The secret to longevity of a 104-year-old Dien Bien Phu veteran in Nghe An

About 3 days leave to get married

Mr. Vieng was the youngest child in a farming family of 4 children (3 boys, 1 girl). In 1948, when the resistance war against France entered its fiercest phase, he followed the call of the Fatherland and joined the army. After a period of training as a new soldier, he joined the battle in Laos, Binh Tri Thien...

In 1950, he was allowed to go home for the first time. That year, to carry out a new mission, his unit had to march to the North to fight. While stopping in Dien Chau district, he was allowed to go home for 3 days.

“I was extremely excited to see my family and relatives again after more than 2 years of fighting. My mother was so happy that as soon as I returned home, she forced me to get married. The daughter-in-law she chose was a beautiful and virtuous girl in the village. The two families had promised each other that they would wait for me to return to get married. Following my mother’s wishes, I also decided to get married right away,” Mr. Vieng said.

Then a wartime wedding took place quickly, simply, gently but extremely cozy. There were no complicated procedures or grand ceremonies, in the party that day there was only green tea, but the brothers, neighbors, both paternal and maternal sides were all happy.

The soldier from Vinh Tuy village also did not expect to get married so quickly. After staying at home with his wife for exactly one night, the next day he had to leave, saying goodbye to his relatives and his young wife with regret. Recalling that time, Mr. Vieng shared: At that time, when I went to war, I only thought about fighting the enemy, not about getting married. Getting married on my leave was beyond my plans. However, after getting married, my mother was very happy, and I felt secure because at home she had someone to take care of her.

Perhaps thanks to the encouragement of his family and the home front, after getting married, Mr. Vieng achieved many outstanding achievements in combat in the battlefields of Ha Nam Ninh, Hoa Binh, Son Tay... In 1951, he was voted by his unit as an Emulation Fighter, attended the Army Emulation Fighter Congress in Dai Tu (Thai Nguyen) and was elected as an excellent delegate to attend the National Emulation Congress in 1952. At this congress, he met Uncle Ho and had his photo taken with him.

After the National Emulation Congress, from squad leader, he was promoted to company political commissar, taking on new tasks in the unit.

It was not until 7-8 years after the wedding that he was able to return home and give birth to his first child. The story of his 3-day leave to marry his wife became a beautiful, unforgettable memory in his military life.

Decisive battle on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield

70 years after the Dien Bien Phu Victory, recalling old memories, the 104-year-old veteran still recounts them with excitement. He said: I was in Company 54, Battalion 418, Regiment 57, Division 304. When participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, my company was reinforced with a 105mm artillery piece. Around the beginning of 1954, near Tet, my unit marched to the Southeast of Hong Cum sub-region.

According to Mr. Vieng, his unit was responsible for attacking and destroying enemy bases in the Hong Cum sub-region. Here, the enemy deployed a strong force, including many Euro-African battalions, Thai puppets, 105mm artillery, 120mm mortars, flamethrowers, tanks, and thousands of soldiers. The fighting in Hong Cum as well as on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield was extremely fierce. Our troops had to dig mountains, sleep in tunnels, and fight with the enemy for every hill and every gun emplacement.

His unforgettable memory on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield was digging trenches under the rain of bombs and bullets. He said: My unit fought and dug trenches, at the same time, blocking the enemy from going to the forest to cut wood to make tunnels. At night our troops dug, during the day the enemy sent tanks to fill them, but the trenches still got longer and longer, surrounding the strongholds. The French fired deafening cannons. The rockets exploded about 1 meter above the ground, in addition to causing casualties, they also deafened the soldiers, many had to use leaves to plug their ears.

Mr. Vieng said: Digging trenches to fight in Dien Bien Phu, our soldiers lacked drinking water, sometimes for months. Each fighting group only had one canteen of water, and the brothers had to share it with each other to drink.

There was not enough water to drink, let alone bathe or wash one’s face. At Dien Bien Phu, it was already dark by 4pm. At night, if one wanted to wash one’s face, one would spread a towel or piece of cloth on the trench bank, wait for the dew to soak it, and then use it to wipe one’s face. That was the case when there was a water shortage, but when it rained heavily, the entire trench was flooded with mud. During the battle, when the Company Commander was sacrificed and the Deputy Company Commander was injured, Mr. Vieng alone commanded the unit to fight and win.

“On the afternoon of May 7, 1954, the enemy raised white flags and surrendered. We were extremely happy. News of victory spread throughout the battlefield. The joy was indescribable,” said Mr. Vieng.

Maintain the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers

After the Dien Bien Phu victory, he was sent by the army to study in Nanning (China) for 3 years. In 1961, he was sent to study economic management in the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Zone. After completing the course, he returned to his unit with the rank of Captain as the Battalion Political Commissar. After that, he was mobilized to fight in the South. In 1970, he went to the North and retired to live with his family in Thai Nguyen.

In 1988, his family moved to his ancestral home village of Vinh Tuy, now Vinh Thap hamlet, Vinh Thanh commune to settle down. For decades, living in his homeland, Mr. Vieng has always maintained the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers. He believes: "It is good for young people to contribute and fight, and good for old people to sweep the house, and good for whatever they produce. We should not rely on our children and grandchildren."

Mr. Vieng said that during his years in the army, he fought hard, lived and died without any problems. When he returned to his hometown to farm, he was still as healthy as before, sometimes plowing 3 sao of rice fields and still finished early. He used to actively and enthusiastically participate in local organizations such as the Veterans Association, the Elderly Association, etc.

Her family has 5 biological children (4 boys, 1 girl) and 1 adopted child. The children all have their own families. She lives alone, her family has hired an additional maid to take care of her.

This year, at the age of 104, he is still healthy, able to walk, talk actively, has a clear mind, and is only slightly "hard of hearing". Every day, he still works hard, takes care of ornamental plants, raises animals (pigs, chickens) and writes poetry.

He said that in recent years, he has raised three pigs each year for his children and grandchildren to slaughter. At the end of last year, his family slaughtered an 85 kg pig to celebrate Tet. He is currently raising a pig weighing about 30 kg, nearly ten laying hens and a monkey.

He still regularly watches the news on television, especially the programs celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. When mentioning the Dien Bien Phu Victory, he enthusiastically discusses and analyzes the Geneva Agreement, our people's resistance war against the French, the assistance of the Chinese people, the Vietnam-China relationship, compares Vietnam's resistance war against the French with the resistance war of the Korean people, the armistice agreement signed at Panmunjom, etc.

Speaking of him, the people of Vinh Thanh commune greatly respect and admire him, because he is not only a "big tree" of longevity in the village, but also a typical Dien Bien Phu veteran in the locality. Sharing his secret to longevity, he just smiled: "I live comfortably, carefree, and happily with everyone. This way of life has made me peaceful."

He has a talent for writing poetry, and currently has a “poetry collection”, some of which are handwritten, some of which are typed and printed by teachers in the village. His simple, plain, and sincere verses reflect many aspects of people’s lives, especially the changes in his hometown Vinh Thanh. He shared that if he could sit down and talk about current events, resistance, and poetry, he could talk all day without getting bored.

Mr. Nguyen The Duong - Chairman of the Elderly Association of Vinh Thanh Commune added: Currently, there are 6 Dien Bien Phu veterans still living in the commune, of which, Mr. Vieng is the oldest. Living a long, healthy, and exemplary life, Mr. Vieng is a shining example for his children and grandchildren and the people to follow. In the near future, Mr. Vieng will probably have the honor of being invited to Hanoi to meet with Dien Bien Phu veterans.

70 years after the Dien Bien Phu Victory, he has never returned to visit the old battlefield. When mentioning Dien Bien Phu, he looks into the distance: "Life has changed so much. It must be very different there now. I can't even recognize the place where I fought."

The medals, badges and insignias that have been stained by time and awarded by the State and the army are carefully kept by him. The photo of him and Uncle Ho taken during the National Patriotic Emulation Congress in 1952 at the Viet Bac resistance base is solemnly hung in the living room by him.

In the nostalgic stream of reminiscing about Dien Bien memories, he excitedly said: “I am proud to be a Dien Bien soldier. I never expected to live until today, happily witnessing so many changes in my homeland, my country, and my army.”

Huy Thu