Author of “Truong Bon Hymn”: I wrote about them as if I were writing about myself

PV:Dear writer Tran Huy Quang, we know that the memoir collection “Truong Bon Hymns” was born with a lot of your emotions, as well as capturing a lot of emotions from readers? It is not simply a faithful recording of the memories of the martyrs’ relatives, living witnesses of the Truong Bon event, but it is also the talented and humane “transformation” of the writer himself into each portrait he built. What motivated you to write such a realistic and touching Truong Bon Hymn?

Portrait of writer Tran Huy Quang. Photo: Cao Tran

Writer Tran Huy Quang:In addition to paying tribute to those who have fallen, there are very specific things that when we come across them by chance, they themselves motivate or inspire us to start something. I would like to talk about that specific reason. In 2009, the Writers' Association had a policy of sending writers to the economically vibrant regions of the country to write. As for me, a few other writers returned to the places where we had dug tunnels, defrayed bombs or buried our comrades, which were along Highway 15, the Son River, Dia Loi, Linh Cam, Ben Thuy, Khe Giao, Cau Cam, Phuong Tich, Hoang Mai and Truong Bon. At that time, Truong Bon was not as magnificent as it is now, but it left me with terrible impressions. Especially when I sat and talked with Thom’s mother (that year her mother was still alive), with Thong, Thuan, Than, Con… when they talked about their comrades who had fallen heroically and nobly when they had their admission papers in hand, when at home they were preparing for their weddings, it was as if my sisters and I were singing the heroic song together and then together we shed tears in remembrance. Then in the process of reconstructing the portraits of the 13 Truong Bon martyrs, I could not hold back my tears. I wrote about them as if I were writing about myself and my generation.

“The thirteen portraits of martyrs are expressed by the author in a depressive tone. Depressive so its reverberation resonates deeply into the human consciousness. Each portrait - each sacrifice, is a separate fate, has its own echo. But from the connections of history and culture, those separate echoes resonate together into a human echo expressing the eternal reason for existence of a nation: Independence - Freedom. That echo comes from a “world situation”, to “express a whole world”, to awaken the human conscience to be vigilant against wars against humanity and the nation”.

(Le Van Tung - Police Literature)

PV:Surely, after many years of the Truong Bon incident, many things have sunk into oblivion, many traces will no longer exist, writers must have encountered many difficulties when coming to and writing about this place, about those who fell?

Writer Tran Huy Quang:After 42 years of their sacrifice, it is difficult to find any trace of them. Time has erased everything. Of the 13 martyrs, only two mothers are over 90 years old. Luckily, the elders have forgotten everything, but when asked about their daughters, they remember everything, the pain is unforgettable. The only one left is me, and when my sister sacrificed, I was only 13 or 14 years old, the image of my sister is like smoke. I had to find almost all of my surviving comrades, looking for fragments of their memories. There is no longer the image of the eighteen or twenty-year-old TNXP girls, full of youthful energy, charming smiles, hair like clouds, now they are bony, skinny old women. Many have died. Some have followed their children and grandchildren to all regions. Many have not been able to get married, are lonely, and rely on their grandchildren in their old age. However, when mentioning the glorious time, everyone's eyes light up, competing to tell about the difficult but heroic days with the hearty voice of a victor.

Luckily, I had many friends who helped me: The Women's Publishing House ordered a car and provided me with an editor to go with me. That editor was Ms. Thuy Ha, author of the memoir Don't Tell My Name, which had just been published. Then there was journalist Giao Huong, a native of Vinh, who was very familiar with Truong Bon, and another journalist, Mr. Ho Minh Man, from the Nghe An Culture magazine. Especially Mr. Nguyen Tam Con, a brave bomb disposal soldier, traveled with me for a whole week.

Another difficulty is that 13 people fought in the same place, in the same battle, and sacrificed themselves at the same time. Creating 13 portraits so that there are no duplicates, so that each person can be their own person with their own personality and inner thoughts… is a challenge of the art of writing, not easy to overcome.

The work "Truong Bon Hymn". Photo: Cao Tran

Writer Tran Huy Quang:I write about them, people of my generation who sacrificed everything for the country, is to write about the nobility of human beings, about the courage of human beings. When they reach that nobility, to me, they are Saints. The lines I praise their sacrifice, I want them to be like a hymn, praising the noble sacrifice of all those who fell in Truong Bon land, it is Truong Bon hymn. In 2011, when Truong Bon hymn was first published, Vinh City Literature and Arts Association together with the author went to Truong Bon to burn incense to commemorate the martyrs and transformed the work Truong Bon hymn next to the common grave.

On the occasion of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day, July 27 this year, the Vietnam Writers Association organized a ceremony to present books about martyrs and historical relics by writers. This is a literary activity to show gratitude to those who have contributed to the Fatherland, and also to demonstrate the civic spirit of writers. I am very happy to be able to present my brainchild, which is about the heroic and brave sons of Nghe An, to my homeland readers.

PV:Thank you to the writer and readers. We hope there will be more book giveaways like this to improve reading culture in the community.

Writer Tran Huy Quang, from Quynh Minh commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An. Graduated from Hanoi University. Used to be an artillery soldier. Head of the Literature and Arts Newspaper, currently retired, in Quynh Luu.

- Main works: The Fire-colored Shirt, The Past Troubles, The Witness, Tomorrow, Sister-in-law, Wild Love, Red Tears, Red Tears and Other Stories, Truong Bon Hymn, Selected Reportage, Distant Horizon, The Way of Love...

- Literary awards:

. First Prize of the Vietnam Journalists Association Press Award, "The Accused's Statement"

. First prize of Van Nghe newspaper, "The story of a tire king"

. Awarded by the Writers Association for the novel "Dong Loc Girls"

. Second prize for short story of Army Literature magazine, story Khe Co