The photo became a symbol of the nation during the war.

During our high school years, our generation more than 40 years ago was very familiar with the famous photo of journalist Phan Thoan and the poem “Little Guerrilla” by poet To Huu. For many consecutive years, this poem was included in the exam questions for excellent students at district and provincial levels.

Photo work "Little Guerrilla" by journalist Phan Thoan.

The photo “Little Guerrilla” is a black and white photograph by journalist Phan Thoan (from Duc Tho, reporter for Ha Tinh newspaper). The work depicts the image of a small female guerrilla, wearing a pith helmet, holding a gun, walking proudly escorting a much larger American pilot, his head bowed low.

That woman was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai, from Phong Phu commune, Huong Khe district (Ha Tinh province). At that time, she was only 17 years old, only 1.48m tall and weighed 37kg. That American pilot was William Andrew Robinson, 22 years old, with a massive body and weight, 2.2m tall and weighing 125kg.

In 1966, the above photo was displayed at a national photo exhibition and immediately attracted attention, creating strong emotions for many viewers. After seeing that special photo, poet To Huu dedicated 4 verses:

“The little guerrilla raised his gun high

The American guy walked with his head bowed.

So that's it! Bigger guts than big belly

Heroes are not always men!

In 1967, the image of "Little Guerrilla Girl Raising Her Gun" was put on a stamp issued by the Vietnam Post Office to mark the 2,000th US Air Force plane shot down over the North. This stamp was sent to 167 countries around the world, including the United States.

Image of "Little Guerrilla" on postage stamp.

That impressive photo became famous and inspired, motivating the entire nation to be determined to defeat the American invaders. The photo conveyed a clear message: A small nation with a strong will and determination to gain independence can defeat a powerful superpower. The photo is also a shining symbol of heroic Vietnamese women in the resistance war against America to save the country.

Journalist Phan Thoan's work also won a Gold Medal at the photo contest of the 9th World Youth and Student Congress in Bulgaria in 1968. In 2007, the work "Little Guerrilla" was awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts, and is one of the masterpieces of "One Hundred Years of Vietnamese Photography Masterpieces".

Returning to the historical context of the photo, during a nearly 2-hour conversation with me at the home of “Little Guerrilla Girl”, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai still remembers it very specifically and in detail.

On August 5, 1964, the US caused the “Gulf of Tonkin Incident”, launching a war of destruction against the North by air and naval forces to prevent the support of the North from the rear to the South and to shake the will and determination of our people to fight the US. Along with Dong Loc Intersection (Can Loc district), Huong Khe - Mrs. Lai's hometown also became a target of fierce bombing by the US air force.

Following the sacred call of the Fatherland, like many other young men and women in Phu Phong commune, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai volunteered to join the commune's guerrilla militia, digging trenches at night and being on duty during the day.

On the morning of September 20, 1965, when an American jet was bombing Loc Yen bridge, it was hit by our anti-aircraft guns and caught fire. The American pilot parachuted into the Huong Khe mountain forest to hide.

Three American helicopters quickly flew in to search for the pilots. One of the three was hit by gunfire from the April 20th Farm guerrillas, forcing the three American pilots to parachute to escape.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai and the guerrillas of Huong Khe district called each other at night, ran up the mountain to find and capture the pilots, determined not to let them escape.

At 9:00 a.m. on September 21, 1965, in the forest of Huong Tra commune, Ms. Lai discovered a pilot cowering and hiding in a cave in fear. She was surprised because the pilot's body was so large, but she quickly calmed down and fired 3 shots into the air. The pilot raised his hands in surrender and was arrested and taken to Huong Khe District Military Command.

After that event, pilot William Andrew Robinson was taken prisoner and held for 2,703 days, until December 1973 when he was released and returned to his country.

Author Tran Trung Hieu and Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai next to the bronze painting, a gift from Mr. Nguyen Hoa Binh - Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court.

Female guerrilla becomes nurse

Not long after the capture of the American pilot, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai was sent to attend a nursing class, then volunteered to serve in combat at the B5 front, in the western part of Quang Tri province.

In 1971, she was discharged from the army and returned to her hometown to work as a nurse at Thach Ha District Hospital. Here, nurse Kim Lai met wounded soldier Nguyen Anh Duc, who was being treated. The two fell in love and became husband and wife. They had 3 children together, 2 girls and 1 boy.

In 1977, Ms. Lai transferred to work at Ha Tinh Traditional Medicine Hospital until her retirement.

Photo of Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai when she was young.

When talking to me, Ms. Kim Lai enthusiastically told me about her time as a nurse at the hospital. She said that taking care of and treating wounded soldiers in the hospital was also a happiness for her.

During the arduous and fierce war days in the rain of bombs and bullets of the battlefield of Zone 4, the conditions for examining and treating wounded soldiers were extremely lacking. Ms. Kim Lai and the nurses and caregivers of the hospital often had to pick young banana leaves for the wounded soldiers to lie on to soothe their burns.

In 2005, her husband unfortunately suffered a stroke and passed away. She worked hard all by herself, working day and night to raise her three children, educate them, help them grow up, establish their own careers, and start families.

The reunion of 2 people in the photo

In 1975, our people's resistance war against the US ended in victory, and the whole country began to build a new life. In 1995, the US and Vietnam normalized relations, which led to reunions between US veterans and the country where they had committed crimes.

Suddenly, one morning in September 1995, while Mrs. Kim Lai was carrying her grandchild to her neighbor's house to play, she heard someone calling her back because a foreigner was looking for her. And the foreigner was the pilot she had escorted 30 years ago in the mountains of Huong Khe district. The two people who had been on opposite sides of the battle put the past behind them and openly told each other stories about life, work, and family like old friends who had met after a long time.

Image of the reunion between Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai and Mr. William Andrew Robinson

During the reunion that day, Mr. William Andrew Robinson said that he had long wanted to return to Vietnam to meet Ms. Kim Lai, but conditions and circumstances did not allow it. It was not until the Japanese television station NHK invited him to Vietnam to make the documentary “Reunion after 30 years” that he had the opportunity to return to meet Ms. Kim Lai.

When talking about the suffering and loss caused by war, Mr. Robinson told Ms. Lai: "We pray that this photo will not be taken again"; "If back then, one of the two people had pointed a gun at the other, you and I would not have today".

Image of 'Little Guerrilla' and American pilot in 1965 and the reunion

When I asked to see and take some photos, souvenirs, and resistance medals of Ms. Kim Lai, she said: "I am just a small grain of sand compared to the heroic sacrifice of 10 female youth volunteers at Dong Loc Intersection of Ha Tinh in particular and the many great losses of the nation for independence and freedom."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lai recounts the unforgettable years of her life.

Visiting Mrs. Kim Lai in the sacred month of July, the month when the country looks forward to War Invalids and Martyrs Day, I was deeply moved when I recalled the old story of "Little Guerrilla Girl".

Currently, the 4/4 female veteran still carries in her body the marbles from the cluster bombs dropped by the US Air Force. She still often faces pain when the weather changes. The devoted nurse who served many wounded soldiers in the past continues to fight her deadly disease.

Tran Trung Hieu