'The wound on Ms. Nam Huong's chest was bleeding profusely, making me afraid'

(Baonghean.vn) - "The wound was deep, blood soaked Nam Huong's chest. At that time, I was still a young soldier, spending all year with guns and battles, I had never encountered this situation so I was really afraid...Several times I visited the old battlefield and asked about Nam Huong, but there was still no news of that girl" - veteran Tang Dinh Thich shared.

During the years of fighting the Americans, I was a special forces soldier of Unit 25R operating in the Southwestern region. After a fierce battle, on May 6, 1969, I was wounded and transferred to the Dam La Toi Troi Station for treatment, in Nhut Tan Commune, Tan Tru District, Long An Province. When my wound was stable, the station's officers asked the unit commander to let me stay to protect the station located in this river area.

Not only did I perform the task of protecting, I also learned how to bandage wounds and give first aid to wounded soldiers. After each fierce battle, many soldiers were often seriously injured, who were given first aid by the medical team, doctors and staff of Dam La Station in the dark, and then transferred to the rear.

Here, I have many memories, but I will certainly never forget the time I bandaged and stitched up the wound of Ms. Nam Huong - a soldier of the Liberation Art Troupe.

Veteran Tang Dinh Thich (right) and his comrades recall memories of the battlefield. Photo: Cong Kien

When she was transferred to the station, her right arm was broken by a shell and her right breast had a deep wound. As assigned by the station commander, I was tasked with bandaging Nam Huong’s wound. First, I took a coconut leaf and split it into 3 small pieces to wrap her right arm to limit movement and prevent the wound from getting worse.

At the breast, the wound was deep, blood was flowing and soaking Nam Huong's chest. At that time, I was still a young soldier, spending all year with guns and battles, I had never encountered this situation so I was really afraid.

But when she saw Nam Huong in pain, she gritted her teeth and said: "Just sew me up, we are soldiers..." Those words gave me determination to carry out my duty.

After cleaning the wound, I used 9 stitches and called the nurse to inject antibiotics to prevent infection and 15 days later, Nam Huong was discharged from the hospital.

At that time, work was too busy, we did not have a chance to talk to know each other better, only knew that year she was 20 years old, from Can Giuoc district, Long An province.

Sac Forest Special Forces. Photo courtesy

After that, I was ordered to move the wounded to the rear base. Along the way, the enemy ambushed and seriously wounded me. I was captured, imprisoned, and exiled to Phu Quoc Island.

Nearly 50 years have passed since that day, I really want to know if the female soldier of the Liberation Art Troupe Nam Huong is still alive or dead, and if so, where is she living?

I have visited the old battlefield several times and asked about Nam Huong, but there is still no news of that girl. I still remember that at Tram Dam La that dark sky, there were doctors Hoai Hai and The Hoa; a doctor named Duc from Tan Tru - Long An, a doctor named Hoa from Hai Phong and nurse Tu Thanh who used to be a special force in Saigon. I really hope to meet again to reminisce about the past...

Cong Kien

(Recorded according to the story of veteran Tang Dinh Thich -

The Chairman of the Association of Revolutionary Fighters was arrested and imprisoned in Dien Chau district, Nghe An province.