April Call

My father was born in 1954, at a time when the country was still divided. At the age of twenty-one, he joined the armed forces. During the 1975 spring campaign, he was one of the soldiers present at the fierce battle in Xuan Loc (Dong Nai) - the place considered the "steel door" protecting Saigon. My father said that at that time, his unit marched through the night, crossed rubber forests, crossed rocky streams, carried ammunition and dry food, and gradually approached the battlefield. "The sound of artillery roared day and night, the ground shook as if it was about to break apart. There were days of heavy rain, clothes were wet and cold, feet were covered in mud, but no one complained. We had only one goal: to open the way to Saigon, to regain peace." My father said, his eyes shining even though his voice became lower.

April sunshine is like pouring honey. I just stepped out of the office to call my father when Saigon was bustling with preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. My father picked up the phone, his voice deep and even over the phone: “My old comrades called to invite me to go back to the old battlefield, son. To Saigon, to visit the old places… but I probably can’t go anymore”. I asked again, half-jokingly, half-seriously: “Do you remember the way there?” My father smiled, softly: “Of course I remember. Xuan Loc - Long Khanh - then Saigon. The road is bumpy, but the people’s hearts are on fire”. Then my father was silent for a moment: “But now my health is weak. I can’t go far anymore. Well, I can watch it on TV. Are you doing something big this year, son?”

I felt my heart sink. I knew my father still remembered every step of the march that day, even though time had made his memory no longer intact. Every April, my father would take out the old radio to wipe the dust, play a resistance song, and sit silently for hours. In my father’s eyes, I saw a part of his youthful memories still there, just waiting for April to come back to life. “At that time, I only hoped for peace, my child. Some people left and never came back…” My father used to say that, while still fondling a cup of cold tea.

I grew up in peace, not knowing the sound of falling bombs or separation. But each of my father’s stories is a vivid slice of history, helping me better understand the value of freedom and the silent trade-offs behind the victory news. People like my father do not loudly boast about their achievements, do not consider themselves “heroes”, but quietly live a kind life and preserve their memories.

I told my dad on the phone that day: “If you can’t get in, I’ll go in your place. I’ll go back to Xuan Loc and Saigon, go to the places you used to stand, take pictures and videos for you to see. Tell me, I’ll take all those memories with me.” My dad softly said “yes,” his voice as light as the afternoon wind: “Then I’m happy.”

April is not only a time of changing seasons, but also a season of memories, where the image of a father sitting pensively on the porch, where soldiers from the past can now only "march" with memories. And to me, my father is not only a father, but also a bridge that helps me understand, appreciate and preserve the sacred values of the nation. An April call. A journey that has not yet begun. But I believe that in my heart, my father is always with me, like the soldiers from the past, even though they are no longer marching, they still preserve their memories and beliefs.

Hello love, season 4, theme "Father" officially launched from December 27, 2024 on four types of press and digital infrastructure of Radio - Television and Binh Phuoc Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and noble fatherly love.
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Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/171617/cuoc-goi-thang-tu