The story of a veteran from Nghe An who struggled on the old battlefield to find the remains of 14 comrades
Having fought in the South, veteran Tran Van Phuc never stopped missing his fallen comrades, especially those who were lying at the edge of the forest and on the cliffs, not yet gathered in the cemetery. That urged the soldier to return to the old battlefield to find the remains of his comrades.
Missing my comrades
In a simple house in hamlet 9, Nghi Phong commune (Vinh city), Mr. Tran Van Phuc (born in 1956) told us about his years of fighting inSouthern battlefieldand the journey to find teammates.
“In 1974, after training, I was assigned to Regiment 141, Division 3 Sao Vang, Military Region 5. Marching into Hoai An district (Binh Dinh province), I joined the 15th Engineer Company, reinforcing Battalion 8, with the task of coordinating with other units to hold the points our army had captured. There were many fierce battles here, the unit suffered many losses,” Mr. Phuc began the story.
At the end of 1974, the enemy concentrated its forces and launched comprehensive encroachment operations, hoping to eliminate the leopard skin situation (intertwined areas) between the two sides. Mr. Phuc's unit was assigned to hold the 174 high point cluster (in An My commune, Hoai An district), a key position, of great significance to both us and the enemy, so both sides had to capture it at all costs.
Because this high point cluster is located on Highway 5, connecting to the Eastern Truong Son, it is the only lifeline for the North to support the Binh Dinh front.
To capture Hill 174, the enemy concentrated dozens of artillery pieces and mobilized A37 aircraft to continuously bomb and shell the battlefield. Mr. Phuc and his comrades steadfastly held their ground at the hill and organized resistance to the enemy's attacks.
The battle caused many losses for both sides. Enemy planes bombed the tunnel, burying 7 of Mr. Phuc's teammates and 2 of his teammates.sacrificeat the tunnel entrance. The critical situation forced our army to retreat to consolidate forces and wait for an opportunity to counterattack.
During the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, Tran Van Phuc's unit was assigned the task of liberating Long Son Island (Vung Tau city), opening the eastern corridor to liberate Saigon.
In 1979, Regiment 141 marched to the Lang Son front, Mr. Phuc and his comrades continued to fight against the Chinese invaders. In 1988, he was transferred to another industry, worked as a worker at Nghe An Fuel Materials Company and retired in 2006.
Returning to normal life, facing many difficulties, having to take care of his family, veteran Tran Van Phuc always remembers his comrades who sacrificed their lives and have not been gathered, especially those who are lying in the tunnels of Hill 174.
Every Lunar New Year or War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27), the altars and graves of martyrs in cemeteries are filled with incense smoke. Thinking of my comrades lying cold at the edge of the forest or on the mountain slopes, not yet gathered, I am deeply saddened. This has urged me to return to the old battlefield to do something truly meaningful for the fallen and the living.
Mr. Tran Van Phuc, Nghi Phong commune (Vinh city)
To the sacred journeys
At first, veteran Tran Van Phuc did not know how to start his journey to find his comrades. Because the memories of the past were still clear, but time had passed nearly half a century, the landscape had certainly changed a lot, moreover, he alone could not do the work of searching and collecting the remains of his comrades.
After meeting and discussing with some friends in the same unit, Mr. Phuc went to Bac Giang, where the 3rd Sao Vang Division was stationed, to ask for the list and brief biographies of soldiers who died in Hoai An district (Binh Dinh province).
Once he had the background information, Mr. Phuc tried to contact the relatives of the martyrs, a task that seemed as difficult as “finding a needle in a haystack”. Because the martyrs sacrificed themselves at a very young age, none of them had wives or children, and their parents were old or had passed away, leaving only their siblings, so contacting them was not easy.
The most important step is to return to the old battlefield, find the place where the comrades fell to collect the remains. In 2009, the 3rd Sao Vang Division organized for veterans to visit the battlefield. On this trip, Mr. Phuc had to trek through the forest and wade through streams for 3 hours to determine the location of his father's sacrifice.martyrsare Do Cong Phan in Vu Thu district (Thai Binh province), Do Van Ban in An Lao district (Hai Phong city) and Khuong Dinh Dai in Thanh Mien district (Hai Duong province).
After that trip, Mr. Phuc contacted the martyrs' relatives and local authorities to organize the excavation and recovery of the remains.
In 2012, Mr. Tran Van Phuc and a comrade from Do Son (Hai Phong City) went to Hoai An (Binh Dinh Province) to look for their fallen comrades. On this trip, he found the remains of martyrs Dao Van Tai and Dang Son, both from Nghi Loc (Nghe An Province), who died at Phu Van Bridge, the tunnel entrance blocked by the enemy.
Every time he remembers Peak 174 and his comrades lying in the tunnel, Mr. Phuc feels uneasy. In 2023, Mr. Phuc decided to submit a petition to the authorities of Binh Dinh province (Provincial People's Committee, Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism, Provincial Military Command and Hoai An District Military Command) requesting support in searching for and organizing the excavation of martyrs' remains.
In early 2024, Mr. Phuc received a letter from the Binh Dinh Provincial Military Command stating that the unit would organize an excavation of a tunnel at peak 174, inviting him to join in the search.
Once again, Mr. Phuc returned to the old battlefield, the 174 peak area is now hills covered with acacia trees, it took a long time to determine the location of the tunnel.
One day, while excavating the tunnel, Mr. Phuc received a call from the mother of martyr Le Hong Phong in Hai Duong province. She was over 100 years old but still lucid, telling him: “My son! Try to find your brother and bring him back to me!”. Mr. Phuc and everyone else were moved and even more determined to find their comrade.
After staying there for more than 3 weeks, staying on the hilltop during the day and staying at local people's houses at night, Mr. Phuc and the Collection Team finally found the remains of 2 martyrs at the tunnel entrance and 7 martyrs' remains deep inside the tunnel.
All 9 sets of remains were sampled by the authorities for DNA testing to determine their identities and find their relatives before being buried at the Hoai An District Martyrs Cemetery. After that meaningful trip, veteran Tran Van Phuc felt at peace because he had found the remains of 14 comrades who had sacrificed their lives on Hoai An land.
Mr. Tran Van Phuc is an exemplary member, always actively participating in local movements as well as activities launched by the Association. In particular, in recent times, he has returned to the old battlefield many times to find many martyrs' remains, demonstrating the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", contributing to gratitude to heroes and martyrs".
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh - Chairman of the Veterans Association of Nghi Phong commune