The story of the village commemorated by bombs in Dien Xuan.

(Baonghean.vn) - Fifty years ago, on August 8, 1966 (the 22nd day of the 6th lunar month), Thua Sung village, Dien Xuan commune, Dien Chau district, was instantly flattened by American bombs. The once peaceful village landscape was replaced by ruins, desolation, and heartbreaking death. Since then, the entire village has held a "bomb memorial," commemorating the deaths of their relatives on the same day.

From a village devastated by bombs, it has now become a prosperous and beautiful rural area.

At 4:00 AM on August 8, 1966, while the villagers were still asleep, the American forces dropped more than a dozen devastating bombs on the village. In an instant, the entire peaceful village was flattened by American bombs and bullets, causing heartbreaking grief and loss. The village suffered 49 deaths and hundreds more were injured, including four families that were completely wiped out with no survivors.

Back then, Dien Xuan was the target of fierce bombing by the American forces because the commune was located on the vital Route 205, connecting to national and provincial highways, and near the train station. At that time, Dien Xuan housed four military and liaison units, two food and weapons depots, fuel depots, and schools and hospitals that had been evacuated there. Hundreds of Dien Xuan families dismantled their houses to use the planks for road construction, giving up their homes to the soldiers...

Mr. Le Van Dieu's family gathers together on the anniversary of his father's death.

In that bombing raid, Mr. Le Van Dieu tragically lost his father... Even after 50 years, the pain of losing his father has not subsided. Mr. Dieu shared: "My father was the deputy head of the production team at the time. He was on his way to ring the bell to mobilize the villagers to work when the bombs fell. My father died at the age of 29, and my mother was only 25. She single-handedly raised four of us siblings, enduring immense hardship..."

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhu's family lost seven members, including her parents and siblings. Because she was attending school in Yen Thanh that day, Mrs. Nhu survived. Then there's the heartbreaking story of Mr. Truong Duc Nhuan's family; while he was fighting in Laos, his wife and children were killed in a bombing raid, leaving no survivors...

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhu couldn't help but feel heartbroken when recalling the story of her family being devastated by bombs 50 years ago.

In Thua Sung village (now Hamlet 3), Dien Xuan today, out of more than 100 households, over 30 families hold memorial services. Even those working far away return to their families to light incense and remember the deceased. After peace was restored, Dien Xuan erected a memorial plaque in the center of the village to commemorate those who died in the bombing on August 8, 1966, marking the day of ultimate suffering endured by the people here.

The people of Thua Sung village lit incense sticks to pay tribute to the spirits of those who fell in the bombing on August 8, 1966.

The story of the "bomb-stricken" village of Dien Xuan will forever be remembered, a painful testament to the atrocities of war. Overcoming the pain, each villager of Thua Sung demonstrated a courageous and resilient spirit, maintaining unwavering resolve to rebuild their homes and villages, protect revolutionary bases, and repel the American air force. Through the war, Dien Xuan was honored twice by the Party and State with the title of Heroic Village.

Mai Giang