Moved and proud of the memoir "Dien Bien Phu in the air - an epic under the fiery sky"

From the memories of the heroic years of the strategic battle "Dien Bien Phu in the air" in December 1972, Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Dinh The Van - the commander of the famous Battalion 77 - has just released his memoir "Dien Bien Phu in the air - An epic under the fiery sky".

The memoir " Dien Bien Phu in the Air - An epic under the fiery sky" was solemnly introduced.

From an artillery soldier in 1954 in the Dien Bien Phu campaign to the commander of Battalion 77 that shot down a B-52 in the sky of Hanoi in 1972, Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Dinh The Van has gone through two brilliant milestones of the nation - two "Dien Bien"s of a lifetime.

He was born and raised in Dao Thuc village (Dong Anh, Hanoi), a land famous for water puppetry. Dinh The Van joined the army when he was still a teenager, joining the 268th Youth Volunteer Force, specializing in laying mines to clear roads for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Over time, the soldier became the commander of Battalion 77 - the unit that achieved a resounding victory in the "Dien Bien Phu in the Air" campaign in December 1972.

Battalion 77, commanded by Battalion Commander Dinh The Van, achieved a resounding victory, shooting down 4 B-52 aircraft, 3 of which crashed on the spot, becoming a legend of the Chem Battlefield, contributing with the army and people of the Capital to create a resounding victory. With its outstanding achievements, Battalion 77 was awarded the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces and Battalion Commander Dinh The Van was awarded the First Class Military Exploit Medal.

Later, Colonel Dinh The Van continued to hold many important positions in the Air Defense - Air Force: Chief of Staff of Regiment 257; Head of Campaign Training. Returning to his hometown of Dao Thuc, he quietly built a stage, restoring the traditional water puppetry that his father had preserved. The former commander of "Fire Dragon" has now become a cultural instigator for his homeland.

More than 50 years have passed, but every time he recalls historical memories, his eyes still fill with tears: "At that time, we only had faith, will and patriotism. No one thought of themselves as heroes. But it was faith that helped us." In his memoir "Dien Bien Phu in the Air - An Epic Under the Fiery Sky", Colonel Dinh The Van wrote simply but profoundly: "I did not shoot out of hatred. I shot to keep the sky so that future generations could live in peace."

From that spirit, the entire memoir is told in the voice of the person involved, both authentic and imbued with human values. The book has a capacity of more than 200 pages, structured in chronological order, recreating the author's journey from a young soldier of Dien Bien Phu to a missile commander in the middle of Hanoi.

Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Dinh The Van talks about his memoirs.

Readers will feel the portrait of Vietnamese soldiers from their youth going to war, the arduous training days, the nights on duty in the noisy waves, until the moment of facing B-52s in the sky of the Capital. The author chose a simple way of telling stories, closely connected to human life.

Along with the pages about the battle, there are emotional reminiscences about comrades - those who lay down in the fiery night, the hands holding each other before the battle, the quiet moments when Hanoi returned to peace.

Each simple story, everyday details such as a cup of hot tea during a night on duty or the sound of the loudspeaker when our bullets hit the target... are all told in a natural voice, making war appear alongside the picture of fire and smoke with profound, profound human feelings.

What makes the book special is the reflection of the scientific thinking and creative spirit of Vietnamese soldiers. While the US Air Force was confident in electronic interference technology that disoriented Vietnamese missiles, with combat experience and keen observation, Colonel Dinh The Van and his teammates found a solution to "overcome half an angle", adjusting the launch angle to overcome the interference zone. It was that creativity that helped our soldiers maximize the effectiveness of their weapons, shooting down the seemingly invincible "flying fortress".

Colonel Dinh The Van devoted much of his heart to Vietnamese culture and history.

The author recalls the victory in collective strength. He emphasizes that it was the victory of all the brothers on the battlefield, of the rear that always followed and supported: "We understand that behind us is an entire nation," he said.

From a battlefield commander, he became a folk culture restorer. He revived his hometown water puppet troupe, created the play "Hanoi defeated B-52", and recreated the memories of 12 days and nights through the language of puppetry. From an artillery soldier, missile commander to stage artist, his journey brought about the emotional connection between culture and history, between war and peace. In the midst of fire and smoke, he fought with intelligence; in the midst of peace, he told stories through culture so that future generations would appreciate the value of peace.

"Dien Bien Phu in the Air - An Epic Under the Fiery Sky" with its truthful, simple but moving pages shows that besides mechanical strength, victory is also fueled by spiritual strength, including faith and compassion. Small people like Dinh The Van - a 38kg teenager when he joined the army - contributed to the great victory, because in them there was an unshakable faith.

Colonel Dinh The Van's memoirs achieve a balance between documentary and personal emotions. With a calm, warm tone, he tells the story with the truth, through the eyes of someone who has gone through fire and smoke but never lost faith in people and in the country.

Colonel Dinh The Van recreated heroic and emotional historical memories.

Sharing about this special work, a representative of Waka E-Book Joint Stock Company said: The unit is very proud to be a companion in publishing this memoir because it is a true story of a soldier, and also an epic of the Vietnamese spirit in the most tragic historical moment. Through each page of the book, readers will be able to step into historical battlefields, feel the soldier's heart still beating in the midst of fire and understand that today's peace has been exchanged for the blood, bones and tears of the entire nation. Waka believes that the book will become a valuable document for the young generation, contributing to preserving memories and arousing patriotism and the will to rise up.

"Dien Bien Phu in the Air - An Epic Under the Fiery Sky" has gone beyond the limits of a memoir about war to become a book about the simple, resilient, kind and creative Vietnamese people. The book is published by Waka E-Book Joint Stock Company in collaboration with The Gioi Publishing House, 224 pages, 13x19cm in size.

THUY PHUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xuc-dong-tu-hao-ve-hoi-ky-dien-bien-phu-tren-khong-ban-anh-hung-ca-duoi-troi-ruc-lua-post921294.html