1. In 2019, we made a pilgrimage to our roots. Before arriving, stopping in Hanoi, the veterans of Regiment 174 took us to visit two famous figures. They were Mr. Dang Van Viet, the first Regiment Commander, and Mr. La Van Cau, the first Hero of our army. That year, Mr. Viet was nearly 100 years old, but his mind was still sharp. “I only served in the army for 15 years, but that was the most memorable time of my life. I directly commanded 120 battles, of which 116 were victories... To this day, I still like people to call me an old soldier - Uncle Ho's soldier. And, the nickname "Gray Tiger of Route 4" too. It evokes a time of youth, heroic, both glorious and romantic...", Mr. Viet shared.
When Uncle Viet was the Regiment Commander, Uncle La Van Cau was the Head of the Explosive Demolition Team. During the battle at Dong Khe stronghold, he was injured. He asked his comrades to cut off his arm so that he could continue fighting. La Van Cau was one of the first people to be awarded the title of Army Hero. When meeting us, Uncle La Van Cau said: "If I was awarded the title of Hero, Chief Dang Van Viet must receive this noble title twice". Regiment 174 not only had those legendary Uncle Ho soldiers but was also the place to train and practice for our army famous generals such as: General Chu Huy Man, General Luong Cuong, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu An, Lieutenant General Dam Van Ngui, Major General Vu Cam...
2. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, for the first time I visited the sacred land that has absorbed the blood and bones of our soldiers and officers, including the martyrs of the 174th Regiment. Coming to the Dien Bien Martyrs Cemetery, next to the graves with full information such as Hero Be Van Dan, Hero Phan Dinh Giot... there are many graves still inscribed: Unknown Martyr. My eyes blurred.
In 2020, I returned to the Central Highlands to build a stele to honor the martyrs of the Regiment who died in the battle of Dak To - Tan Canh. My eyes were blurred again when I set foot on the 875 high point, where in 1967, officers and soldiers of the Regiment fought hand-to-hand until the last bullet with American soldiers of the infamous 173rd Airborne Brigade. Not only the bodies of the martyrs of the 174th Regiment were "turned into the land of the Fatherland" in Dien Bien, Dak To, Tan Canh... but also in Loc Ninh, An Loc, Long Khot, Tan An and endlessly on the southwestern border and neighboring Cambodia...
3. The war has been over for not only half a century but more. The debt of those who are still living to their comrades who sacrificed for the Fatherland is truly inconsolable. The veterans of the 174th Regiment always keep in mind that their comrades sent them to stay behind to continue the work that the martyrs had not finished. That is to take care of their elderly mothers and children. Another debt is to search for their comrades, identify the identities of tens of thousands of martyrs' graves with incomplete information, and support the search and return of their comrades' remains to their hometowns.
At the age of seventy and beyond, retired, they still volunteer to do charity work, join the HCM City Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs to find comrades and support families of martyrs in difficulty. That team has hundreds of people, typically veterans: Nguyen Van Bach, Le Thanh Song, Trinh Tu Kha, Nguyen Dong Bang, Vu Van Dan, Phung Ngoc Dong, Le Thanh Dai... In their own way, they continue to contribute to show gratitude to their comrades, contributing to ease the loss and pain of families of martyrs and wounded soldiers. They are truly worthy of being veterans of the 174th Regiment (Cao Bac Lang group) twice heroic; worthy of their comrades who sacrificed for the country.
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