Loyalty to one heart...

(Baonghean) - There are unexpected but extremely touching reunions, filled with affection. The reunion and meeting between the famous pilots of the Vietnam People's Army and the people of the Coconut Land (Tuong Son Commune - Anh Son) is such an event...

At the end of May, a day of the peak of the scorching heat. It felt like the heat was being blown up by the wind, burning the skin. However, when hearing the news that the group of veteran heroes of the armed forces were returning to visit the Coconut Airport, the once fierce battlefield where they once served, the people of Tuong Son could not hide their excitement, crossing a long distance to the old airport to welcome them.

For the people of the Coconut Land, this is an opportunity to see with their own eyes the elite pilots of the Vietnam People's Army who created legends, making the great pilots of the United States terrified, such as Pham Tuan, Vu Dinh Rang, Pham Phu Thai and Hoang Bieu. And this is also an opportunity for people to better understand the traditions of their homeland, the days of being immersed in the scene of falling bombs, exploding bullets, and the fierce years in the confrontation with the United States Air Force.

Lieutenant General Pham Tuan and his comrades recounted their memories of fighting at Coconut Airport.

The car carrying Lieutenant General Pham Tuan - Hero of the Armed Forces, Hero of Labor, Hero of the Soviet Union and his comrades, all of whom were generals and high-ranking officers of our Army, back to the old battlefield that day seemed to go faster in excitement and nostalgia. From Anh Son Town, going up National Highway 7A, to Tuong Son Commune, the leading car turned right and headed straight towards Dua Airport. A moment of surprise came to all the soldiers of the past: "In the past, going up National Highway 7A and turning left would get to the airport, why do we turn right now?".

This question was immediately answered, that after the war, the national highway passing through the airport was rerouted from right to left, so the road would be straighter and travel would be more convenient. However, 43 years have passed, the pilots of the past have gone through countless battles, passed through countless lands, taken off and landed at countless airports but still remember very clearly the small details of Dua airport. Surely, this land has imprinted many memories? Along the way, the national flag fluttered in the wind, people stood on both sides waving, their eyes and smiles were filled with affection.

Crossing a mountain pass, the convoy stopped in front of a towering limestone mountain. There, a large number of veterans and people of the Coconut Land were waiting to meet the hero who had destroyed the "B-52 Flying Fortress", an astronaut - Lieutenant General Pham Tuan. There were tight handshakes, bright smiles and warm greetings. It was as if this land had been waiting for those soldiers to return for many years. The first person to step through the fence to enter the land where the farmers were cultivating was Lieutenant General Pham Tuan, followed by Lieutenant General Pham Phu Thai. They stopped for a long time looking at a piece of land planted with cassava and turned to the people as if talking to themselves: "In the past, here we built a hut to rest after hours of fierce fighting with the enemy. Sometimes, the wind blew cool, we fell asleep without knowing...".

Then General Thai pointed to a cliff, where there were still many cracks: "Once, I don't remember exactly which day, I had just landed and brought a fighter plane into the cave to hide, the enemy followed and fired an air-to-ground missile, more than 10 meters from the edge of the cave". Everyone went to the cave entrance, which was once sealed, now had a small gap just enough for a person to walk through. In front of the cold, silent cave, which seemed to have "slept" for many years, today suddenly seemed to come back to life with many memories and many achievements.

On the battle-hardened faces of those who had crossed the fragile line between life and death many times, with eyes that once burned with fire looking towards the enemy, today suddenly became tearful. The hands full of strength from the past, suddenly searched on each stone slab, as if wanting to touch a close, loving past. Here, 43 years ago, their beloved MIG-21 fighter jets often took off to suddenly intercept the enemy and landed safely after completing their mission in the sky.

Lieutenant General Pham Tuan and his teammates visited Len Thung cave, where fighter planes used to rest and hide.

Passing through the cave is a completely different space, with little light entering and cool air. The cave is about 80m long, the cave walls and floor are reinforced with flat concrete, and can hide 4-5 fighter planes. Lieutenant General Pham Tuan and his comrades walked around. They were looking for the locations where they had hidden their "combat friends" in the past. Memories kept flooding back...: "Dear people of Tuong Son commune, we are extremely moved, because the affection between the army and the people is always warm and never fades. 43 years have passed, we always remember the gratitude of the people who took care of us and helped us during the difficult and fierce years. This land was attached to us in our youth, when we were only eighteen or twenty, and was the origin of legendary feats. Coming here today, we do not have time to visit each family to thank them...".

With all his overflowing emotions, Lieutenant General Pham Tuan spoke to the people of Tuong Son as soon as he stepped out of the cave. Before leaving the airport, Lieutenant General Pham Phu Thai's face was full of nostalgia, he drove along the old runway, where he used to take off and land in the confrontations with the US Air Force. The old runway has now become a residential road, a place for cultivating corn and rice, the landscape has changed a lot, the heroic pilot is following the changes to find his memories...

Coincidentally, at the commune hall, the people gathered in large numbers to listen to Lieutenant General Pham Tuan and the heroic pilots talk about their old memories. When the group of pilots entered, everyone stood up and clapped their hands in greeting, some women came over and hugged the heroic pilots, tears streaming down their faces. In the past, when the women were still young and still learning to walk, the air force soldiers who came to visit often held and pampered them. Now the soldiers are in their 70s, the women are almost 50, their hair is gray, but the memories and gratitude of the past will never fade...

At the beginning of the exchange, on behalf of the pilots who had participated in the fighting and worked at Dua airport, Lieutenant General Pham Tuan thanked the warm and sincere feelings of the people of Tuong Son commune. Those feelings became the driving force in the combat flights in the past and the return to visit the old battlefield today. After more than 40 years, the land of Tuong Son has made spectacular changes with smooth asphalt roads, spacious houses, fertile villages, vast fields, majestic green forests, the homeland has truly changed. That was achieved thanks to the people of Tuong Son knowing how to promote internal strength, promote the patriotic and revolutionary tradition of their ancestors, promote the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance over the past years.

Lieutenant General Pham Tuan also said: The people of Coconut land are assured and proud because compared to many other lands, Tuong Son has made great strides on the path of building their homeland. Many of his comrades were extremely regretful for not having arranged to return to visit the old battlefield, and they would certainly be very happy to know that this land has truly revived, the affection of the people of Coconut land is still warm, the affection between the army and the people is still as strong as ever.

Continuing Lieutenant General Pham Tuan's words, Lieutenant General Pham Phu Thai shared that exactly a week ago, while being treated at the hospital, he received a call from Lieutenant General Pham Tuan "inviting" him to visit the old battlefield at Dua airport. Without a second thought, he immediately accepted, despite his wife, children, and friends' efforts to dissuade him. Because for him, the Dua battlefield has a great attraction, it is associated with his youth. As a former Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Air Defense - Air Force, General Thai helped the people of Tuong Son visualize the formation process, position, and role of Dua airport during the years of fighting the Americans.

Along with a number of other field airports in the Central provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Dua airport operated during the period of 1964-1972. Its main role was to be the place where fighter planes suddenly launched to intercept enemy aircraft attacking the North and scattering bombs on the Truong Son route in order to prevent support for the Southern battlefield. For Dua airport to operate, the people of Tuong Son at that time gave up their land, houses, and contributed their efforts to build runways for our fighter planes to take off and land. The US Air Force attacked fiercely, the people of Dua tried their best to protect and share the difficulties, hardships and dangers with the Air Force soldiers. It was here that the Militia and Self-Defense Force to protect the airport was born to share the burden with the soldiers. And many families and villages fell into tragedy because of the enemy's bombs...

Colonel Vu Dinh Rang, who was present from the early days of building Dua airport (1964) and was most attached to this land, also shared sincere and emotional words. He is known as the first pilot of the Vietnam People's Army to shoot down and eliminate the American "B-52 Flying Fortress". And it is worth mentioning that this feat is associated with the land of Tuong Son, because his MIG-21 took off at Dua airport that day. On the night of November 20, 1971, receiving orders to take off to intercept the B-52 group, guided by the Ground Command, Vu Dinh Rang approached the group of enemy aircraft and fired 2 missiles at the 2 B-52s at the closest range. And 1 of the 2 B52 "flying fortresses" was eliminated from the combat.

There are still many stories to be shared, many feelings to be conveyed, many memories still lingering, but unfortunately time is too short, the pilots have to make a date for another time. Once again, the emotion and nostalgia returned in the moment of parting. However, just that much is enough to see the steadfast, loyal heart in the military-civilian relationship, the foundation of the strength that creates all victories.

Cong Kien