40 years of the Southwestern border war: Memories of those involved

40 years of war to protect the southwestern border have passed, but the memories of those involved are still deep. Recalling those years, those involved are always proud that they participated in protecting the Fatherland, in overthrowing the Pol Pot regime, and liberating the Cambodian people who were at risk of genocide.

Vietnamese volunteer soldiers on the Cambodian front. Source: VNA

Mr. Le Van Hien (also known by his familiar name Sau Hanh) recalled: When the border war broke out, the country had been at peace for less than 2 years, many cadres and soldiers who had just experienced the resistance war against American imperialism returned to take up arms to protect the southwestern border, fighting against the genocidal regime of Pol Pot.

For him, every time he meets his comrades who fought together, memories of the Southwestern border war come flooding back, with many happy and sad memories mixed together. But perhaps the greatest happiness that he will never forget is that he has completed the mission that the country has entrusted to him, joining forces with the army and people of Cambodia to defeat the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and help the neighboring country rebuild the country.

“The exciting thing was that wherever we went, we helped our friends, took care of them, educated them, and gave them medicine. The Cambodian people were happy because the Vietnamese army helped us, and wherever we went, people loved us,” Mr. Le Van Hien recalled.

In the memories of the officers and soldiers participating in the war, perhaps the Southwestern border war witnessed the devastation, ruins and brutality of the Pol Pot genocidal regime, where wherever they went, they saw people being brutally killed.

Major General Le Thanh Son, Hero of the People's Armed Forces, former Commander of the Can Tho Provincial Military Command, shared that during the years of fighting to protect the southwestern border, he and his comrades could not hold back their tears when witnessing the brutality of Pol Pot. It was because of that brutality that officers and soldiers had to be determined to fight to protect the Fatherland, and together with the Cambodian army and people, defeat the genocidal regime of Pol Pot.

During the war, whenever they saw people in neighboring countries starving, soldiers gave them rice and milk, so they gained the trust and love of the people in neighboring countries.

“Peace has not been here for many days, our soldiers have gone to protect the border, help our friends, and then sacrificed. We are very moved, remembering forever our comrades and teammates who sacrificed” - Major General Le Thanh Son emotionally said.

Major General Le Xa Hoi, former Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Military Region 9, said that the brutality of the Pol Pot regime had made the spirit of determination to fight and the willingness to sacrifice to protect the Fatherland. The Southwestern border war demonstrated the spirit of solidarity and the willingness to sacrifice to protect the independence and freedom of the nation and to help the country revive, so that the Cambodian people could live in peace, independence, freedom, prosperity and happiness.

After the liberation of your country, there are still many Vietnamese cadres, experts and volunteer soldiers who continue to stand side by side with your people to carry out the work of national construction, infrastructure building and economic development.

During the arduous and fierce southwestern border war, countless Vietnamese and Cambodian officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives or left behind a part of their flesh and blood on the battlefield. For those who directly participated in the fighting, memories come flooding back every time they meet their comrades who fought together to protect the independence and freedom of the nation./.

Pham Hai