"Marching in His Footsteps": Recreating a Historical Journey

BHG - More than 100 people wearing blue military uniforms, marching 6 km, reenacted the meaningful historical journey of the old Vi Xuyen battlefield. Among them were veterans who had held guns to protect the border, and young people who set foot on this historic land for the first time.

At the starting point of the march, at the Memorial House of the Heroes and Martyrs of Pinh village, the delegation offered incense to commemorate the fallen and reviewed the history of Thanh Son village - known as the "Capital of Soldiers".

This place used to be a strategic rear base and rear command post of our army, playing an important role in logistics, receiving wounded and dead soldiers and assembling forces in the war to protect the northern border.

For three consecutive years, Mr. Tran Hai (52 years old, Tam Son town, Quan Ba ​​district) volunteered to hold the flag and lead the group. He shared: “I go every year, because every time I come here, I understand more about my hometown, about the people who died to protect every inch of land.”

On the journey, the squads marched 6 km on winding mountain passes with steep slopes, sometimes having to cross forests, making their steps even heavier.

The marching group was divided into 10 squads, each squad had a veteran as squad leader, leading the youth union members and tourists. Under the harsh sunlight of the border region, sweat was dripping from their foreheads, breathing was rapid, but everyone encouraged each other to complete the journey in full.

The youngest person to join the journey was only 6 years old, following his parents on a journey full of hardship but also full of pride.

The marching route passes through the soft terraced fields that curve around the hills – the place where the Vi Xuyen soldiers used to hide. Now, the green color of prosperity has covered the land that was once stained with the blood of heroes.

The group camped at Hill 812 (Coc Nghe), the starting point of the "Spring Trench" - a place that shows optimism about the belief in victory, full of spring energy amidst the hardship and fierceness of bombs and bullets.

“The place we are stopping at is a historical relic: This is one of the vital routes formed in early June 1984. In the face of increasingly tense developments on the battlefield, following the order of the Front Command, trenches had to be built along the entire route. We mobilized tens of thousands of working days of militia and self-defense forces, youth volunteers and soldiers.” - Veteran Pham Ngoc An introduced.

Stories of bravery and unyielding fighting spirit moved many youth union members. Some were silent when hearing about soldiers who fought to their last breath, their blood mixing with the soil and rocks to protect every inch of the border.

Veteran Nguyen Duc Thang (Company 18, Regiment 122, Division 313), after 40 years, revisited the old battlefield. The eyes of the private first class in the signal corps were filled with tears as he recalled the years he had fought: “The scenery is still the same, but the path is much easier. In the past, every step on this land was a face-to-face with life and death.”

At lunchtime, meals prepared for “frontline workers” were carefully prepared, including simple dishes such as sticky rice, white rice, sesame salt, boiled bamboo shoots, boiled eggs, etc. All were contained in bamboo tubes, recreating the field meals of soldiers in the past.

Many people enjoy eating boiled bamboo shoots, recalling the verse "Porridge, vegetables and bamboo shoots are still ready" in the poem "Pac Bo Scenery" by President Ho Chi Minh.

The art program with the theme “Singing over the sound of bombs” made the atmosphere heroic. The sound of the đàn tính resounded, blending with the proud melodies of the homeland and country.

Everyone sang loudly, clapping their hands to the beat of the music.

The group's experience journey

The march ended with lingering emotions. The march is not just a step, but also a flow of memories and responsibilities of today's young generation.

The program “Marching in His Footsteps” was organized for the third time by the Ha Giang Provincial Tourism Association, which took place on March 22. Within the framework of the program, delegates, veterans, youth union members and tourists offered flowers and incense to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs at the Temple on the 468 high point, and participated in planting trees to green the border belt in Coc Nghe village, Thanh Thuy commune.

Photo report: Khanh Linh

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/multimedia/202503/hanh-quan-theo-buoc-chan-anh-tai-hien-hanh-trinh-lich-su-83b571b/