Celebrating National Day, September 2nd: Under the banner of our Fatherland

(Baonghean)These autumn days, flags flutter proudly everywhere in our country. Raising the flag on National Day, this simple yet solemn ceremony, has become deeply ingrained in the hearts of every Vietnamese citizen.

For over 70 years, the red flag with a yellow star has been chosen to "carry the soul" of the nation. That flag flew proudly atop General De Castries' bunker on that historic May afternoon when our army and people stormed Dien Bien Phu to liberate the country, ending the French colonial period. That flag blazed atop the Independence Palace at noon on the last day of April to tell the world that our nation was completely independent, our country reunited. The red flag flutters on the precarious rocky outcrops of Lung Cu, or at the southernmost tip of Ca Mau, on border markers, weathered by sun and wind on distant islands, or peacefully flying over every rooftop – how familiar, how sacred!



A feeling of emotion and pride under the fluttering national flag at milestone number zero - ApaChai - Dien Bien. Photo: internet.

Under the banner, countless armies marched to battle to protect the mountains and rivers, the land and water – the heritage of our ancestors. Few realize that the gentle mountains and rivers bear the scars of war. Even in legends, the songs of battle echo, sometimes heroic, sometimes tragic. There is My Chau with her goose feather mark, the Vong Phu turned to stone at the foot of the mountains and the end of the sea, the three-year-old boy who quickly grew into the young Phu Dong to drive out the invaders. Because the country "chose the front lines," it "accepted countless storms and tempests." Just like us, our love and anger are intertwined with the sweet potato vines and rice plants that diligently grow from the scorching sun and raging storms.

Under that flag, our homeland has been shaped. It reminds us of and gives us gratitude to those who pioneered the land, those who "went forth with swords to expand the territory," those who raised their chests to face the ocean winds so that we could have islands, both above and below the surface. Every grain of sand that has been deposited bears the imprint of our ancestors. For every drop of blood and bone on this land, the souls of our forefathers lie dormant in the depths, reflected in every wave. And so, our homeland is not far away; it is very close to us, like the cradle our mother rocks us in, the rustling bamboo groves, the salty scent of the sea, the spicy taste of ginger… So that if someone asks us one day about our patriotism, we will suddenly realize it has flowed in our veins, in our very being, from the moment we were born until the moment we close our eyes. And pride for our homeland rises in our hearts, choked with emotion, whenever we stand beneath the flag, joining the multitude in singing the national anthem…

Nghe An Weekend