Intact will on the legendary road

(Baonghean) - DTruong Son road - the historic Ho Chi Minh trail, has long been a red thread, an important bloodline in the cause of fighting to protect the Fatherland... Coming to the old and new Ho Chi Minh trail, one still sees here a deep green color of will, aspiration, of generations of Youth Volunteers full of new vitality.

Desire for peace

Every July - the season of gratitude - we young people often travel on a journey of thousands of miles; from Ngu Linh mountain to the mountains and forests of Viet Bac to Quang Tri, Son My, 18 betel gardens and even Con Dao in the middle of the ocean. Traveling in the land of remembrance, on the pilgrimage bus, we met Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thai, 66 years old this year, a former female Youth Volunteer Soldier of Nghe An province and followed her along the Ho Chi Minh trail in Nghe An; as well as listening to her tell the history of Truong Son trail, also known as the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail.

The Truong Son Road has existed for centuries as primitive trails for trade in the region. During the resistance war against the French, many delegations of cadres and soldiers from the North to the South, from the South to the North often passed through here. After the "Dong Khoi" in the South, the requirement was placed on the large rear to bring cadres, soldiers and weapons to the South to fight the enemy. Uncle Ho and the Party Central Committee ordered the opening of the Truong Son Road to serve the strategic mission.

Ms. Thai said: During that resistance war, the Truong Son road in Nghe An was an important support artery. This was one of the first key targets of attack, and also the last place where the guns stopped fighting back against American planes. And here, together with the army, traffic workers, and local people, 43,000 Youth Volunteers in Nghe An and hundreds of thousands of Youth Volunteers nationwide devoted their blood and youth for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism. People with the iron determination of "Living on the bridge, on the road, dying steadfastly and bravely", "The enemy attacks, we repair, we go" have contributed worthily to the common victory of the nation, bringing glory to the homeland and the country.

The Truong Son road was plowed hundreds of thousands of times, all the trees died, but this place still shines with the green color of will, the desire for peace, the green color of youth in their twenties - at night they act as living markers to guide the way, every day in the rain of bombs they still steadfastly protect their vehicles, when they have free time they rush into studying, the sound of singing resounds... Along the Ho Chi Minh road from Nghia Dan to Tan Ky, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Mrs. Thai's voice is sometimes sorrowful, sometimes angry, sometimes mixed with pride, introducing places that used to be bomb and bullet holes such as Bo Lan slope, Lui slope, Sen ferry, Than stream, Truong Tram, Rao Gang bridge... Along with that is the story of the "soldier's tea shop" in Quynh Chau commune (Quynh Luu), or the story of 10 girls from Lang Sen village, Nghia Dan district, who traveled 50 km barefoot, to the story of Truong Bon martyrs merging into the soil on Highway 15A...

When we asked, we learned that Mrs. Thai was on a journey to visit her old comrades. Her voice was filled with sadness when she told the story of meeting her comrades at the "Wharf without husbands" in Quang Thang commune, Thanh Hoa city. In Nghe An, there are many lives like that. The female Youth Volunteers have been on the key road for many years, devoting all their enthusiasm and health to serving the road that is often covered by rocks and soil; enduring the harsh weather of the Lao wind, drizzle and north wind, eating and drinking poorly... So their youth quickly passes... We knew: There was someone, at some point, who was ungrateful, insensitive to the sacrifices, losses, and even the disappointment and emptiness of a generation of Youth Volunteers, but the people and the Fatherland will never forget the losses and sacrifices of the female Youth Volunteers.

New colors of life

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thai's eyes sparkled with joy when she saw the fresh green colors on the modern Ho Chi Minh trail. Many people recounted that in 1973, General Secretary Le Duan had expected that the Truong Son trail would be expanded and extended. More than 20 years later, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet signed the decision to build an industrialized Truong Son trail. He believed that the Truong Son trail would support Highway 1A, which was blocked by floods every year, and that the Truong Son trail would open up a direction to exploit the socio-economic potential of the western part of the country.

And in 2000, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai ordered the groundbreaking of the legendary road named after Ho Chi Minh. To date, the State has invested in the construction and completion of the road with a total length of 3,183 km passing through 28 provinces and cities. The road is majestic, spacious and beautiful; on both sides are lush green forests of "white gold" rubber, tea gardens, hybrid acacia forests, sugarcane forests, coffee, watermelon, fruit gardens, grass hills for livestock; are Nghia Binh Market, Lat Town, Hanh Lam, TH Milk Factory, Rubber Company, Tea Factory growing up more and more prosperously. The gentle green color covers 134 km, 29 communes in the midland and mountainous areas of Nghe An province.



Ho Chi Minh Road section passing through Nghia Hanh commune (Tan Ky).

The happy smile only returned when Mrs. Thai met her old comrades. Following this former Youth Volunteer Soldier, from Km 0 - Lat Town (Tan Ky) down to the South, the road was like a soft silk strip winding along the hills and mountains. Occasionally, a few trucks carrying glue would rush by and then pass by.

About 2 km from km 14 of Ho Chi Minh road, the house of Mr. Tran Van Que's family - Mrs. Thai's comrade - is on a hill. The warm smile and the firm handshake... Mr. Que's wife passed away 13 years ago. For the past 13 years, many hardships have come to this man amidst the mountain wind, the rain and the 3 children. There were times when he had to sell some of his land to raise his children.

But then the former Youth Volunteers C331, Team 71, Youth Volunteers General Team Cu Chinh Lan thought that life would be forever poor. From his family's 3 hectares of garden and hills, he started to improve the land to grow 2 hectares of acacia and 1 hectare of lemon. In the first harvest season, the lemon trees brought in an income of 15 million VND. And while waiting for the acacia to mature, he dug a pond to raise fish, chickens and ducks. The effect came when he decided to buy and raise 15 wild pigs. From the initial investment of 127 million VND, the pigs now bring in an average income of 100 million VND/year.



Mr. Tran Van Que (Nghia Hanh - Tan Ky) next to newly planted rubber trees.

In early 2011, Mr. Que started harvesting acacia for the second time and brought back an additional 70 million VND. Not letting the land rest, in 2012, he continued to improve the hilly land, still 3 hectares but this time he planted 1,500 rubber trees. Mr. Que excitedly told his teammates and us: “Compared to acacia trees, rubber trees are more effective. After 5 years, we will be able to tap the latex for harvest. “I calculate, I will invest now but in 5 years, I will have at least 3 million VND per day…”.

Ms. Tran Thi Tam - President of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Tan Ky district said: Boldness and determination in economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction are common in former Youth Volunteers returning from the battlefield. Among the 1,211 former Youth Volunteers members of the district, there are many typical examples in patriotic emulation movements, especially the movement to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty and get rich right at the origin of the historic Ho Chi Minh route. Ms. Tam listed a series: Ms. Tran Thi Luu, Tran Thi Mai in Nghia Hoan raising livestock, making tiles with an income of over 120 million VND; Mr. Bui Hoang Ngan in Huong Son commune with a hill garden model with an income of nearly 200 million VND; Mr. Le Tien Vinh from the forest garden, raising livestock brought in 150 million VND...

In the land of Suong, Thanh Duc commune (Thanh Chuong), we met many Youth Volunteers of 3 generations: against the French, against the Americans and Youth Volunteers of the renovation period building socialism. Among them, the most impressive were the couple Le Thi Chau and Nguyen Vo Tong. Born in Nam Dan district, following the call of the emulation movement, the former Nam Dong "steel engineer" team, Le Thi Chau became a Youth Volunteer at C309, Ward 27 - Nghe An Youth Volunteer Team on the Ho Chi Minh Trail fire line in Thanh Chuong district.

When the country was unified, Mrs. Chau became a worker at Hanh Lam Tea Factory. Life was very difficult at first… Then the country changed, and she and her husband took over 20 hectares of forest from the factory. With the method of using short-term to support long-term, small-term to support large-term, at first they took advantage of the conditions of the streams to dig ponds to raise fish, this water source was also used to grow short-term food crops and irrigate long-term crops.

In addition, they raise pigs, chickens, ducks, and when they are more stable, they graze buffaloes and cows. The couple took advantage of the land to grow oranges. On the same 10 hectares of tea land, they planted nearly 2,000 orange trees, including 100 pomelo trees. In 2012, orange trees brought Mrs. Le Thi Chau's family 420 million VND, tea brought in over 100 million VND. Not to mention that in the barn there are always over 20 wild pigs, including 7 sows, along with many chickens, ducks, and fish. The family's total income in 2012 was over 600 million VND, not to mention 10 hectares of acacia trees ready for sale. They have over 1 billion VND deposited in the bank, in addition to helping and supporting capital for 10 families to produce and develop the economy.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dam - Chairman of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Thanh Chuong District told us that: The spirit of volunteering to overcome difficulties is still intact in those who broke mountains, opened roads, and carried ammunition. Thanh Chuong District has 1961 former Youth Volunteers members, but only 3% of households are poor according to the new standards. The lives and economy of the brothers and sisters have become much more prosperous than before. Thanks to the Ho Chi Minh Trail...

According to Mr. Dam: After only a few years of being put into use, the Ho Chi Minh trail has completely changed the face of a rural area of ​​Nghe An; not only that, it has also changed the production method towards goods. The road will be even more developed when the road on the other side of the Thanh Thuy - Nam On border gate in Laos is completed...

Throughout the Ho Chi Minh trail in Nghe An, one can still hear the echoes of the song: “That path has moonlight to light the way, the sound of the stream in the morning, the sound of pounding rice in the cloudy river… That path, my sweat has fallen, opening the way for prosperity to your village. Bringing the mountains and forests to catch up with the lowlands. The Party’s path eliminates poverty and darkness…”.

Dao Tuan - Thien Thanh