The plot of land is surrounded by rivers on three sides.

(Baonghean) - That land is surrounded by rivers on three sides. The Lam River, as it flows through the Do Luong River Basin, forms an "S" shape, with Luu Son commune situated at its beginning. This picturesque countryside was devastated by 7,600 bombs of various types during the resistance war against the American imperialists, with an estimated weight of nearly 2,300 tons. Now, life has returned to green, although some villages still share the same day of remembrance for deceased relatives.

Tran Phu hamlet is situated on a low hill called Ru Nay, also known as Ho Tieu Tam Dinh. That's why it was once known as Luu Tieu. We visited Mrs. Tran Thi Thi's house in Tran Phu hamlet at midday one July day. Although 86 years old, Mrs. Thi is still very sharp-minded. When asked about her family, she counted on her fingers, her mouth smiling, the scent of betel nut wafting from her lips: "I have 9 children, 17 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. You see, the house is always bustling with activity..." After a moment, she fell silent again, wiping away tears: "Nine children, but I lost 3. It's heartbreaking." The day of June 20, 1965, became a painful, haunting memory that has clung to the life of this mother who lost three children at once.

The old Dien Tien ferry terminal (Luu Son) was one of the targets of bombing by the US Air Force.

That day was also a summer day, gloomy and stifling. Some villagers were out in the fields, others were helping the main army units stationed in the commune. Suddenly, around mid-morning, a group of planes swooped down, tearing through the air. A barrage of bombs rained down on the small village of Luu Tieu. Roof tiles, houses, and bamboo groves were engulfed in flames. By the time people managed to escape, almost the entire village had been ravaged and destroyed by bombs and bullets. No one could recognize their own homes. Dozens of people collapsed from the shock of what they saw. Mrs. Tran Thi Thi choked back tears, unwilling to recall that heartbreaking moment. She only knew that in the blink of an eye, her family lost four members: her father-in-law and three of her children—two daughters and one son. Everyone knows that war brings suffering and loss. But its ferocity is beyond the most horrifying imagination. The fact that 21 people, including children and the elderly, were killed in that bombing is a painful reality. The entire village was shrouded in an atmosphere of grief and death. Mrs. Tran Thi Thi wiped away her tears and murmured, "Mrs. Phuong's family lost three members – a grandfather and two grandchildren – Mrs. Hoa Loc's daughter died, and Mr. Thi also lost his mother..."

Mrs. Tran Thi Thi introduces her family's house, which was rebuilt after the bombing on June 20, 1965.

On that same gloomy summer day in Luu Tieu village, Mrs. Le Thi Bon was heartbroken by the loss of two of her children: her son Bui Huu Tien and her daughter Bui Thi Tu. Immediately after this tragic event, Mrs. Bon's other children joined the army, going to the front lines, all aiming to contribute to seeking justice and maintaining peace in their village. But then, two of Mrs. Bon's sons were forever lost on the battlefield. They were martyrs Bui Huu Thi and Bui Huu Ky, who sacrificed their lives in 1970 and 1971 respectively in the Southern battlefield. Although Mrs. Le Thi Bon was awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother by the Party and State in 2014, perhaps nothing can fill the pain of mothers who have lost their children. And in Tran Phu hamlet, the 20th day of the 5th lunar month each year becomes a collective memorial day for dozens of souls.

Why did that small piece of land suffer so much pain and loss? Mr. Tran Dinh Lam, Chairman of the People's Committee of Luu Son commune (Do Luong district), said that during the years of resistance, Luu Son was located in a strategic area. To the north of the commune was the Do Luong Bara irrigation project, providing water for agricultural production in the Yen-Dien-Quynh region (Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu). Luu Son commune was also traversed by Highway 7A, serving as a central hub and a springboard for supplying and transporting manpower and resources to the Southern Laos front. In addition, Luu Son had two ferry crossings, Dien Tien and Luu My, at the beginning and end of the commune, which alternately transported weapons, ammunition, and necessities across the river to the battlefield. Furthermore, this approximately 4 square kilometer area also housed a military supply depot and a system of river transport vessels serving the front lines...

Since August 5, 1964, after fabricating the "Gulf of Tonkin incident," the US imperialists frantically escalated their bombing of North Vietnam. Spanning the strategically important Truong Bon area and the vital Highway 15A connecting to National Highway 7A, Luu Son became a "bombing target," sharing the burden of the entire country. Many key military units were stationed here, directly engaging in combat with the imperialist air force. These included the anti-aircraft artillery position located in the fields of Dien Bien hamlet, also known as the Dong Tu position; the missile position hidden next to the food warehouse; the radar unit stationed in Phu Tho village; and the anti-aircraft artillery unit protecting the Bara dam irrigation project...

Because of its strategic location, the enemy frequently bombed this area. The history of Luu Son commune records: “At 12:30 PM on March 19, 1965, several groups of American planes swooped down and bombed the food warehouse at Soi Market, burning over 100 houses in Quang Trung and Dien Hong villages. State warehouses collapsed, and food supplies were destroyed. For 10 consecutive days, the villagers transported thousands of tons of food.” “On September 12, 1966, the enemy bombed the artillery position, threatening to destroy the 100mm ammunition depot. Although American planes were still roaring, the militia arrived in time and safely evacuated the ammunition depot.”

“At 13:00 on June 16, 1968, enemy aircraft launched a fierce attack on the Dong Tu anti-aircraft artillery position. The bunker of the Command Post of Company 2 - Regiment 222, and two 100mm cannons along with a surveying instrument were buried. Under the bombardment of American planes, the militia of Luu Son remained calm, providing medical care and transporting dozens of wounded soldiers to safety. They also organized the burial of 19 heroic martyrs who had died.” “On November 14, 1968 alone, the enemy attacked Luu Son commune nine times with all kinds of bombs, including magnetic bombs, cluster bombs, and fragmentation bombs… killing 39 innocent civilians and injuring 65 others. Also on that day, five young women were killed by enemy bombs while planting rice and serving in the fighting…”

Mr. Tran Dinh Quy, former head of the Lưu Sơn commune militia, recounts the days of bombing and shelling.

To this day, Mr. Tran Dinh Quy, from Dien Bien hamlet, who served as the militia commander of Luu Son commune from 1966 to 1969, cannot remember how many times the villagers participated in supporting the army in fighting the enemy. “No one evacuated. Everyone stayed, both producing and raising livestock while serving the resistance,” Mr. Quy said. He added that the Vietnamese army is the army of the people, a close, blood-and-flesh relationship. At that time, the soldiers were sheltered and protected by the people; every family had soldiers staying in their homes. Villages, hamlets, and fields all became battlefields, with bombs, bullets, and death lurking day and night, but the army and the people worked together, fearless and undeterred.

Mr. Tran Dinh Quy still remembers the bombing raid that hit the very center of the Dong Tu battlefield. The entire battlefield was almost completely buried, with some soldiers engulfed in flames. Despite the planes circling overhead and bombs exploding, shaking the earth and sky, hundreds of militiamen and local people rushed out to dig through the mud and earth to rescue the soldiers and move the artillery. “In that incident, the people rescued 34 soldiers. It was incredibly difficult, but we were overjoyed to the point of tears,” Mr. Quy recalled.

During the eight years of the escalating US air campaign, Luu Son commune endured nearly 2,300 tons of bombs, comprising 7,600 bombs of various types. The bombs killed 85 innocent civilians and injured nearly 150 others. 362 houses were destroyed, and nearly 170 buffaloes and cows were killed. No village in Luu Son commune remained intact, and many cultural structures were damaged. The commune also has 192 martyrs, 29 wounded soldiers, and 31 disabled veterans who dedicated their lives to the independence and freedom of the country. In 1995, Luu Son commune was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and State to commemorate and honor the heroic deeds of its people and land in the sacred resistance war of the nation.

As a historical meeting point, the land of Thanh Luu in the past and Luu Son today is continuing its success on a new path. With a population of 6,500 people, the poverty rate in Luu Son is now only 1.62%, a decrease of nearly 3% compared to 2014; well-off households account for 50%. Luu Son is a model in the province for winter vegetable production, yielding a value of 70-80 million VND/hectare. Implementing the National Target Program for building new rural areas, Luu Son has so far achieved 16 out of 19 criteria and is striving to become one of the four communes in Do Luong district to achieve the goal this year.

I remember my mother once saying, "You must go far away; our homeland has so many wonderful things to offer. Everywhere in our country is like this." My mother is no longer here; she left, taking with her the burdens of life and the wound across her hip from the bombs of war. When I think of her, I often picture a barefoot nurse, her shoulder slung with a first-aid kit, running precariously through artillery fire, across a field riddled with bomb craters. On that land surrounded by rivers on three sides, the green was once boundless.

Dao Tuan