Society

Nghe An's "fire coordinates" - from bomb smoke to the desire for peace

Diep Thanh • DNUM_AEZAFZCACF 15:25

There are lands that not only exist on the geographical map, but are also imprinted in the national memory. These are the “coordinates of fire” – where bombs and bullets plow, blood and bones blend, and indomitable will blossoms. The journey back to the vestiges of war in Nghe An, for me, is a quiet dialogue with the souls who fell for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, to better understand the value of life today.

Diep Thanh - Publication date: May 4, 2025

There are lands that not only exist on the geographical map, but are also imprinted in the national memory. These are the “coordinates of fire” – where bombs and bullets plow, blood and bones blend, and indomitable will blossoms. The journey back to the vestiges of war in Nghe An, for me, is a quiet dialogue with the souls who fell for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, to better understand the value of life today.

Symbol of struggle for peace

The special geographical location makes Nghe An play an important and strategic role in the resistance war against America. Therefore, there are many places on the North-South arterial road that have gone down in history as "Fire coordinates”heroic… Over time, those places have become symbols of the desire for peace.

That is Truong Bon - a place where there are no more traces of war, but each stone step, each row of trees still silently tells a heroic story: The story of 19,000 bombs dropped during the period of 1964 - 1968, of more than 1,240 heroes and martyrs who fell to maintain the traffic arteries, and of 13 youth volunteers who remained forever in their twenties, just a few hours before the order to stop bombing the North.

History remains the same, the story has not changed over the years, but every time I hear it, my heart still aches. Standing in the middle of Truong Bon today, in the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, I wonder: Can this peace be measured by their sacrifices?

That is the land of Hoang Mai - where Hoang Mai Station used to be a vital transit point on the North - South railway line. The train whistle of the past not only transported goods but also carried the worries and hopes of an entire nation. Not far away, Hoa Tien cave marked the sacrifice of 33 young volunteers, like a heroic and tragic song engraved deep into the ground.

I came to Dien Chau junction - the intersection of two strategic traffic axes North - South and East - West. During the war years, this place used to be a "hot spot" that suffered from bombs, aiming to cut off support from the rear. But in that difficult time, the indomitable fighting spirit of our army and people shone even brighter. They held on, repaired the road, opened the route, turning this place into a symbol of iron will, a crossroads of sacrifice and courage.

Cam Bridge - the bridge across the Cam River, was once bombed by thousands of tons of bombs and bullets by the enemy, but still could not subdue the steel hearts: the engineers and people stayed day and night, repaired, and kept the traffic flowing.

And Ben Thuy - a steadfast gateway amidst the rain of bombs and bullets. Here, convoys still quietly crossed the river, and trains still steadfastly docked. Ben Thuy residents, workers, cadres, and militiamen - all contributed their efforts, digging tunnels, building docks, and braving dangers to unload goods and repair the ferry. Blood and tears mingled with the Lam River, but the will of the Nghe people remained as steadfast as the Hong Linh peak.

Forever shining the heroic flame

Today's abundant life does not come naturally. Nghe An, during the years of fighting, has endured so many bombs and bullets, every inch of land is soaked with the blood and bones of many people. Now, inpeace blue, the old coordinates are lighting another fire…

Today, Do Luong district - where Truong Bon is located - is no longer a poor agricultural area. Traffic infrastructure has been heavily invested, industrial parks have sprung up, and people's lives have improved. Truong Bon has become an indispensable destination in the journey of gratitude and traditional education for the younger generation. And every major holiday, thousands of people flock here to listen to the echoes of history.

Hoang Mai, from a peaceful coastal area that was heroic during the war, is rising to become a new growth pole of Nghe An. The quiet train cars of the past are now becoming a vibrant rhythm of economic development. Dien Chau is also changing strongly with the North-South Expressway Project passing through, many urban areas, coastal resorts are formed, many tourist areas, industrial parks, high-tech agriculture... bringing a new vitality to this heroic land.

Cam Bridge - Nghi Loc has become a bustling, vibrant place of development, further depicting the importance of a key gateway to the rear during the anti-American war. Another important southern gateway - Ben Thuy, with 2 bridges bustling with convoys of vehicles traveling across Vietnam; Vinh city has now become a major economic - political - cultural center of the North Central region. Tree-lined streets, new urban areas, modern industrial parks... paint a picture of a brighter future.

As a young person born when the country was at peace, I have no memories of the sound of bombs, but I believe there is another memory circulating in my veins – the memory of gratitude and pride. In the future, no matter how society changes, no matter how history changes, those coordinates will always exist in the flow of development.

Thinking about the “fire coordinates” is also the way we light the fire of gratitude – a fire that must never be extinguished in the hearts of every young Vietnamese. Gratitude for those who have fallen, those who have devoted their lives to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Gratitude forNghe An hometownresilient, has embraced the pain and loss but still rises up strongly.