Sacred Realm

(Baonghean) - In the last days of July, we visited the Vietnam-Laos National Martyrs' Cemetery (Anh Son); the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery; and the Highway 9 National Cemetery (Quang Tri province). Lighting incense sticks, each of us felt a deep emotion and a strong belief: The martyrs fought bravely, they have fallen, but they will always live on in the heart of their motherland, in the hearts of the people…

The first place we want to mention is the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery. This is the eternal resting place of the beloved sons and daughters of the Fatherland who fell during the 16 years of opening, maintaining, and developing the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail (1959-1975). Truong Son Cemetery is located on Ben Tat hill in Vinh Truong commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province. Near the entrance gate is a ceremonial area situated on a high hill, a complex of structures that bring together cherished images of the nation such as banyan trees, riverside docks, and village communal houses.

At the center, where a sacred Bodhi tree nearly 40 years old stretches its branches to cast its shade, stands a towering three-faced monument in an open space. From the monument, one can see lower hills, a wide lake, and a generous, romantic view. Surrounding the monument are six bas-reliefs depicting the various branches of the Truong Son army on their way to battle – peaceful yet vibrant, brave yet endearing.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Xuan carefully tends to each grave at the Vietnam-Laos National Martyrs' Cemetery. Photo: Phuong Thao.

Within the nearly 40-hectare cemetery lies the solemn silence of 10,263 graves, a vast expanse of white, stretching endlessly into the Trường Sơn mountain range. They fell when they were just eighteen or twenty years old. They were soldiers and young volunteers, full of life, bidding farewell to their families and loved ones to go to war in response to the call of the Fatherland. For nearly 40 years, these men and women have been sheltered and nurtured by the arduous yet loyal and generous land of Quảng Trị.

Every day, the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery welcomes dozens of groups, with hundreds of people from provinces across Vietnam, both North and South, who come to pay their respects. Among the visitors are wives visiting their husbands, children visiting their fathers, many elderly women revisiting their loved ones, and veterans with wrinkled skin returning to their old battlefields to visit their comrades… Many other groups and individuals also come here as a spiritual destination. Everyone wants to personally light an incense stick and bow before the spirits of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the peace of the country.

After offering incense at the memorial, following the cemetery caretaker's instructions, we went to offer incense at the graves of martyrs from Nghe An province to the left of the monument. Along with thousands of other comrades, for nearly 40 years, 1,295 graves, 1,295 outstanding sons and daughters of Nghe An province, rest forever amidst the green Truong Son mountain range, in the rustling and whispering of pine trees. In 2006, our province invested nearly 1.2 billion VND to build the Memorial House for martyrs from Nghe An province at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery. The project was completed 8 years ago, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2007).

In the center of the memorial is a four-sided memorial column listing the names of martyrs from their respective hometowns. The districts with the most sons and daughters who fought and sacrificed their lives on the Truong Son trail are Thanh Chuong (196 people), Do Luong (156 people), Dien Chau (138 people), Yen Thanh (131 people), and Quynh Luu (127 people)... Most of these young men and women died at a very young age.

These days, many people from the countryside are making pilgrimages to the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery to visit the graves of their loved ones. I had the opportunity to chat with the family of Mr. Nguyen Hoa, from Dien Hai commune (Dien Chau district), who came to visit the grave of his father, martyr Nguyen Minh Thu (born in 1942, died in 1970). Mr. Hoa said that every year, on July 27th, his family and several other families in the district come here to light incense for their relatives. He is very happy to see that with the responsibility, affection, and dedication of the cemetery management staff, and the attention of the Party and government leaders and departments of the province, the graves of the martyrs from Nghe An are becoming more spacious, cleaner, and more visited, so that the souls of his father and other martyrs from his hometown are always warmed.

From the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, traveling southwest along the Ho Chi Minh Trail for nearly 30 km leads to the Duong 9 National Martyrs Cemetery. This is the resting place of nearly 10,000 heroes and martyrs from the main army, local troops, militia, and volunteer youth who fought and served on the Duong 9 front and in Laos throughout the war against the US. Construction of the cemetery began in 1995 and was inaugurated in 1997 with nearly 20 major and minor structures, the most prominent of which is the Victory Monument. The monument is 18 meters high, consisting of a pedestal and a statue. The pedestal has two parts: the eastern part depicts the Quang Tri Citadel, while the western part is a stylized representation of a mountain in the Truong Son range. The statue depicts a Vietnamese Liberation Army soldier with a young Laotian woman and child celebrating the end of the war. Looking down from the monument, layers of white tombstones resemble a troop of soldiers marching in parade, standing out against the deep green backdrop of the vast pine forest behind them.

In recent years, the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Highway 9 has received investment for upgrades, and its infrastructure has become increasingly complete. In 2014, Nghe An province inaugurated the Memorial Area for Martyrs from Nghe An – a place where the souls of 220 martyrs from the homeland resting at the Highway 9 Cemetery are gathered. The construction and upgrading of these facilities have transformed the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Highway 9 into a memorial, a cultural and historical landmark for the present and future generations; serving the needs of officials and people nationwide in general and the people of Nghe An in particular to visit the martyrs, and educating the younger generation about the glorious revolutionary traditions of their ancestors.

At the end of July, on our journey back to our roots, we visited the Vietnam-Laos Martyrs' Cemetery (Anh Son), the resting place of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who fought and sacrificed their lives in Laos. As we disembarked from the vehicle, carrying incense and flowers, without a word, we paused our conversations and silently walked to each grave in the cemetery. Among the visitors was an elderly mother with white hair, her steps slow, her hands trembling as she lit incense sticks at her son's grave. The pain was evident in her weathered face, but she didn't cry; her eyes were sad, but not mournful. She was proud that her son had dedicated his youth to the Fatherland, and perhaps that sacredness and nobility helped soothe her grief… In a small corner on the right side of the cemetery, a former soldier silently gazed at the portraits of his comrades, then choked back tears. The old man remembered the years in the trenches, sharing even a single vegetable to cool their stomachs, but when peace returned, his comrades were gone… In the quiet space, the rustling wind of the forest sounded like the words of the soldiers, like their voices echoing and smiling somewhere around here.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Xuan, the cemetery caretaker who has been dedicated to this place for nearly 15 years, bends down to pull out weeds and brush away the thick layer of dust on the tombstones. He himself is the son of a fallen soldier. In the early days, he traveled nearly 50 kilometers to get here, and seeing this sacred cemetery, he was deeply moved and wanted to contribute to guarding the resting place of the fallen. Living far from home, with its meager meals and hardships, he remains dedicated to his work. Every day, he and the cemetery management board wake up early in the morning to sweep, clean, and weed around the graves. On the 15th and 1st of the lunar month, these people quietly offer incense to the fallen soldiers. This work continues regularly, day after day, month after month.

He confided, "Having been attached to this place for many years, I consider it my second home, always striving to take good care of it. What I worry about every night is that while the soldiers have returned to their homeland, resting beside their comrades, there are still so many tombstones bearing the names of unknown martyrs…" At this point, he suddenly fell silent, his eyes heavy with sadness… Late in the afternoon, the town grew quieter, the gentle sunlight gradually fading behind the mountains. Only the horns of the long lines of vehicles rushing back down the mountain could be heard.

During the war years, this road was a vital transportation artery for our troops to march and transport food supplies to support the resistance, and each vehicle on this road was a tank braving bombs and bullets. Forty years after reunification, that historic road has become a bridge connecting the civilizations and cultures of the two regions. The Trường Sơn mountains have once again greened the forests that were once battlefields. The soldiers lie there, listening to the wind singing like a gentle melody, lulling them to eternal sleep in the embrace of Mother Earth…

With these incense sticks and the ringing of the bell, we offer our heartfelt prayers for the souls of the fallen soldiers... that they may find peace, and for peace in the country and well-being for the people! Standing before their graves, each of us is filled with emotion and unwavering faith: The martyrs fought bravely, they have fallen, but they will live forever in the heart of Mother Earth, in the hearts of the people.

Minh Quân - Phương Thảo