Letters of martyr Hoang Kim Giao to Truong Bon National Historical Site

The page is stained with the "color of time"

At the end of May, Mr. Phan Trong Loc - Director of the National Historical Relic SiteTruong BonThe news has just returned from Hai Phong and was given all the letters and some souvenirs kept for more than half a century by the relatives of Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao.

The grave of Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao and Martyr Luong Trung Tin. Photo: Cong Kien

Although we have read the contents of martyr Hoang Kim Giao's letters in the newspaper and in the book "Living to love and dedicate", we still want to see with our own eyes the lines and pieces of paper stained with the "color of time".

A few days later, we went up National Highway 15A to Truong Bon and were lucky to meet Mr. Loc, who showed us the letters that had just been brought back from the port city. There were hundreds of pages of letters wrapped in envelopes, proving that the person who kept them always cherished and treasured them.souvenirpriceless of loved ones.

The area around the grave of martyr Hoang Kim Giao still has traces of many bomb craters from the past. Photo: PV

According to historical documents, Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao (1941 - 1968) was from Do Son District (Hai Phong), a scientific officer of the Technical Research Department, under the General Department of Logistics (Ministry of National Defense). In September 1968, he volunteered to be the Head of a working group to Zone 4 to train and dismantle bombs, returning a peaceful life to the frontline area.

On December 29, 1968, Hoang Kim Giao and his comrade Luong Trung Tin (from Thai Binh) sacrificed their lives while defusing a bomb containing 300 kg of explosives in Nam Hung commune (Nam Dan), a few hundred meters from Truong Bon. His and his comrades' bodies dissolved into the soil and rocks, and the people of Nam Hung only found a piece of the body and buried it on the hillside.

Martyr Hoang Kim Giao. Photo archive

Now, the graves of the two brothers have been taken care of by the Truong Bon National Historical Site Management Board and are visited by many people. Around their graves, there are still traces of dozens of bomb craters, evidence of a fierce time and affirmation of the spirit of self-sacrifice and selfless fighting of the children of Vietnam.

Looking at the letters of martyr Hoang Kim Giao, we were really surprised because although they were stained with the “color of time”, the paper was yellowed in some places, but almost no letter was torn. The handwriting was still intact, not blurred or smudged by the impact of time and external factors.

One of the photos of martyr Hoang Kim Giao's family presented to the Management Board of Truong Bon National Historical Site.

With hundreds of pages of letters mainly written to his uncle, aunt (father, mother) and young wife Nguyen Thi Lan, they partly expressed the qualities and soul of the young man from the port city.

Letters to the owner that year

After offering incense at the graves of Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao and Martyr Luong Trung Tin, and witnessing the bomb craters on the hillside, Mr. Phan Trong Loc shared about the journey of the letters.

“The letters of martyr Hoang Kim Giao have been known to many people through books and newspapers for decades. When the martyr’s grave was entrusted to the Truong Bon Historical Site Management Board for care, we repeatedly contacted and encouraged the family to donate the letters. Initially, the family intended to donateMuseumThe army, however, finally decided to move the martyr's letters and mementos to Nghe An, where the martyr fell and is resting," said Mr. Loc.

Mr. Phan Trong Loc - Director of Truong Bon National Historical Site (middle) takes a photo with relatives of martyr Hoang Kim Giao. Photo: NVCC

The letters and artifacts including photos of Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao are truly priceless, and museums and historical artifact exhibition areas are eager to own them. Therefore, many exhibition facilities have contacted Ms. Hoang Lien Thai, the martyr’s sister, to donate these artifacts.

The martyr's sister could not help but hesitate and once intended to donate the relics to the Military Museum because her brother was a soldier. Moreover, this is a large-scale museum, equipped with modern facilities, can preserve artifacts for a long time, has many visitors so the influence is great...

Mr. Phan Trong Loc with the letters given by the family of martyr Hoang Kim Giao to Truong Bon National Historical Site. Photo: Cong Kien

Mr. Phan Trong Loc also contacted and tried to persuade her many times, but Ms. Hoang Lien Thai was still somewhat hesitant. But when she heard that her brother's grave had been included in the planning atMonument AreaTruong Bon National Historical Site, Mrs. Thai immediately agreed. Because Mrs. Thai knew that Truong Bon had become a National Historical Site, one of the red addresses of people and tourists from all over the country, welcoming thousands of visitors every week.

Moreover, the grave of Hero and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao is located here, his body has dissolved into the sunny and windy land of Nghe An, so the relics displayed at Truong Bon are the most appropriate. Those letters will contribute to depicting the fierceness of the "fire coordinates" of Truong Bon during the years of fighting the Americans, as well as the will and indomitable fighting spirit of the young men and women of the past.

The letters of martyr Hoang Kim Giao are still intact, the handwriting is still clear. Photo: Cong Kien

A letter from Hero Hoang Kim Giao to his wife Nguyen Thi Lan. Photo: Cong Kien

And through that, the people of Nghe An in particular and the whole country in general will forever remember the heroic sacrifice of Hero and martyr Hoang Kim Giao, a son of the port city of Hai Phong.

For the Truong Bon National Historical Site Management Board, the letters and artifacts of martyr Hoang Kim Giao are truly treasures. Because along with the letters, records, and belongings of Truong Bon Youth Volunteers currently on display at the museum, theseartifactThe newly awarded collection will be added to complete the collection. From there, it will add more heroic and glorious features to the picture of Truong Bon during the war...