Tragic massacre that killed 27 people at Heaven's Gate

(Baonghean.vn) - Mr. Le Van Toan has kept the tombstone map of his comrades for the past 53 years. It is the only souvenir left after the attack by Chau Pha bandits in 1964.

Muong Long today. Photo: Nguyen Book

The house of Mr. Le Van Toan, one of the workers of the attacked nursery, is located in a small alley in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district. The entrance to the house reminds people of the dark alleys in narrow urban areas.

A keepsake that the 77-year-old man has kept for more than half a century is a yellowed piece of paper recording a diagram of the graves of his comrades who died in the bandit raid in Muong Long in 1964.

The map shows the locations of 27 graves that he drew himself after burying his comrades. The notorious bandits operated in Muong Long, Huoi Tu (Ky Son district) from 1962 to 1966. The leader was the Mong bandit general Gia Xia Sua, who called himself Chau Pha (king of heaven).

Mr. Le Van Toan, one of the workers participating in the anti-bandit raid in 1964. Photo: Huu Vi

Mr. Toan was born in My Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An). His parents died early, he had a younger sister, then his younger sister, his only relative, also died. To forget his sadness, he wandered to the mountains.

In 1962, Nghe An Department of Agriculture established a tree nursery in Muong Long commune (Ky Son district). He registered to join despite knowing that the land where the unit was stationed was a dangerous place. Bandits could take his life at any time.

But for him, having a place to work, where his brothers and sisters are as close as family, is worth it for a young man in his early 20s like him to devote himself to. The farm is headed by Mr. Nguyen Huu Cuong, from Thanh Phong (Thanh Chuong) and a man named Cung is the deputy farm manager. They are all officers of the provincial Department of Agriculture who come to help manage the nursery.

“According to the province’s decision, at that time, the camp had the task of producing and protecting the border. The camp incubated cabbage and kohlrabi seeds. According to research, there are only 3 places in the country that can incubate the seeds of those 2 vegetables, including Muong Long” - Mr. Le Van Toan said clearly, word by word.

During the war, the camp also had its own militia. The whole team had a Xteng gun. This was an old weapon that would burn out after just a few shots. Three K44s were added to the militia. Each gun had 20 bullets. Mr. Toan was given a K44. That was what helped him repel the bandits.

The map recording the locations of the graves of the fallen soldiers has been kept by Mr. Toan for more than half a century. Photo: Ho Phuong

“The camp had been in operation for a year and a half when the attack happened. That night has been imprinted in my mind for the rest of my life. In just one night, I lost 27 comrades, 20 of whom were nursery workers. The remaining 7 were soldiers, laborers and medical staff,” the old man continued.

At that time, no one thought that the bandits were so cruel. They seemed to be well-trained. With just the first round of bullets, the guard that day was sacrificed. After that round of bullets, the entire nursery was hit by bullets like chaff. A large number of brothers jumped into the drainage ditch to avoid bullets but were hit by grenades thrown by the bandits. "A large number of workers sacrificed themselves because of grenade fragments" - Mr. Toan said, wiping away tears.

According to Mr. Xong Ga Vu, former Party Secretary and Chairman of Muong Long Commune People's Committee, at the time of the attack, Mr. Toan managed to grab a K44 gun and hide in the unit's cooking stove. Next to him was a large rock that helped block the bullets. He was also hit by two bullets. One bullet grazed his ribs, leaving a scratch on his flesh, and the other hit the soft tissue of his thigh. When the gunfire stopped, he bandaged his wound and waited for dawn.

Although nearly a hundred years old, Mr. Xong Ga Vu still remembers every detail of the event. Photo: Ho Phuong

At about 8:00 a.m. on June 24, 1964, after another series of attacks, the bandits were about to invade and occupy the unit when he discovered the appearance of the bandit general. "I took him down with one shot," Mr. Toan continued his story.

The general fell, causing the bandits to lose their fighting spirit. They gradually retreated and were then driven out of the area by local troops and district police. For the next two years, local military forces intensified their suppression. By 1966, the situation had stabilized again. The nursery continued its mission until 2015, when it was transferred to TH Milk Joint Stock Company.

The workers' martyr cemetery in Muong Long commune, Ky Son district, was built in 2012 nearly 50 years after the attack that killed 27 people. Photo: Huu Vi

For some reason, decades later, people seemed to forget the great pain caused by the raid. It was not until 2006 that the local government began to investigate and the soldiers who died in the battle on April 26, 1964 were posthumously awarded the title of martyrs. In 2012, the Workers' Martyrs' Cemetery was built. When the cemetery was built, some of the remains of the martyrs, mainly from Nam Dan, were moved back to their hometowns by their relatives. Now there are only 13 graves left in the cemetery.

Tombstone of a martyr at the cemetery. Photo: Huu Vi

With his failing eyesight, Mr. Le Van Toan needed the help of his reading glasses and his grandchild's study lamp to clearly see the location of each grave on the map. The map was hastily written, with only names and hometowns, only a few people had their last names written, such as Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan, Nguyen Thi Nhung, Tu Thi Hien, Nguyen Thi Hao, Nguyen Van Sam. Among them, Mr. Sam and Mrs. Hao were a married couple who were murdered in the ambush. Mr. Bang Duc Tu was a soldier from Nam Son (Do Luong)... In addition, there were names such as: Mr. Dao, Mr. Chau, Ms. Chau, Ms. Nhi, Ms. Nghe... recorded somewhat hastily. But when talking about them, Mr. Toan clearly remembered each face's hometown. "Ms. Nhi and Ms. Nghe were medical staff. They were all very young, none of them were married..." - Mr. Toan recalled.

Mr. Toan probably did not think that his notes would one day be so useful. They helped the families of martyrs find their fallen relatives and assisted the government in establishing records to posthumously award martyr status to the 27 people who died in the attack./.

Huu Vi - Ho Phuong