Truong Son Road is always a source of pride
(Baonghean) - For former youth volunteer Tran Quang Nhat, the days of opening the Truong Son road during the resistance war against America are always a source of pride, an unforgettable memory.
Leave the sea, go to the forest, cross the waterfall
After failing the military examination three times because of being "short and light", Secretary of the Youth Union of Phu Lien village (Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district) Tran Quang Nhat registered to join the Youth Volunteer Force to serve the Southern battlefield, fighting against the US to save the country.
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When I joined the Youth Volunteer Force, I was in C302, and together with my comrades and teammates, I carried out the task of building roads through Bo Lan slope, Dong Lao intersection, Doc Lui in Nghia Dan district. In August 1965, I was transferred by my superiors to Quang Binh in C168, then to C225 to carry out the task of transporting and carrying goods in the western region of Quang Tri. In C225, I and some brothers from near the sea, skilled in river crafts such as Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc were assigned to join the "special" squad to transport goods on the Se Bang Hieng River - a river with many waterfalls and rapids".
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| Former Youth Volunteer Soldier Tran Quang Nhat (72 years old) recalls the emotions of the days of opening the Truong Son road. Photo: Document - Thanh Cuong |
“In those days, all of us young people wanted to become Uncle Ho’s soldiers. After many attempts to register, I told myself that I could join the Youth Volunteer Force. On May 15, 1965, I joined the Youth Volunteer Force...”.
Mr. Tran Quang Nhat said: “In fact, from the bamboo forest in Cu Bai where C225 is stationed to the receiving station, there is still a road for transportation, but this road is steep and difficult to transport. Each trip, each person can only carry 25-30 kg. In order to improve efficiency, the transportation route on Se Bang Hieng River was considered. The transportation route on this river is only 8 km long but must pass through 3 waterfalls. My squad received 3 three-plank boats carried by Quang Binh Youth Volunteers from Nhat Le River...”.On the day of departure, the unit leader went to the river bank and instructed: “This is the first trip, your squad needs to go to gain experience. The permitted load is 1 ton. The river has 2 waterfalls, one is Go waterfall, the other is Da waterfall. Da waterfall is very dangerous, do not underestimate it”... The leader's instructions were "ignored" when Mr. Nhat's squad only saw the clear river in front of them, the water flowing gently, the scenery charming. The Youth Volunteers brought their instruments, flutes and diaries onto the boat, singing happily like a festival.
Mr. Tran Quang Nhat told about this "fear-filled" reconnaissance trip: "After a while of smooth sailing, I suddenly felt the boat lose momentum, the water pulled the boat forward at high speed. Thac Da appeared in front of me with 2 words written in white paint on the rocky shore and a human skull signaling danger. The entrance to the waterfall was only wide enough for 1 boat to pass through, the waterfall was nearly 3m high and in a sharp turn, the water poured down and created white foam. The boat rushed forward like an arrow, there was not enough time to communicate with my brothers, I frantically used the oar to catch the bow of the boat into the entrance of the waterfall. The boat carrying 1 ton of rice and 4 brothers was pushed quite far away by the water and sank deeply."
| Memories of a veteran on the Truong Son road. |
Thanks to their good swimming skills, they did not drown, but the boat and rice were at the bottom of the river, nearly 4 meters deep in the fast-flowing water. Mr. Nhat's team encouraged each other to dive down to save the rice and the boat, but failed. After struggling for an hour without success, hunger and fatigue appeared, and the four members of the team burst into tears of despair. "A single grain of rice brought here was worth so much sweat and blood. Now, how can we report to the commander?"
In desperation, Mr. Nhat's team met an old Van Kieu man. He said: "The soldiers can't do it, let the local men do it. They are very good swimmers"... Mr. Nhat said: "His village is about half an hour's walk from the waterfall. He called 6 young men to help us. They swam very well, gently pulled 6 bags of rice to the shore, then focused on bringing the boat up. Because the rice bags were tightly wrapped in plastic and tarpaulin, they did not get wet. The old man and the local men later passed on to us their experience of crossing the Da and Go waterfalls.
A heart aching for Truong Son
The dangerous "advancement" trip and the times of unloading tons of cargo to cross the shallow river, pulling the boat upstream 5-6 km are unforgettable memories for former Youth Volunteers Tran Quang Nhat... During his time participating in the resistance war against the US to save the country on the Truong Son route, Mr. Nhat also had many other memories such as the process of participating in opening Route 20 - Quyet Thang connecting Dong Truong Son with Tay Truong Son.
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| Crossing the monkey bridge on Truong Son road. Photo: Archive. |
He said: “On Route 20 - Quyet Thang, I was assigned by the Road and Bridge Committee to open the road, carry loads, work in the warehouse and stay temporarily at the NH sub-station, belonging to Station 14, Group 559. Everyone at the sub-station was a soldier, only I was a Youth Volunteer, living was very inconvenient. So the Road and Bridge Committee transferred me to become a soldier... I was a soldier at the NH sub-station from 1967 until I was injured in May 1969”.
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| Truong Son Road along the stream, 1995 - Watercolor on paper, 64 x 80 cm - Painting by artist Nguyen Thanh Chau. |
In early summer 1969, American aircraft intensified their bombing. B52s carpet-bombed the Ho Chi Minh trail, destroying a radius of 2 km from the trail. The ammunition, fuel, and military supplies depot protected by the NH sub-station was hit by bombs and burned fiercely. Mr. Nhat and 7 of his comrades were injured while trying to save the ammunition depot. Fire burned all over his body, from his face to his hands and feet. From 1969 to 1970, Mr. Nhat was hospitalized at the Commune Military Station, then in Huong Binh (Huong Khe, Ha Tinh), Vinh Loc (Thanh Hoa), and then discharged from the army.
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| Opening Truong Son road. Photo: Archive |
After studying at the Waterway and Road Traffic College (Vinh Phu) for nearly a year, Mr. Tran Quang Nhat asked to return home because his father had just passed away, his mother was old and weak, and he was the only son. In 1972, Mr. Nhat returned to participate in the Youth Union and did Party work at the Hai Long Cooperative, which specialized in fishing in the locality. In the same year, he married a former Youth Volunteer Soldier from the same commune. They had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls... For a living, Mr. Nhat stopped working at the Cooperative and bought a boat and fishing nets with his brothers to make a living. In 2012, because his health no longer allowed, he sold the boat to rest, enjoy time with his children and grandchildren, and work for the Association of Former Youth Volunteer Soldiers.
Truong Son Road, the period of youth volunteer activities is always an eternal pride for old fisherman Tran Quang Nhat. When the Youth Volunteer Former Liaison Committee and the Youth Volunteer Former Association were established, Mr. Nhat enthusiastically participated and up to now he has been the Chairman of the Youth Volunteer Former Association of Quynh Long commune for 3 terms.
“The happiest thing is to meet old comrades, reminisce about the unforgettable years gone by; ask about life now... joys and sorrows and the past. The biggest regret is that because of life, because of health, until now I still have not had a chance to visit the old battlefield.”
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