Reunion after 40 years

(Baonghean) -After talking with Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Tien, former Deputy Director of the Museum of Military Region IV, the information she provided "In 2011, at this small house, a touching reunion took place between two soldiers from different sides" urged me to go to Cong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) to meet and listen to the veteran tell about the meeting after 40 years.

Memories of an old soldier

In the sweltering heat of a day in late June, it was not difficult for us to find the home of veteran Nguyen Van Hai. He currently lives with his eldest son and his wife, who run a grocery store near the Provincial Road. This year, he is 76 years old, and stage 3 heart failure and the pressure of war have severely damaged his health. However, the memories of the years of war, rolling around in storms of bullets, rain of bombs, fighting with the enemy will never fade away...

In 1958, at the age of 21, with a desire to hold a gun and fight, the young man Nguyen Van Hai and his brother volunteered to join the army, but only the older brother achieved his wish. Undaunted, staying behind, Mr. Hai actively participated in the local shock and readiness movement and achieved the title of "Youth Volunteer exceeding the plan" awarded by the Central Youth Union. In January 1963, Nguyen Van Hai was honored to join the Party and in April of that year, he received a notice of military enlistment. Eager to set off with the enthusiasm of a young party member, he was assigned to the Independent Battalion, Artillery Regiment. After that, he was transferred to Battalion 11, E164, Military Region 4 and ordered to march to Quang Nam - Da Nang to participate in the Mau Than campaign.

Mr. Hai said: “At that time, the US implemented the “Vietnamization of the war”, our unit was ordered to organize artillery positions to stop the sweeps of the puppet army and US commandos in Plei Veng. At this time, I was assigned to drive the command vehicle. While on the road, we encountered an enemy sweep, the vehicle was hit by an enemy bomb, completely burned, I and two mechanics were lucky to survive. One person was sent back to the unit to report, halfway there, he was chased by the enemy and shot dead. The remaining mechanic was seriously injured. There was no other way, I was forced to throw away all my belongings and luggage and my teammates, carry the mechanic on my shoulder, sling two guns on my chest, and cross the mountain to find the unit”.

On the way back to his unit, he crossed mountains and forests, facing enemy attacks many times. But he did not expect that the fact that he left all his belongings behind would lead to a reunion after more than 40 years with the American soldier. After Mr. Hai and the mechanic escaped the enemy's pursuit area, soldier Hoang Dinh Dam, from the Central Highlands Front Surgery Squad, fell into an enemy ambush and was shot dead. After shooting Hoang Dinh Dam dead, Homer - the American soldier took all of Dam's belongings and picked up Mr. Hai's backpack and personal papers not far away as trophies.

Mr. Hai and American soldier Homer (second from right). (Photo provided by character)



Mr. Hai's driver's license and "Youth Volunteer Exceeding Plan" certificate were returned by Mr. Homer.

The haunting memory and the emotional reunion

At the end of the war, American soldier Homer brought all the spoils of war (personal belongings of martyr Hoang Dinh Dam and Mr. Nguyen Van Hai) back to his country. But the horrifying memories of the war in Vietnam always haunted him and led to depression. With the encouragement of his mother, the help of the American Veterans Association, and the American Embassy, ​​Homer found a way to return those souvenirs to the Vietnamese soldiers. Homer tried to publish information about the souvenirs he took during the war in the People's Army newspaper and the People's Representative newspaper.

It was Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Tien who became the bridge for that touching meeting. She took the trouble to go to Cong Thanh, find a character named Nguyen Van Hai, the soldier who drove the car, connect the events, contact both sides and organize a meeting between two soldiers from two opposing sides in the war.

That was a day at the end of 2011, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai was invited to visit Ms. Tien's house (68 Cu Chinh Lan, Vinh City). In Hanoi, Homer - a representative of the American veteran and two American journalists were on their journey to Vinh to meet Mr. Hai again. "That morning, when I just came down from the second floor of Ms. Tien's house, a tall foreigner ran up to hug me. He cried and kept saying sorry. Later I found out that it was Homer - the person who took all my belongings and documents, including my driver's license, certificate of recognition for bravery in killing the Americans and some other documents", Mr. Hai recounted.

Receiving back the documents that had been lost for 40 years from the American soldier, Mr. Hai was moved and choked with emotion. He shared: “The war and the American invaders caused so many tragedies. But in the end, people like Homer were just mercenaries, and had to take up arms out of necessity. They had to pay the price with remorse and regret... Like Homer, who had to go through 40 years of terrifying trauma, when he met me again, he cried and apologized. I am willing to forgive Homer, hoping he can relieve his mind and live peacefully.”

Surprisingly, it was the meeting between Homer and Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, along with the memories and details about the location where the car was burned, and a "map" drawn from war memories that helped the family find the grave of martyr Hoang Dinh Dam.

Flipping through the war memorabilia returned by Homer, looking at the photos taken with Homer during that emotional reunion, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai was moved to tears when thinking about the American soldier. No longer hating, no longer distinguishing between friend and foe, Mr. Hai prayed for Homer to live a healthy and peaceful life. And he considered that meeting and receiving those memorabilia as a gift that he was lucky to have.

THANH PHUC