Veteran finds remains of comrades through battlefield memoirs
(Baonghean.vn) - Nearly 5 years have passed, but every time he remembers the search for the remains of martyr Tran Thanh Hai, Mr. Le Manh Hai is still moved and proud to have helped bring his comrade's remains back to his homeland.
Veteran Le Manh Hai, residing in Le Loi Ward, Vinh City (Nghe An), is the Head of the Traditional Liaison Committee of the Delta Brigade - Division 320 in Nghe Tinh. Once, a man named Tran Phi Ho came to see Mr. Hai and asked the Liaison Committee to find information for his brother, martyr Tran Thanh Hai, a soldier of Regiment 271, who died on the battlefield in the South in 1972.
Mr. Ho said his mother was 90 years old and her strength was exhausted. Her only wish was to find the remains of her son who died on the battlefield in the South and bring them back to his homeland to rest. Only then would the mother be at peace when she passed away, no longer worrying about not having found her son.
Mr. Hai accepted and promised Mr. Ho that he would notify the members of the Liaison Committee and his comrades in all regions to obtain information about martyr Tran Thanh Hai. He promised to reassure the martyr's relatives, but deep down, veteran Le Manh Hai was not sure he would find him, because the Southern battlefield was vast, and the Division was marching and fighting on all battlefields, while time was getting farther and farther away.
Later, Mr. Hai was given the memoir “There Was a Time Like That” by writer Vo Minh, which tells about his years of fighting on the battlefield. Writer Vo Minh is also a veteran of the 271st Regiment, who participated in commanding many fierce battles and achieved resounding victories with his unit.
The memoir “There was a time like that” by Vo Minh is 254 pages thick. When reading pages 75 - 87, Mr. Le Manh Hai noticed the ambush of the enemy retreating from Thien Ngon - Sa Mat - Tan Bien (Tay Ninh) on Highway 22 on April 2, 1972. In this battle, we burned 2 tanks and destroyed a number of enemies but also suffered casualties.
Among the four martyrs who died in Nghe An - Ha Tinh mentioned by the writer in his memoirs was martyr Tran Thanh Hai, from Do Luong district. At this point, Mr. Hai immediately remembered the man who had met him and the last wish of his 90-year-old mother, which was to find her son's remains and return to her homeland.
Connecting the details, events and experiences of the battlefield, veteran Le Manh Hai had a hunch that soldier Tran Thanh Hai in the story of writer Vo Minh was the brother of Mr. Tran Phi Ho. Recalling the reunion with Mr. Ho and the words expressing his mother's earnest wishes, Mr. Hai once again determined to connect information to find the remains of martyr Tran Thanh Hai.
Mr. Le Manh Hai shared: “After reading the information in the memoir, I met with the relatives of martyr Tran Thanh Hai to discuss how to connect, verify information, and proceed to find the remains. Meeting the mother directly, I was even more moved when I heard her express her last wishes, and hidden in her cloudy eyes was hope. Upon returning, I immediately contacted writer Vo Minh to find a way to connect information with the veterans of Regiment 271.”
Introduced by the Liaison Committee of Regiment 271, Mr. Le Manh Hai found veteran Nguyen Van Thin, who directly buried his comrades after the battle that year. That raised the hope of finding the grave of martyr Tran Thanh Hai. After that meeting, Mr. Hai discussed with writer Vo Minh, the family of the martyr and veteran Nguyen Van Thin to organize a trip to Sa Mat (Tay Ninh) to find the remains of the martyr.
With the help of the Tay Ninh Provincial Military Command, the Tan Bien District Military Command, and especially veteran Nguyen Van Thanh, a local soldier who fought in this area, and Nguyen Van Dung, a local, Mr. Hai and everyone soon determined the burial place of martyr Tran Thanh Hai.
At exactly 9:00 a.m. on November 13, 2018, the family and comrades found the remains of martyr Tran Thanh Hai. At that sacred moment, everyone burst into tears…
Mr. Tran Phi Ho, younger brother of martyr Tran Thanh Hai, said: “After finding my brother’s remains, we brought them back to be buried at the Vinh City Martyrs’ Cemetery. A few years later, our mother passed away peacefully. The family is extremely grateful to those who helped find Tran Thanh Hai’s remains, especially the enthusiasm and responsibility of Mr. Le Manh Hai.”