Collection of memorabilia of Nghe An special forces soldier

Each souvenir is a part of a soldier's life.

Relatives of veteran Nguyen Cong Anh (born 1954) in Phuc Son commune (Anh Son) still remember clearly the day he returned from the army, carrying a heavy backpack on his back. When the backpack was opened, everyone was surprised because inside were hammocks, tulle curtains, lunch boxes, water bottles and snorkels, all of which were items associated with the daily life of a water special forces soldier.

Those objects have been carefully kept by him for decades, becoming precious souvenirs, cherished and respected by the owner, becoming a "memory museum" of the soldier's life who experienced the battlefield. He dedicated a cabinet to store thosebattlefield relics, only opened when comrades come to visit, children and grandchildren gather or when remembering the military years.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh enlisted in the army in early 1974, belonging to the 305th Division (Special Forces Command), trained in deep infiltration and infiltration into the main targets of ports, ships and enemy posts. In the battlefield, he was assigned to the 316th Brigade, operating in the Southeast region, especially the area adjacent to Saigon.

Nguyen Cong Anh's special forces unit was sent to the battlefield with the goal of training to gradually advance to the decisive battle in Saigon - Gia Dinh. After the liberation of the South (April 30, 1975), his unit continued to march to Cambodia to fight against the Khmer Rouge forces, helping the people escape the genocide of Pol Pot.

For Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh, each souvenir is associated with a part of the soldier's life, a memory that lasts a lifetime. The backpack is associated with marches and battles, almost an inseparable item for soldiers on the battlefield.

Hammocks and tulle curtains are associated with marches through the forests and sleep interrupted by distant gunfire. Lunch boxes and water bottles are associated with daily meals, both in barracks and in the smoky trenches.

In particular, the plastic snorkel is an essential tool for underwater commandos, used when diving into rivers, secretly approaching enemy ships, boats, ports or warehouses.

“Until now, I still consider those souvenirs as close friends and indispensable in my daily life. A few months ago, someone came to ask to buy some souvenirs to display in my home, but I refused because they are sacred memories,” Mr. Anh said.

Veteran Nguyen Cong Anh's collection of battlefield memorabilia also includes a parachute cloth, a compass and an album that were trophies of the day he and his unit attacked to liberate Saigon and took over Tan Son Nhat airport.Great Victory of Spring 1975During the 1975 Spring General Offensive, Nguyen Cong Anh was present in the formation of the Northwest army that entered to liberate Saigon.

At that time, the enemy surrendered, fled in disarray and left behind many things. He picked up the parachute cloth, the compass and the album as souvenirs of the glorious moment that not everyone could easily have. From then on, those souvenirs followed the soldier's footsteps on the marching routes and the life-or-death battles.

Letters from the battlefield

Along with the soldiers' belongings and spoils of war captured when taking over Tan Son Nhat airport, Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh also kept letters written on the march, between the two battles.

In a letter he wrote in Kampong Thom on October 22, 1979, he wrote: “Dear parents! Today is still one of the most difficult days on the Cambodian battlefield. My unit is continuing its mission to hunt down the remnants of the Pol Pot army. The situation is tense, but someone from the unit has returned to the country for work. I am taking the opportunity to write a few lines to visit the health of my parents and siblings, so that they don’t have to wait.”

The soldier expressed his feelings, in which there was a blend of patriotism and family love: “Thinking about my family, my parents and siblings, I couldn’t sleep many nights, tossing and turning on the hammock, thinking about how much I missed and loved my parents and siblings. But because of my revolutionary mission, I had to temporarily put aside my personal family feelings to work.”

With a letter written in 1980 to my sister, when the unit had moved to Ha Nam Ninh province: “Sister! I took advantage of the few days I returned home and didn’t expect to see my mother again. I thought my mother was still sick like the previous times I returned, the more I thought about her, the more I missed her. Growing up, I couldn’t help my family, especially when my mother was sick, I didn’t take care of her for a single day. When my mother passed away, I didn’t get to see her for the last time. I hope you will forgive me and sympathize with me. During that time, I couldn’t send letters home so my family didn’t know where the mailbox was to write to inform me...”.

On his return trip, veteran Nguyen Cong Anh also brought photos of his military days and his comrades kept in a trophy album, and all documents were kept intact.

“More than 13 years in the army, participated in 2warAs a soldier, I have faced death many times and witnessed my comrades fall in the trenches, so I always cherish what belongs to the soldier's life. Because only soldiers who directly hold guns can fully understand the fierceness of each war and the value of a peaceful life...", Mr. Anh confided.

In his house, he reserved the most solemn place to hang the “Glorious Family Board” of the family whose members joined the army to fight the Americans. The uniforms, medals and orders were also always cherished, carefully kept by the former soldier and worn on solemn occasions.

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The war is long gone, the soldiers of the past have entered old age, so I keep the souvenirs of the soldier's life so that my children and grandchildren can better understand the hardships, sacrifices, bravery and glorious achievements of their ancestors in the cause of protecting the Fatherland.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh