Warm love between two hometowns

Give each other the mat

Mr. Nguyen Ke Toan, 90 years old, 72 years of Party membership (formerly in charge of Room 10 and K10 residents, Tan Ky District Party Committee) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Lieu, 86 years old, 55 years of Party membership (formerly Chairwoman of Nghia Dong Commune People's Committee - Tan Ky) are historical witnesses of the time when the Party Committee, army and people of Tan Ky welcomed the people of Vinh Linh (Quang Tri) to evacuate according to the K10 plan. When mentioning this event, memories flooded back to their minds. At that time, the people of Vinh Linh evacuated with the people of Tan Ky lived together like blood brothers, sharing food and clothes, deeply loving and caring for each other.

Mr. Toan and Mrs. Lieu (Nghia Dong commune, Tan Ky district) remember the days of welcoming the people of Vinh Linh to evacuate. Photo: Thanh Le

With a warm, convincing voice, Mrs. Lieu's story took us back in time to the fierce war years. During the resistance war against the US in the years 1965 - 1968, Vinh Linh (Quang Tri), with its position on the front line of the socialist North, the direct rear of the southern battlefield, became the target of destruction by the US imperialists. In order to limit casualties and ensure resources to protect the Fatherland and build the future for the homeland, following the direction of the Party Central Committee and Uncle Ho, Vinh Linh implemented the K10 plan to evacuate the elderly and children to the northern provinces, mainly concentrated in Tan Ky district. At that time, 13/16 communes of Tan Ky had K10 people living.

“We, the people of Nghia Dong commune, waited for the Vinh Linh people to evacuate at night. Everyone gathered at the Thuong Thang Cooperative Hall, and the bus arrived very late. Local officials divided the hamlets to welcome the people of Vinh Trung commune (Vinh Linh). Over 850 Vinh Trung people evacuated to Tan Ky were all women, the elderly, and children under 5 years old. In the beginning, before the Lunar New Year of the Rooster in 1969, each family in Nghia Dong welcomed a family from Vinh Trung to live together in the same house. At that time, the houses were not as spacious as they are now, they were made of bamboo and earthen walls, and there were not enough blankets and curtains. However, we welcomed the people as if we were welcoming our relatives who had come from far away. We ate together on the same mat, and worshiped our parents on the same altar."

During that time, there were many unforgettable stories and memories about the affection that people from the two districts had for each other. People in Nghia Dong often tell the story of two families, Nghia Dong and Vinh Trung, living in the same house, with only one sedge mat to sleep on, but neither family wanted to sleep on it, so they kept giving it to each other and finally used it as a pillow. This is a true story.

At that time, there was a store manager named Trinh Huu Duc, who had to sleep overnight at the store, and gave his bed to an uncle from Vinh Trung commune who had evacuated. After the war, he asked to bring the bed back to his hometown as a souvenir. The second time I went to Vinh Linh, with my brothers in the group, that bed was still kept in the house. I asked why he didn't use it, he said "I just keep it as a souvenir, I can't bear to use it". Mrs. Lieu was moved and said: "I think only things that deeply touch the memory, things that are engraved in the heart can move people so much. And my family named our son Ngo Gia Vinh to remember a time of blood and flesh attachment to Vinh Linh...".

The time when Vinh Linh people came was before Tet, after Tet they had to worry about solving a series of problems: First of all, they had to worry about bamboo and thatch, land to build houses for the people. Only 2 months after settling in Tan Ky, the people had stabilized their lives and started production, participating in fighting and serving in the war. The people of the two communes learned and exchanged experiences in production, sheltered, supported, and helped each other wholeheartedly. Through the years of living together, the people were attached to each other, sharing the joys and sorrows, working together in production, reclaiming land, etc.

A rural area in Tan Ky district. Photo: Archive

The land that nurtures love

Tan Ky became the second homeland that nurtured nearly 30,000 children of Vinh Linh people in a unique migration in the history of the nation. More than half a century has passed, no matter where they are, that affection has always been constantly cultivated by generations of cadres and people of the two districts and has become a special relationship called "Common Homeland". To preserve and cultivate that precious tradition, in 2008, under the direction of the two Party Committees of Vinh Linh - Tan Ky districts, the youth of the two districts signed a friendship agreement with many practical activities.

Accordingly, the Youth Unions of the two localities have actively propagated and educated, raising awareness of the historical significance of the K10 campaign, the precious sentiments of the Party Committee, army, people and youth of the two districts during the anti-American period as well as the period of national construction. Over the past 10 years, the youth of Vinh Linh - Tan Ky have organized nearly 10 district-level activities.

The Youth Union of Tan Ky and Vinh Linh districts organized a camping festival with the theme "Common Homeland" in Vinh Linh district (Quang Tri). Photo: Tan Ky District Youth Union

The two sides exchanged experiences in Youth Union work; visited economic development models of the youth, creative forms in building the Youth Union, organized "return to the source" activities to visit, give gifts, and help disadvantaged families in the area. In particular, during the activities to celebrate the traditional days of the two districts, the youth of the two districts participated in camping with many traditional activities and cultural and artistic activities.

Typically, in October 2018, the youth of the two districts inaugurated the youth project "Canteen for boarding students of Tan Hop Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities" in Tan Ky district with a construction investment cost of more than 800 million VND. On August 23, 2019, the Standing Committee of Tan Ky District Youth Union and Vinh Linh District Youth Union inaugurated the youth project "Vinh Linh District Logo" in Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri Province with a cost of more than 200 million VND, of which Tan Ky District youth donated 100 million VND.

Youth Union of 2 districts inaugurated the canteen for boarding students of Tan Hop Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Tan Ky). Photo: Tan Ky District Youth Union

In addition to district-level activities, youth unions and socio-political organizations at the commune and town levels of Vinh Linh district have organized twinning exchange activities with those of Tan Ky district. Up to now, 13 communes and towns have organized twinning activities with a variety of contents. "The practical activities between the two districts will be the foundation and premise for building a close relationship between generations of Vinh Linh - Tan Ky people yesterday, today and tomorrow. Through the stages of development, the Party Committee, government and people of Tan Ky and Vinh Linh still maintain their loyal affection" - Standing Deputy Secretary of Tan Ky District Party Committee Phan Van Giap emphasized.