The wish of a veteran of the Train Without Numbers
(Baonghean.vn) - In his youth, he was attached to a ship that overcame many storms and bullets to transport weapons and supplies to the southern battlefield. In his old age, veteran Duong Van Luong encountered misfortune when his son had an accident, and his old house leaked and he did not have enough money to repair it...
8 live memorials
The small house of Mr. Duong Van Luong's family (born in 1944) is located in a deep alley in Block 2, Thu Thuy Ward (Cua Lo Town). Over a pot of green tea, Mr. Luong told about his youth: "In 1964, while I was a student at the Maritime University, I registered for military service and was assigned to Ship 42, Brigade 125,Navy. From then on, life was attached to the ocean, drifting with the waves and wind, facing danger many times".
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| War veteran Duong Van Luong talks about his youthful years in the army. Photo: Cong Kien |
According to Mr. Luong, Ship 42 belongs toTrain without number, whose mission was to follow the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea to transport goods and heavy weapons to support the battlefield in the South. From 1964 to 1970, Mr. Luong had a total of 8 missions on board, including 5 trips to transport weapons to the U Minh forest for supplies, and 3 trips to participate in reconnaissance with the Navy General Staff.
Each trip lasted for several months, and many times they encountered enemy ships. The mission was extremely arduous, fierce and dangerous, so the soldiers of the Unnumbered Trains were always ready to fight and sacrifice.
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War veteran Duong Van Luong was awarded 10 Orders and Medals of various types by the Party and State. Photo: Cong Kien |
“Before leaving, the officers and soldiers on the ship were given a live funeral, demonstrating the spirit of dying for the Fatherland, ready to accept sacrifice for the victory of the country. The 8 times I was on the ship to perform my duty, I was given a live funeral 8 times, but fortunately I was still safe and sound enough to return.”
Determined not to let people and goods fall into enemy hands, when leaving the base in Hai Phong insouthernOn duty, like many other unnumbered ships, Ship 42 (which only had its call sign installed when it returned to base) always had 3 tons of explosives placed in the bow, hold, and stern. When it was unfortunately surrounded by enemy warships or planes and was in a dangerous situation, 3 tons of explosives would be detonated to destroy the ship, all officers and soldiers would be sacrificed.
Every time it set out, Ship 42 often chose a time when there were big waves and strong winds, because the brave naval soldiers were used to the waves and winds and did not fear danger. Furthermore, this was the time when American and puppet warships were less likely to follow and pursue it because they all took refuge in port. The arrival and return dates of each trip were uncertain, because it was impossible to predict the waves and winds of the sea as well as the enemy's pursuit and search.
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| Photo of a ship without a number of the Vietnam People's Navy on duty to supply weapons to the southern battlefield. Documentary photo |
There were times when the US and puppet warships formed a siege formation, Ship 42 cleverly and bravely escaped the siege to go to international waters or to foreign waters. Enemy ships and planes chased, Ship 42 on one sideready to fight, on the other hand, tried to avoid it by going around the sea, anchoring at Hainan Island (China) or sometimes hiding on a deserted island in Indonesian waters.
In the end, all 8 trips of Mr. Duong Van Luong "went to the right place and returned home", transporting weapons to the canals in U Minh forest for the liberation army and investigating the activities of the US Navy and the puppet army in the southern sea. During his six years as a soldier of the Ship Without Numbers, the son of Cua Lo sea contributed to the victory of the long-term resistance war and was awarded 10 Orders and Medals of various types by the Party and the State.
Windy afternoon
At the end of 1970, Mr. Duong Xuan Luong left the No-numbered Train and transferred to the task of protecting the Hai Phong sea area, and later supported the Southwestern border front. In 1987, Mr. Luong retired and returned to his coastal village of Cua Lo, where he was born and raised.
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| The fourth son Duong Hai Dang had a traffic accident, Mr. Duong Xuan Luong and his wife had to take care of both their son and grandson. Photo: Cong Kien |
Mr. Luong and his wife had 5 children. They overcame many difficulties, saved money to raise their children to adulthood and all of them had their own families. They thought they would enjoy a comfortable old age, but misfortune suddenly struck when more than 3 years ago, their fourth son, Duong Hai Dang, unfortunately died.traffic accident
Mr. Dang is a bridge engineer. The accident left him with a very serious brain injury and required multiple surgeries to save his life. “All the money I had saved for years to take care of my old age and renovate my house had to be used to treat Dang. I ran out of money and had to borrow money everywhere to save his life. Up to now, the cost of treatment has cost nearly two billion VND,” said Ms. Trinh Thi Tuy, Mr. Luong’s wife.
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| Whenever it rains, the inside of the wall leaks and the roof tiles leak. Photo: Cong Kien |
For nearly four years now, the old couple has had to take care of their son who unfortunately suffered an accident that left him disabled. Dang is sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious, often sleeping during the day and staying awake at night, sometimes having fits of breaking things in the house. At night, Dang often wakes his parents up to chat “to relieve boredom”, making Mr. Luong and his already tired wife even more exhausted.
Before the accident, Mr. Duong Hai Dang had his own family and two children. But then the couple could not find common ground and divorced, with one child living with the mother and the other with the father. Now Mr. Luong and his wife still have tocareand grandchildren, taking care of everything from food to education. The pension is just enough to cover daily living needs and save to pay off debts.
The house is low and small, built with lime mortar for decades, the walls are peeling, leaking rainwater, the roof is full of holes, making it difficult to withstand heavy rains and storms. The ground is lower than the road surface, so when it rains heavily, water floods the yard and garden, and when the rain stops, he has to clean up the garbage that drifts in. Although he really wants to renovate and upgrade the house, Mr. Luong has to give up because his family cannot afford a large expense.
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| The ground is lower than the road surface, so whenever it rains heavily, water floods the yard and garden. Photo: Cong Kien |
Sharing the difficulties with veteran Duong Van Luong, the Veterans Liaison Committee of the Nghe An - Ha Tinh region's train without numbers prepared a dossier to submit to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry decided to support Mr. Luong's family with 80 million VND to make a living.charity houseBut this amount is not enough to cover the repair costs, so the authorities and organizations of Cua Lo town are continuing to mobilize support.
“In addition to the amount of money supported by the Ministry of National Defense, the town has also supported and mobilized tens of millions of VND. To renovate and upgrade the house, Mr. Luong's family needs about 100 million VND more, and hopes to receive help and sharing from organizations and individuals with good hearts. This is also an opportunity to show a noble gesture, contributing to gratitude for the merits of soldiers who have fought and died, contributing to the victory in the war against America, bringing about today's peaceful life."
| Family situation of war veteran Duong Van Luong. Clip: Cong Kien - Duc Anh |
