Reenacting the Gac Ma battle through comics by history-loving students

The project shows the feelings that Nguyen Dieu Huyen and Mai Ngoc Nhu - Nguyen Trai Secondary School, Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province "show gratitude" to the Gac Ma soldiers on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Gac Ma naval battle (March 14, 1988 - March 14, 2018).

Huyen and Nhu's project is also one of the few projects that deal with the topic of history, although the field of Social and Behavioral Sciences is the field with the largest number of projects. Choosing this topic, Huyen and Nhu did not think that their project would go to the national competition round, winning the Second Prize because compared to other projects, their work was compact and not too massive. However, it was the emotions that the authors put into the project that won over the judges.

The comic book series Gac Ma was hand-drawn by students of Dong Ha City. Photo: My Ha

With “Educating love for the sea and islands through the creation of Gac Ma comics”, viewers are impressed by the meticulously, carefully and vividly drawn pictures. Interspersed with them are stories and battles surrounding the Gac Ma naval battle that took place 30 years ago.

Talking more about this project, Nguyen Dieu Huyen said: Many students are still "bored" and "afraid" of History because of the dry facts and figures. Our purpose in making history books in comic books is to help students approach history easily, reduce the burden on memory and help each person to empathize and arouse love and pride in national history.

The project of educating love for the sea and islands through the creation of the comic book Gac Ma and the heroes won second prize for students in Quang Tri province. Photo: My Ha

To carry out this project, Huyen and Nhu met many witnesses of the Gac Ma battle in Dong Ha City. They shared: "The first time we met Mr. Tran Thien Phung - a "living" witness. After that, knowing that we were doing the project, he was very happy, called all his Gac Ma comrades in Dong Ha City, Quang Tri and invited them to his house to provide us with more documents".

Another interesting thing is that the teacher who guided Dieu Huyen and Ngoc Nhu is not a History or Literature teacher but a Biology teacher. “Although it is not in the field that I teach, I myself am a person who loves and is passionate about History. The ideas of the two students really interested me, so I took on the task of supporting them in carrying out this project” - said teacher Tran Thi Thanh Uoc.

The story in the comic book is told by living witnesses in Dong Ha City. Photo: My Ha

Collecting the short stories, Nguyen Dieu Huyen was in charge of writing the lyrics, while Mai Ngoc Nhu was in charge of drawing the pictures. To create interest for readers, Nhu drew the stories in a modern style, with bright colors. Through the emotional drawings, the stories of life-and-death battles, camaraderie, comradeship and the emotions of the soldiers were recreated very realistically and closely.

The book, immediately after its completion, received the attention and response of many students in the school. As for the witnesses, holding the book in their hands, they saw again their youth, saw a past that, although still full of loss and pain, was still very heroic.

This is also the reason why the work participating in the National Science and Technology Competition has an "appendix" outside the project, recording the feelings of the witnesses:

“Today, when you came here and showed me the storybooks you had drawn, I was very surprised and touched. You have done such precious things.

For a long time, we have only heard or read information on newspapers and radio, and I am also worried about whether the younger generation will remember the Gac Ma battle in 1988 or not. But I believe that with this very vivid collection of stories, if it reaches young people, young people like you will know more and more clearly about the sacrifices and losses of our ancestors in the fight to protect Gac Ma Island in particular and Vietnam's sea and islands in general.

So 30 years have passed, my comrades and teammates have had a very beautiful monument built by you guys, thank you guys"!(excerpt from the letter Mr. Tran Thien Phung sent to the author).

The feelings that the students expressed were also welcomed by the audience and the judges of the contest. This is also the biggest reward that the students received in this contest - a reward for young people who love, appreciate and are proud of the heroic history of the nation.

My Ha