Society

Ginkgo Biloba • June 13, 2025 14:36

Charge through bombs and bullets

Arriving at Phong Thinh commune (Thanh Chuong) - one of the cradles of the revolutionary movement - we found a small alley leading to the house where the Dang brothers and descendants lived together. Few people know that in that alley only a few hundred meters long, there are 5 martyrs and 1 wounded soldier. Among them is martyr journalist Dang Loan - former Editor-in-Chief of the Western Nghe An Newspaper (later merged into Nghe An Newspaper).

Welcoming us at the over 100-year-old house, Ms. Dang Thi Hong Nga (born in 1950) - daughter of martyr journalist Dang Loan, could not help but be moved when recalling: "The day my father passed away, I was only 15 years old, my siblings were still young. Only later, when I heard my father's colleagues tell the story, did I understand how much my father loved and cherished the journalism profession."

Journalist Dang Loan, born in 1917, was a pre-uprising cadre. He was once the Secretary of the National Salvation Youth and the Captain in charge of the Red Self-Defense Team of Cat Ngan commune. During the general uprising to seize power in 1945, he was assigned to lead the Red Self-Defense Team in the nationwide demonstration and was the one who planted the Party flag on the enemy's fort when the uprising was victorious.

Since 1946, Mr. Dang Loan has held the following positions: Head of the Information and Propaganda Department of Cat Van Commune; Information and Propaganda Officer of Thanh Chuong District; Head of the Propaganda Department of Con Cuong District. In 1959, he was promoted to Head of the Propaganda Department and Editor-in-Chief of the Western Nghe An Newspaper.

“During his working days, my father was often busy with work and rarely came home. Every time he returned, he would diligently write. I still remember the last time he was home, it was a moonlit night. He called me out to tell me a few things before leaving. At that time, my eldest sister was far away, I was the eldest child in the family, my father told me to help my mother with housework and take care of my younger siblings' education. That was also the first time my father told me about his job, and also the first time I knew what journalism was like,” Ms. Nga recalled.

The Western Nghe An Newspaper serves readers and ethnic minority people of 10 districts and 14 farms, 13 forestry farms in the Western part of the province. The newspaper was published since 1963, issued twice a week. During the days when the US escalated its destruction of the North, Editor-in-Chief Dang Loan remained steadfast in his base, together with reporters, gathering information, editing, and publishing the newspaper fully and promptly, serving the propaganda mission for the army and people of Western Nghe An. He wrote about good people, encouraging the "Good production, good fighting" movement of ethnic minorities in the highlands, and the self-defense movement in the farms and forestry farms of the Phu Quy economic zone.

Ms. Nga said that later, she heard from his colleagues that during the 4 months that American planes fiercely bombed Factory 250B Phu Quy, Hieu River ferry, and Cat Mong airport, despite the agency's evacuation order, he and his contact Tran Van Thong did not leave the newsroom, but stayed to report.

“But then, one Sunday at the end of May 1965, bombs and bullets took my father away, just a few days after he left his instructions to my sisters and me. At that time, he was helping people save people and property, and when he returned to the editorial office to collect documents, a bomb fell, destroying the thatched house, taking the lives of him and his contact Tran Van Thong,” Mrs. Nga emotionally recounted.

From a pen engraved with a name to an immortal symbol of journalism

Also sacrificed in the fierce bombing of the Western Nghe An Newspaper Office at the end of May 1965 was martyr journalist Tran Van Thong.

Looking at the restored photo of her eldest brother, Mrs. Tran Thi Xuan (sister of martyr journalist Tran Van Thong) could not hide her emotions: “60 years have passed, but every time I mention him, I am moved. Looking at his photo again, tears fall. The eldest brother, the pillar of the family, the one who supported and guided his younger siblings to become good people, is still 41 years old.”

Mrs. Xuan emotionally recounted: “That morning, he hadn’t had time to eat anything, he just had time to grab a potato and peel it as he walked. He said he had to hurry to finish his work. As a journalist, regardless of Sunday or weekday, regardless of bombs, bullets, smoke, fire, he still went to do his duty. I didn’t expect that our last meeting would be so hasty.”

Journalist and martyr Tran Van Thong was born on March 14, 1924, in Cam Thanh commune, Cam Xuyen district (Ha Tinh town). According to Mr. Tran Van Diu (younger brother of journalist and martyr Tran Van Thong), he joined the revolution early, and at the age of 20 was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party (later the Communist Party of Vietnam). After the August Revolution, he continued to join the Thai Hoa Resistance Self-Defense Team and fought in the battlefields of Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai, and Quang Nam. In 1957, he returned to Nghia Dan and was assigned to be in charge of the District Party Committee Office. After the Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee established the Western Steering Committee, he was transferred to work at the Western Nghe An Newspaper (later merged into the Nghe An Newspaper).

“My brother loved writing. Later, when he came to work at the Western Nghe An Newspaper, he became even more passionate. He loved writing stories about everyday life, writing about good people, good deeds, condemning evil crimes. In the midst of war, bombs, and the roar of planes in the sky, he still persevered in staying at the base. He always carried a pen and a notebook with him. Thanks to that, we found him…”, Mr. Tran Van Diu - the younger brother of martyr journalist Tran Van Thong, recounted that after the fierce bombing in May 1965, the family tried their best to search but could not find the body of martyr journalist Tran Van Thong. It was not until 2011, 46 years later, that a family in the area of ​​the former Western Nghe An Newspaper headquarters, while digging the foundation of their house, discovered a set of remains, and coincidentally discovered a pen engraved with the name “Tran Van Thong – Nghe An”.

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“That was the black pen he always carried with him, the same design as the milky brown pen he gave me years ago. Only after finding him did my family feel truly at ease. We loved him and were very proud of the glorious career he left behind.”

Mrs. Tran Thi Xuan - Sister of martyr journalist Tran Van Thong

Ginkgo Biloba