One day in early April, I was sent a film file of the diary recording the training and fighting journey of martyr Nguyen Trong An (born in 1950), from Hoa Dong hamlet, Hoa Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, by Mr. Le Tien Dung (living in Vinh city) - a volunteer dedicated to connecting information about martyrs.
Mr. Dung shared: The diary was seized by the US army on August 17, 1970, along with some documents of soldiers of Battalion 2, Regiment 9, Division 304. The files of the contents are kept in the archives of the Vietnam War on the website of Texas Tech University (USA). Engineer Lam Hong Tien - a member of the Association for Supporting Families of Vietnamese Martyrs - was the one who found the copy of the diary of martyr Nguyen Trong An and sent it to Mr. Le Tien Dung to connect with his relatives.
According to information shared on the Kyvatkhangchien.com page, veterans of F304 also confirmed that they had information about martyr Nguyen Trong An (Battalion 2, Regiment 9, Division 304), from Hoa Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An), who died on August 16, 1970 at peak 400.
Right on the first page of the diary of young soldier Nguyen Trong An (dated April 12, 1968) sketched a portrait of a student in his late teens or early twenties with many dreams of happiness and a future, but had to put aside his unfinished studies to take up arms and go to the battlefield to fight the Americans, fulfilling his duty to the Fatherland.Trigonometry lesson not finished yet… so sleepy, I just dozed off. Probably around 12am… The door creaked… holding the military service order with Nguyen Cong Chan’s signature, I had a feeling of ease I had never had before. One night, one night I will never forget…”.
Veteran Phan The Nguyen (born in 1948) - a friend from the same hometown, enlisted on the same day as martyr Nguyen Trong An, who was mentioned in the diary, recalled with emotion: “We went to the same school, An was in grade 9, I was in grade 10, two years apart. In April 1968, we enlisted in the same unit. At that time, Hoa Thanh commune had 14 people enlisting, all of them were eighteen or twenty years old, still naive and innocent. An had a student-like appearance, spoke softly, was a bit shy, and liked to write poetry. We had similar circumstances, both were only sons (martyr Nguyen Trong An was the fourth child, in the family there were also four sisters). Saying goodbye to relatives, our elderly parents passed away without a return date, so it was quite heavy-hearted. The two brothers often confided in and encouraged each other…”.
In the following diary pages, young soldier Nguyen Trong An wrote about his first days of enlistment with much confusion and some reluctance at having to leave his homeland: “On April 15, 1968, we began our march. We set off at 4am that morning and traveled all night. From childhood to adulthood, we had never traveled far, and were not used to carrying heavy loads, but today we became friends with the road. Crossing the fields, moving away from the small villages, the sound of roosters in the middle of the night echoed through.…”. “Day after day, the journey was long, deep ravines, deep rivers. The army passed through many forests, many streams, through Nghe An land, the village scene gradually became deserted and disappeared. We walked in the deep forest, walked forever... from low slopes to high slopes through the dense forest, a few rays of sunlight flickered, gloomy. How quiet the forests were. If there was no war, there would have been no human footprints for thousands of years.….
At the most beautiful age of youth, instead of continuing to go to school, Nguyen Trong An began to experience his first days in the army.In the morning, we learn military techniques to climb over wire fences, at noon we collect firewood to build houses, in the afternoon we learn political and military skills…”;“get used to crawling and bayoneting movements…”.During the breaks during the march, besides homesickness, the young soldier also expressed the feelings of pride of the young generation standing in the ranks of the army going to battle: "During the days of marching through mountains and forests, we wished to be warmed by a cozy roof… Then, the day of battle also approached as history has shown. I don’t remember the exact day… I only remember that it was drizzling that day… One platoon, one vehicle. It was too crowded, the rain was too cold, but I still felt warm when the vehicle passed the hospital, passed the village and the whole army sang together… The people came out to watch, I sang even louder. They must have loved it when they saw the convoy carrying the Northern soldiers to the South. Who among the youth wouldn’t want to see this scene?….
The diary mentions many different places: Nhu Xuan (Thanh Hoa), Huong Khe, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh (Ha Tinh), Quynh Trang, Quynh Chau (Quynh Luu, Nghe An), Quang Binh, Quang Tri and even the lands of Laos... During the arduous journey, experiencing fierce battles with the fragile boundary between life and death, the nostalgia for the homeland and loved ones was secretly confided by Nguyen Trong An in each emotional diary entry. On the diary page dated 27 and 29 of Lunar New Year 1970, he wrote: "It’s the 27th of Tet. I’m so happy at home. The days when we still go out to celebrate Tet, the sound of firecrackers and drums is so bustling. I miss home so much… at home right now, my parents and younger sister are probably missing me. Is my mother crying tonight? I miss them so much. I wish I could be at home right now, my parents are probably preparing for Tet.…”. “…Tonight, I will stay up to celebrate New Year's Eve, oh another New Year in the army. Tonight, what will my parents in my hometown think of their child far away from home? My mother will probably cry a lot when she thinks of me. Oh, how I miss her.….
When he was seriously injured in the thigh and had to stay for treatment, the young soldier had moments to confide in "The unit withdrew from checkpoints 1 and 2 to receive other missions. I couldn’t go because my feet hurt, so I went to the battalion to lie down. Alone, in a cold and lonely cellar. Oh, how strangely I miss home… Old memories flicker before my eyes, I wish one day to live in my homeland. With my father, mother and younger sister. What are my mother and father doing now? I keep imagining my mother doing this, my father doing that. Maybe my younger sister is still cooking. Then I remember every little thing in the house, remember the yard, the corner of the garden, the gate.…”. “When the entire mountain and forest are immersed in silence, the image of my homeland emerges strongly... I want to raise my small hands to hold onto the things that make me miss them so much...".
Although he missed his homeland so much, the soldier could not return. Nguyen Trong An died at the age of 20 in a fierce battle on the Khe Sanh battlefield (Quang Tri). According to the death certificate sent to the locality: Private Nguyen Trong An - a soldier of Company 7, Battalion 2, Unit 1450, died on August 16, 1970 at the southern front of Military Region 4. In the case of: "Fighting for the cause of fighting against the US to save the country and protect the Fatherland", he was confirmed as: Martyr.
On the morning of April 14, 2024, a special event took place at the hall of the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district. It was the ceremony to hand over and receive the diary of martyr Nguyen Trong An - a son of Hoa Thanh homeland. The ceremony took place in a warm and emotional atmosphere with the presence of district leaders, local authorities, and many relatives and comrades of the martyr's family.
At the ceremony, Yen Thanh district leaders affirmed that the diary is a sacred relic for the family, clan and homeland, because martyr Nguyen Trong An was born, grew up and went to the battlefield on this land.
Sharing about the journey of connecting and searching for information about relatives to bring the deceased's diary back to his family after more than 50 years of wandering on the other side of the world, Mr. Le Tien Dung - a member of the Volunteer Association to find graves and support the relocation of martyrs' remains in Nghe An - Ha Tinh, emotionally expressed: "There were times when I almost gave up because the diary only mentioned an older sister named An and a younger sister, not knowing their specific names. However, the soldier's longing and desire to reunite with his relatives in each page of the diary moved me and gave me more motivation to search. And by chance, I received help from many people, including Mr. Phan Tat He, a neighbor of the family of martyr Nguyen Trong An, who helped me connect with the sister and niece of the martyr who are in Hanoi."
Many touching stories about the diary owner were also told by relatives and comrades. Veteran Phan The Nguyen, a former comrade of martyr Nguyen Trong An, tearfully shared: “Of the 14 young men from the same commune who joined the army that year, only 8 returned. An was among the 6 who died. More than 50 years have passed, and now he has received information about the diary of his fallen comrade, in which his name is mentioned.”So Thu died and Nguyen was injured.…”, I was so moved!. It was just a souvenir but it contained so many sacred feelings, like a comrade from years ago had returned to our side”. Veteran Pham Duc Cu trembled as he took out from his pocket a small photo of himself and his comrade Nguyen Trong An in uniform for everyone to see. The black and white photo had faded over the years but was still carefully wrapped. In the memory of Mr. Cu as well as his comrades in the same batch of soldiers: Nguyen Trong An was a person rich in emotions, always caring for his comrades.
That was shown in every page of the diary, from the first day of enlistment until the unit dispersed, each person going their separate ways: "Well, goodbye to the friends who lived together during the first days of enlistment. Oh, why do I miss them even before we part. I don't want to leave these people.”. The love and sharing of soldiers with their comrades and teammates in hardship also appeared clearly in the diary entry dated July 8, 1970:“The shortage began, and we had to share every grain of salt. From then on, the only food left was salt. I heard that the unit had to eat 300g of rice a day…”. On the way to get rice from the Division warehouse, he met some wounded soldiers and heard bad news about the unit. Nguyen Trong An was restless and worried: “Comrades, brothers, who have sacrificed, who are injured, I am so anxious, I just want to return to the unit…”.“July 16, 1970, a day that is boldly engraved in this diary. Disaster has befallen our unit, we lay on the side of the road. Our comrades and friends passed by on stretchers, it was extremely painful…”.
Through each page of the diary, one can feel the gradual maturity and firmness in the thoughts and actions of the young soldier. From the first day of training on the training ground "unbearable", but"The results after 2 months are also brilliant."When going deep into the battlefield, Nguyen Trong An was assigned many times to conduct field reconnaissance, provide warning for marching units or deploy formations to attack the enemy.Together with platoon leader Do The Huan, we went on a reconnaissance mission to lead the attack on the enemy at the duck hill... leaving at 8am, crossing many hills and ravines. Not being familiar with the terrain, not knowing about the activities of scouts and commandos, we were a bit cautious. Sometimes we circled under the enemy's feet. Perhaps they saw movement and fired randomly... We had the task of going first to keep watch, going all the way from Lap stream to the Monkey stream junction, smelling the fragrant scent of lemons... there must be a scout...".In another diary entry he described: “The attack was so fierce… Everyone formed a spearhead and charged forward with gunfire… We also charged forward with our comrades. After a while, we didn’t know if it was a personal mortar or a duckbill grenade, but it was so sharp. They fired continuously, the enemy also fired heavily, many comrades were injured. I firmly held two grenades in my hand, and the AK was hanging on my chest. The Americans were really stubborn.….
Perhaps only with a strong desire for peace and a heart that loves family and homeland so much, the generation of young people who grew up during the war to defend the country like Nguyen Trong An had the extraordinary strength to overcome such difficult and fierce days to the point of unimaginable. Along the march deep into the battlefield, before the beautiful natural scenery "can not fault… wish the unit was stationed here for a few days to enjoy the moon", but in the war situation he secretly made a promise""Okay, wait until the day of peace, now rest to gain strength to climb the hill tomorrow"Another time, although "weak and tired", when he and his army passed through villages and fields, he was happy to hear the barking of dogs and felt "The strange scent of ripe rice, the scent of homeland on the days when the rice ripens…”.
Near the end of the diary dated August 5, 1970 (before Nguyen Trong An's death), the soldier expressed:“…I don’t like fighting… I don’t want to kill people. I want to live freely, peacefully, and happily with my old parents, my sisters and brothers. I want to sit in the beloved house that has sheltered me from the sun and rain since I was a child… I will definitely not die, I will return to live a warm life with my family.”
Realizing the dream of reunion of the deceased, in the ceremony to receive the diary organized by the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district, there was a reunion of the sister, nieces, and relatives of martyr Nguyen Trong An from all three regions of the North - Central - South. On behalf of the family, Ms. Tran Thi Mai Huong - an officer of the Department of International Relations (Government Office), niece of martyr Nguyen Trong An, choked up and sent words of remembrance and gratitude to her uncle with "a small stature and a gentle smile". At the same time, she expressed: "My extended family has been away from home for decades, but now the government, departments and unions of Yen Thanh district, the Volunteer Association; veterans, comrades who fought and died with him care for and support the family to organize the ceremony to receive the remains of their loved ones in a solemn, emotional and warm atmosphere. We are extremely grateful and deeply understand that: no matter where we go, no matter how long we are away, our homeland and roots are still the place to return to...".
The war has long gone, but the ambitions of youth, memories, beautiful memories of family, comradeship, teammates; the fierceness, hardships on the battlefield and the desire for peace... are recorded in the diary along the march of martyr Nguyen Trong An as a message to relatives and future generations not to forget the pain, loss and noble sacrifice of those who fell for the country "to blossom with independence and bear fruit with freedom". From then on, each person knows how to appreciate more the value of peace, prosperity, freedom and happiness today...
