Touching meeting of teachers going to B, inner city teachers

(NLDO) - Emotional hugs after many years of reunion, white hair, unsteady legs but still clearly remembering the memories of a fiery time...

Towards the 42nd anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, on November 11, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City organized a meeting of teachers from B and inner-city teachers to recall the memories of a difficult time, dedicating themselves to the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country.

Touching story of crossing Truong Son mountain range to save the country

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that during the struggle to liberate the South and unify the country, tens of thousands of teachers and students from the North followed the sacred call of the Fatherland and went to the South to fight, together with teachers in the South to build the foundation for the revolutionary education cause.

Despite the war, temporary schools and classrooms built from trees and leaves still stood. Day and night, the sound of children learning to read and write still echoed, challenging the enemy's bombs and bullets. Teachers were also soldiers, overcoming difficulties to spread knowledge... Despite the harsh conditions of war, the countless dangers of bombs and bullets, commandos, and the day and night sweeps of the enemy and their henchmen, revolutionary education still developed, nurturing many generations.

Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, expressed gratitude to teachers at the meeting.

After the victory of April 30, 1975, some of the teachers who went to B returned to their hometowns, some stayed and worked in Ho Chi Minh City, the city's education and training sector, continuing their career of educating people... Regardless of their positions, the teachers and soldiers are always dedicated and devoted to building the city and the country, developing education, and nurturing the talents of generations of students.

"Let me, on behalf of generations of teachers who grew up after the liberation of the South on April 30, 1975, and on behalf of the city's Department of Education and Training, express my gratitude to the teachers who crossed Truong Son to come to the South and the patriotic teachers in the inner city who worked in enemy territory. Not only did they build the educational movement and fight to protect their schools, they also contributed their efforts to write a glorious history in the fight against the US to save the country and unify the country..." - Mr. Hieu expressed.

As a living witness of the generation of teachers who went to B, Mr. Trinh Hong Son (now 90 years old) still remembers clearly the difficult years. Mr. Son recalls: "Our group went to B in 1964, this was the largest group going to B. On December 22, 1964, we held a departure ceremony. Here, we were very honored to have comrade Le Duan visit us. Comrade Le Duan told us to march very quickly. Therefore, it only took us more than 2 months to reach the battlefield."

Touching stories of reunion

Teacher Tran Thi Vinh (right cover) with her friend at the meeting of teachers going to B, inner-city teachers

Mr. Son said that the B delegation had to overcome difficulties, hardships, and dangers lurking on every step of the way. Along the way, many people sacrificed themselves, but everyone was ready to overcome them to go to the South to fight. "We were able to cross Truong Son because at that time, our only thought was how to go to the South, liberate the South, and unify the country" - he was moved.

Ms. Ngo Ngoc Dung - an inner-city teacher - recalled: "Our inner-city group was a different kind of hardship. We had to live in the enemy's heart, operating in the Saigon - Gia Dinh area. We and the enemy were intertwined, how should we live? How to teach students, how to convey patriotism to students? Those were the things we were concerned about. To do that, in addition to our enthusiasm, we also had many difficulties. The environment, although not as harsh as those who went to B, was very dangerous, and it was easy to be captured and imprisoned by the enemy. However, at that time, we only had the same thoughts as the song lyrics: "If I were a bird, I would be a white dove, if I were a flower, I would be a sunflower, if I were a cloud, I would be a white cloud, if I were a person, I would die for my homeland"...

Deep gratitude to those who lived through a time of turmoil

Speaking at the meeting, Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai expressed his respect and deep gratitude to those who lived a time of turmoil, devoted their beautiful youth to the cause of fighting for independence and national reunification and devoted their lives to the noble cause of educating people.

Standing Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee expressed gratitude to teachers at the meeting

According to Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai, when mentioning the phrase "Teachers go to B" or "Inner-city teachers", many people do not understand, especially young people, but it was actually a time full of sacrifice, hardship and glory. The subjects going to B were initially the armed forces, but after the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was established (December 1960) and the revolutionary movement moved to a new stage, the subjects going to B were expanded. From engineers, doctors to teachers, artists, reporters... were all mobilized to fight and work in the South. Going to B was completely secret, managed by the Central Unification Committee. Cadres going to B had to send back their belongings, records, souvenirs and all their CVs, cadre cards, Party cards, Youth Union cards, family photos, and diaries.

During the period 1961 - 1973, there were 10 B trips with more than 2,700 teachers leaving the podiums of high schools and universities in Hanoi and the provinces and cities in the North to cross Truong Son to the South. Assigned to important battlefields, from the Central - Central Highlands to the East - Southwest, they became "teachers with guns".

Many of the teachers at that time were still very young, teaching, participating in building the liberation education in the war zones and base areas, while increasing production and directly fighting with guns. They often faced B52 carpet bombing, toxic chemicals and fierce enemy sweeps with countless difficulties and unpredictable dangers. Many heroically sacrificed or left part of their bodies on the battlefield in the South. Some teachers even fell right before the historic moment of April 30, 1975.

Representatives of the HCM City People's Committee Office, leaders of the HCM City Department of Education and Training... and teachers going to B, teachers in the inner city

The "Inner-city teachers" were not people who fought with guns, but teachers who worked quietly in the cities of the South. This was a force that contributed significantly to the dissemination of revolutionary ideology, the encouragement of patriotism and the struggle to protect national culture in the heart of the enemy, and a part of them participated in the development of liberation education in the bases and the enemy's rear. The lectures of inner-city teachers aroused patriotism and pride in the history and traditions of the nation.

Most of the struggles of the people, students, and pupils in Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh had the active participation of teachers in the inner city. Many were discovered by the enemy, severely terrorized, forced to change their names, live under many different covers to persevere in their activities and continue teaching. Many were captured and imprisoned by the enemy but still maintained the integrity of revolutionary intellectuals, never wavering.

After the war ended, teachers returned to normal life, continued to contribute to the cause of education, and continuously imparted valuable knowledge and experience to the younger generation... No matter what field they worked in, teachers always carried within them the spirit of sacrifice and extraordinary determination of the arduous but heroic resistance period...

Today's meeting includes teachers who are over 90 years old, most are around 80, only a few are around 70 years old - also a rare generation. All share the love for the Fatherland, the desire for peace, national unity and dedication to the noble cause of educating people. They are shining examples of the qualities of revolutionary teachers, contributing to the glorious history of the country's education.

Since the liberation day, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Ho Chi Minh City have tried their best to show gratitude to the outstanding people from all over the country who sacrificed their blood and left a part of their body on this land, contributing to writing the immortal epic of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City, including teachers who went to B and teachers working in the inner city. However, in reality, there are still some unresolved issues; the city will take note and thoroughly resolve them in the coming time.

According to Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai, the traditional meeting of teachers from B and teachers in the inner city is even more meaningful when there are only 5 months left until the whole country celebrates the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Over the past half century, the country in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular have changed day by day; the people have enjoyed many good results that independence and freedom have brought. To achieve these things, the contributions of effort and blood of previous generations will never be forgotten.

"We, the next generation, are always grateful and appreciate what our teachers have done for the country. The valuable lessons about the will, determination, dedication and enthusiasm of our teachers have been and are the driving force that helps us overcome all difficulties and challenges in life and work. We always remember and promise to do our best to join the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army to build Ho Chi Minh City to be more civilized, modern and humane" - Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai emphasized.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/xuc-dong-cuoc-gap-mat-cua-nhung-nha-giao-di-b-nha-giao-noi-do-196241111163744042.htm