing, and published them in a book titled "Female Soldiers of the Truong Son Mountains in Thai Binh: Proud and Shining," published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House in September 2025.
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| The book "Female Soldiers of Truong Son, Thai Binh: Proud and Shining" will be published in September 2025. |
Reading nearly 400 pages of books, a collection of 138 poems, short stories, memoirs, etc., by 66 authors, we were amazed. Each work is a story that encapsulates the beauty of the soul and character of Vietnamese women. These include stories of female soldiers and youth volunteers performing medical duties, driving, carrying the wounded, transporting ammunition, and building roads to ensure traffic flow – all depicted in works such as: "My Girl from Truong Son" (Nguyen Huu Ban), "My Day on the Truong Son Peak" (Than Duc Chinh), "The Female Engineer of Truong Son" (Quach Duc Boi), "Memories of a Soldier's Time" (Nguyen Thi Lan), "My Story at Sixteen" (Nguyen Thi Phuong)... There are also stories of dedicated female soldiers who cared for their comrades, always striving to overcome difficulties and hardships, performing their work with dedication and responsibility, as portrayed in works like: "Female Soldiers Who Care for the Troops" (To Thi Van); "The Eyes of Female Comrades" (Le Tran Bach). During the resistance war, through concrete actions, these women contributed to the strength of Truong Son, and today they shine with noble affection for their comrades in "Reunion" (Ta Thi Hanh), "Comradeship" (Bui Thi Ha), "Visiting a Friend in A Luoi" (Pham Thi My)...
Closing this book, we still feel a longing for more, captivated by the simple yet emotionally rich poems, or the fairytale-like love stories of the Trường Sơn soldiers that blossomed amidst the gunfire. If only the book were a little thicker so readers could continue to "enjoy" more meaningful memories from a not-so-distant past. Surely, many more memories and stories remain in their hearts, stories they haven't been able to write down. The Trường Sơn female soldiers from Thái Bình have every right to be proud of the most beautiful years of their youth they dedicated to the battlefield. The Trường Sơn mountains and forests have preserved for them that glorious and proud period of their lives. Today, despite their different circumstances, these former Trường Sơn female soldiers remain united, shining together in everyday life with kindness and compassion, contributing to the warmth of camaraderie and fellowship.
Text and photos: HUONG NAM
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/tu-hao-nu-chien-si-truong-son-thai-binh-850210
