The legacy of martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung remains.

However, time could not fade the image of the twenty-year-old soldier with his patriotism, courageous fighting spirit, and unwavering loyalty. The letters that have been preserved to this day have become silent witnesses, recounting a youth dedicated entirely to the Fatherland.

Building a bunker for his family will give him peace of mind when he enlists in the army.

In his modest house in Phuc Loi Hamlet, Vinh Loc Ward, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tam (born in 1958), former Vice Chairman of the People's Council of the old Phuc Tho Commune, carefully cherishes the time-worn letters sent by his older brother, martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung, during his time fighting on the battlefield. Each time he opens these old letters, memories of his brother from years ago resurface vividly.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tam shared that his family has four siblings, with martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung being the third child. According to Mr. Tam, his older brother inherited the patriotic tradition, revolutionary spirit, and sense of dedication from their father, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nai (1920 - 1999), who spent his entire life involved in revolutionary movements and social work in the local area.

During his lifetime, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nai participated in the Executive Committee of the National Salvation Youth Union of the commune, worked as a teacher in the adult literacy program, participated in the civilian labor force on the front lines in Upper Laos during the resistance against French colonialism, and later served as the Chairman of the Song Lam Garment Cooperative in Phuc Tho commune, Nghi Loc district (formerly).

Despite the hardships of life in the countryside, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nai and his wife always provided their children with an education, while also instilling in them patriotism and a sense of responsibility towards their family and homeland. It was this upbringing that instilled in Nguyen Thanh Tung an early awareness of his responsibilities as a young man to his country.

On the day Nguyen Thanh Tung set off for the southern battlefield, his father silently followed him all the way to Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province. Only when his strength was exhausted and he could no longer go on did he return home.

Regarding the fallen soldier Nguyen Thanh Tung, Mr. Tam and his family members still vividly remember the image of a hardworking, selfless young man who always thought of others more than himself.

During his high school years, despite his poor health, after school he would busy himself helping the family with everything from farming and cleaning the house to chopping trees and firewood, and participating in combat duty, digging trenches, and building fortifications alongside the local militia.

Despite graduating from high school and receiving an acceptance letter to university, Nguyen Thanh Tung chose the path of going to the front lines to fight the enemy.

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What the family remembers most is that before he left for military service, he gathered his siblings to build a sturdy bomb shelter for the family.

When the job was finished, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Now I can leave with peace of mind!"

That simple statement, more than half a century later, still moves his family members. For Nguyen Thanh Tung, before thinking about his duty on the battlefield, he prioritized the safety of his parents and siblings during those days of bombing.

Upon joining the military, a soldier's life during wartime is extremely difficult, lacking both material resources and basic living conditions.

However, in the letters he sent home to family and friends, the young man never mentioned much about his difficulties. What shone through in every line was his belief in victory, his deep love for his homeland and family, and his aspiration to dedicate his entire youth to the nation.

See you on the day of peace and independence!

That was the promise made by martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung in a letter to his older brother, Nguyen Xuan Mai.

At that time, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Mai (a former student of Nghi Loc 1 High School) was sent by the State to study in the Soviet Union. He graduated from Donetsk Polytechnic University in 1974. Later, he served as the Rector of Vinh University of Technology and Education.

During the summer vacation of 1971, while studying in Ukraine (formerly the Soviet Union), upon hearing that his younger brother had enlisted in the army, Mr. Mai requested leave to return home and cycled from Nghi Loc to Nghia Dan to meet him. That was also the last time the two brothers met at the training ground where Nguyen Thanh Tung was preparing to march into the battlefield.

In his first letter to his brother dated November 14, 1971, Nguyen Thanh Tung wrote:

"I'm sure that in your country, you'll tell your close friends that you have a younger brother, though small and innocent, who is now serving in the military. He's also proud of his simple uniform with its bright red insignia and two shining stars..."

"I'm writing to you today because I'm preparing for the second leg of my march. This time, I'll go all the way to the finish line and won't leave until the enemy is gone!"

Just a few days later, in his second letter to his brother, dated November 20, 1971, young soldier Nguyen Thanh Tung shared:

"My dearest, I received your letter while you were preparing for the upcoming siege drill. Therefore, my heart is filled with longing and yearning. I wanted to write to you but couldn't, so I had to leave it at that…"

My dear brother! Receiving your letter has inspired me to work even harder, so that I may be worthy of being your younger brother, a son of the family, and a young man serving in the ranks of the heroic army.

...I am currently sitting on the launch pad, waiting for the final button to activate before confronting the enemy. Go now, the battlefield is calling—I must leave you, leave everything familiar, and go on a new mission.

"I'll meet you on the day of peace and independence!!!"

Not only did Nguyen Thanh Tung express his feelings for his older brother in Ukraine, but he also wrote a letter to encourage his parents before leaving for his new assignment. In the letter to his family, dated "Unit, November 10, 1971," he wrote:

"Parents, this year, under the guidance of the Party Committee, our army must fight one last time against the imperialist invaders so that our country can quickly achieve peace and our families can be reunited soon."

Before I left my parents, I took a picture.These photos are sent to parents and siblings so that on the most meaningful national anniversaries, when parents remember their children, they can hold these photos to ease their longing and affection for them.

"I wish my family good health and success in their work! I look forward to the day when the nation rejoices, and I will return to reunite with my family!"

Death transformed into immortality!

Among the surviving documents, a letter from comrade Nguyen Cong Minh to the martyr's younger brother in 1991 helped to more clearly recreate the martyr's final days on the battlefield. Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh (born in 1952) was from the same hometown, attended the same class, and enlisted on the same day as the martyr.

After the liberation, Mr. Minh transferred to a different sector and worked in Vinh Long province. On September 2, 1991, he sent a letter to Mr. Nguyen Huu Tam - the younger brother of martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung - recounting what he knew about the sacrifice of his comrade. In the letter, Mr. Minh wrote:

"My dear Tâm!"

Before joining the army, my brother Tùng and I were in the same class, sat at the same desk, and left at the same time. After going to the battlefield, Tùng and I were no longer in the same unit, but because my brother was in a unit attached to the battalions, we still met regularly.

He recalled that in August 1972, before Tùng's death, they met on the march to battle. He didn't expect it to be their last meeting because he was wounded and hospitalized, while Tùng died. The entire unit suffered heavy losses, with almost the entire battalion killed or wounded. Upon returning to the hospital, he inquired about Tùng's condition and learned that he died after being captured and brutally tortured by the enemy to force him to reveal the unit's location. Tùng refused, and the enemy shot him dead and destroyed his body. The unit organized a search but couldn't find it. Therefore, Tùng died at the end of August 1972, north of Highway 19, at Đồi Chè, Bàu Cạn, Gia Lai.

In February 1975, after that area was liberated, the unit organized a team to search for the remains of fallen soldiers in that area. He was also part of that team, searching and inquiring in hopes of finding Tung's grave, but without success.

Nearly twenty years have passed, and he hasn't had the chance to visit the old battlefield, but he knows for sure that it's now the Bau Can Tea Plantation. However, he advises his family and him not to go there anymore because right after Tung's death, the unit searched but couldn't find him because the B52 bombs had buried everything..."

Thus, the young man, not yet twenty years old, having just left school, chose to go to war with a simple aspiration: "to defeat the enemy and then return to my studies." Nguyen Thanh Tung fought to the very last moment.

On February 19, 1976, the Prime Minister signed a Certificate of Recognition for National Service, confirming that martyr Nguyen Thanh Tung had sacrificed his life in the cause of fighting against the US and saving the country.

Although his body rests forever in his motherland, the preserved letters, the accounts of his comrades, and the indomitable spirit of that soldier remain invaluable. A short life has ended, but his patriotism and unwavering loyalty live on through time, becoming something that will never fade away…