The teacher from Nghe An returns home after receiving a death notice.
In a fierce battle, soldier Nguyen Van Loi was severely wounded and captured by the enemy, enduring imprisonment. His unit sent a death notice to his family, and his parents wept until their tears ran dry. On the day of complete victory, this "martyr" returned, continuing to pursue his life's dreams while never ceasing to remember his comrades.
Comradeship, the bond between teacher and student.
In his house in Hamlet 4, Anh Son town,Anh Son districtIn Nghe An province, Mr. Nguyen Van Loi (born in 1945) has a place of honor to display his "Golden Plaque of Honor." This plaque was awarded by the state to Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Van Dung (Mr. Loi's parents) several decades ago because their two sons, Nguyen Van Loc and Nguyen Van Loi, joined the army to fight against the Americans and save the country.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Mr. Loi's eyes welled up with tears: "Back then, when my parents heard that my brothers and I had successively sacrificed our lives on the battlefields of Southern Vietnam, they cried until their tears ran dry. Grief and sorrow enveloped our entire family. But I was fortunate enough to return home, becoming a pillar of support for my parents and a source of motivation for the family…"
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Born in Khai Son commune (Anh Son district), Nguyen Van Loi graduated from the Physics Department of Vinh Pedagogical University and went to teach at Tinh Gia High School (Thanh Hoa). He thought he would forever be connected to chalk, blackboards, and his innocent, cheerful students, but as the war intensified, the young teacher volunteered to join the army, hoping to contribute to driving out the invaders.
At the end of 1971, on National Highway 1A through Tinh Gia district, a deeply moving farewell took place. Teachers and students bid farewell to their teachers and young students, both eighteen and twenty years old, as they set off for the battlefields of Southern Vietnam to fight the Americans. Hands clasped tightly, smiles and tears mingled, and waves of farewell were filled with love and affection.
"Even today, at the age of 80, and more than 50 years since that farewell, the memories remain vivid, every image and detail intact. I can never forget the affectionate glances of my young students, my friends, and colleagues...", Mr. Loi confided.
Upon joining the army, Nguyen Van Loi became a soldier in the 325th Division, primarily fighting in the Quang Tri battlefield. In this "land of fire," he and his comrades participated in fierce battles, including theQuang Tri Ancient CitadelIn 1972, he still kept the article "Comradeship and Teacher-Student Relationship" published in the People's Teacher newspaper on August 20, 1972.
The article tells the story of teacher Nguyen Van Loi, who volunteered to join the army. He didn't have time to visit his family, only managing to write a letter to his wife before leaving. Upon arriving on the battlefield, he was assigned to a squad led by Comrade Cao Van Hao. Hao was Loi's former student, who had enlisted four months earlier. The reunion was filled with both joy and awkwardness as they found themselves in their new relationship.
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After many heart-to-heart conversations, they decided to help each other train. Officer Lợi would strive to obey regulations, practice tactics and techniques, and prove himself worthy of being a soldier. Meanwhile, Squad Leader Hào would have to be bold, serious in his conduct, and provide dedicated assistance. From then on, they became close, building a united squad together.
Transform prisons into revolutionary schools.
A turning point in the life of this soldier occurred on January 27, 1973 – the day the Paris Agreement was signed. That day, during a clash with the enemy at Cua Viet, the unit was tasked with preventing the enemy from expanding their territory, which would have been detrimental to us after the signing of the agreement. The battle was extremely fierce; the enemy used heavy firepower to accelerate their advance, but our troops bravely resisted and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.
The battle was unequal, and the unit suffered heavy losses. During an assault, soldier Nguyen Van Loi was hit by a bullet and lay dead on the sand. Waking up in an enemy hospital, he learned he had become a prisoner of war and began a series of days dealing with the enemy's attempts to extract information from him. The enemy transferred him to the Da Nang prison camp, then the Bien Hoa prison camp, and finally the Can Tho prison camp. They tried everything from persuasion to threats of torture with whips, but he still didn't utter a single word.
In exile, Teacher Loi was assigned by the Party organization within the prison to gather educated comrades and secretly organize training and cultural education for them. With his experience, intelligence, and resourcefulness, Teacher Loi and his comrades transformed the prison into a school.
On April 30, 1975, upon hearing the news of Saigon's liberation, Mr. Nguyen Van Loi and over 1,000 other fighters imprisoned in Can Tho prison rose up, broke out of the prison, and freed themselves. They then joined in the joy of national reunification and the reunion of the two regions.
During the busy post-war months, the soldier finally had time to write to his family, recounting his experiences in battle. Nearly two months later, Mr. Loi received a reply from his wife, in which she recounted the family's death notice received in 1973. The news struck like a bolt from the blue, plunging the entire family into grief. His mother, Mrs. Hoang Thi Dung, fell critically ill upon receiving the news of her son's death on the battlefield. His young wife spent two years living with tears, each night standing before her husband's altar, yearning for the loving look in his eyes…
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Leaving the military with a 61% disability, Mr. Loi continued his dedication to teaching, becoming an exemplary teacher for generations of students in the Anh Son midland region. After retiring from teaching, with his children grown up and successful, Mr. Loi devoted his time to traveling throughout the North and South of Vietnam to find and reconnect with his comrades who had been imprisoned in Can Tho prison after the Paris Agreement.
After nearly 20 years of searching, Mr. Loi has compiled the addresses and phone numbers of nearly 500 fellow prisoners from his time incarcerated in Can Tho. Whenever he remembers them, he writes letters or calls to check in and share his feelings.
I only hope to have enough health to continue searching for, connecting with, and meeting friends who shared the same experience of imprisonment. If I delay, the opportunities will diminish, as most of us have already passed the age that is considered "rarely seen."
Mr. Nguyen Van Loi