The last letters of a martyr - an outstanding son of Nam Dan land

Cherishing the time-worn letters of Martyr Tran Huu Ky (Hamlet 1, Nam Giang, Nam Dan), Mr. Tran Huu Thanh, the martyr’s younger brother, could not help but be moved: “My family has 6 children, 4 boys, 2 girls, 5 of whom participated in the resistance war. Even though after demobilization, my brother and I were all wounded and sick soldiers, it was still a blessing to be alive and witness the day the country gained freedom and independence. As for my brother Tran Huu Ky, he remained on the battlefield forever during the fiercest period of the Mau Than campaign.

Because their mother died early, the siblings have been very independent since childhood. In particular, Ky is an emotional and thoughtful person, so he often takes on the heavy work in the family so that his siblings can focus on their studies.

As a young man, Mr. Ky was an energetic and active person, so he was elected as a Youth Union officer of the commune. After many years of active activities, he was one of the first few young people in Nam Giang commune to be admitted to the Party at that time.

Mr. Tran Huu Thanh and his daughter are re-reading letters sent by his brother, martyr Tran Huu Ky, in the last years before his death. Photo: Thanh Quynh

In addition to volunteering to do difficult and heavy work, he also uses his calculation skills to help everyone complete the timekeeping and points accumulation accurately and quickly. The cooperative's food warehouse is getting fuller every day when he and the young people work together and work together.

After a series of effective working days, with his outstanding qualities, he was trusted by the villagers and elected as Chief Accountant of My Phuc Cooperative (located in Nam Giang commune today).

At that time, Mr. Ky was still young and was a cooperative officer, so he had not yet received an order to join the army. However, with a passionate youthful heart and a determination to devote all to the independence and freedom of the country, he still decided to apply to join the resistance.

Letter sent by martyr Tran Huu Ky to his family in 1966. Photo: Thanh Quynh

No one in my family could have imagined that the day Ky left for the army would be the last time anyone would see him. The family's longing and longing is contained in the letters he wrote in the midst of the bombed battlefield.
Holding the letter written by Mr. Ky in 1966, Mr. Thanh sadly said: “That Tet, my father was seriously ill. There was no money left in the house to buy medicine. Along with missing his son, his health deteriorated. Then, thanks to receiving your letter, he was so happy that he recovered from his illness.”

The letters are cherished and preserved by the martyr's family until now. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Holding the letter, the writing was blurred from nearly 50 years ago, it was difficult for strangers like us to translate, but Mr. Thanh still clearly remembered his brother's confidences:

Dear Grandma, Dad and Brothers!

Knowing that my family, my siblings, and my neighbors are all healthy, happy, and safe, I am very happy. That night I quickly wrote a few lines of a letter and sent them to my family.

First of all, I would like to sincerely wish you, your father, your siblings, your relatives, and the young villagers to be healthy and have fun so that they can have great determination to complete the production work well and contribute to the famine relief in March. At the same time, contribute to defeating the invaders..."

In a last letter to his eldest brother, martyr Tran Huu Ky wrote:

“Dear Mr. Thuy. I did not want to keep you waiting for a long time, so I quickly picked up my pen and wrote you a letter. At the beginning of the letter, I sincerely wish you to always be healthy and young forever so that you can serve your work well. I am happy.

Dear brother! I received your letter and the thing that made me most excited was when I learned that your health was good despite the hard work. I learned that you were preparing to go on a business trip. Going with you is an honor, but also something to think about when the family is in difficulty. Old grandmother, weak father, young children. When the weather changes, who can you call out to? But please try to fulfill your duty and return home..."

The last lines that martyr Tran Huu Ky sent to his comrades before passing away forever in 1968. Photo: Thanh Quynh

More specifically, as if he had a premonition of his passing, in his diary written on April 5, 1968, more than 3 months before the martyr Tran Huu Ky sacrificed himself, he sent a message to his comrades:“We went to liberate the country for independence and freedom. When I went to fight, I left behind some necessary items. If I am no longer here, please send them to me at the above address. I am very grateful. Quang Tri, April 5, 1968.”

Those were also the last lines the martyr left before his death.

Portrait of martyr Tran Huu Ky. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Continuing the unfinished story, Mr. Vo Van Thien (born in 1943), a close friend who lived near the house and joined the army on the same day and fought in the same unit as martyr Tran Huu Ky, said: “I joined Mr. Ky on April 10, 1965, when Ky was 20 years old. Because he was agile and a young party member, Ky was trusted by his comrades and assigned to the position of Deputy Squad Leader. We were artillery soldiers of the 367th Division.

That was the peak of the fighting period, when he could only sleep for about 2 or 3 hours a day. Although he was so tired, every time he had a break, Ky patiently wrote letters home to his family and relatives. Every time his comrades advised him to rest, he just smiled gently and said: "I'm afraid that if I don't write home, my family will worry. I feel sorry for my father and my mother, who are old and still waiting for letters from their children and grandchildren every day."

Later, thanks to his steadfast and brave fighting, Ky was appointed Squad Leader, then Platoon Leader - Regiment 270. During the fierce battle at Ta Con airport (Quang Tri), Ky was hit by a bomb and remained on the battlefield forever on July 17, 1968. At this time, Ky had just turned 23 years old!

Upon receiving his son’s death notice, Mr. Tran Huu Do, father of martyr Tran Huu Ky, dropped his bowl of rice on the ground. He silently skipped his meal and tears rolled down his face. That was the first and only time anyone saw him cry. Since then, to ease his longing for his son, he carefully kept the letters of martyr Tran Huu Ky and considered them a precious asset of his family./.

Thanh Quynh