The war of resistance against the US for national liberation ended when I was nineteen years old. I can never forget that historic noon on April 30, 1975, when the Voice of Vietnam radio announced that the Liberation flag had flown over the Independence Palace. We, the young soldiers, shouted until our voices were hoarse, "The South is liberated! The war is over!" Twenty-one years of protracted fighting, so much blood and sweat of this nation had been shed to achieve such a glorious day.
Quang Tri ancient citadel viewed from above - Photo: HOANG TAO
I wept, overwhelmed with emotion. I wept, thinking of how many soldiers and civilians did not return on that joyous day of victory. Perhaps that is why, ten years later, with a certain distance between us, the nation calmly reflected on the gains and losses of the war, knowing how to restrain the echoes of triumph and aspire to a higher goal of harmony and reconciliation. I wrote the poem "White Lily" as a sketch of the dream of reunion, the yearning for peace ...
The soldiers return, preparing betel quid for their mothers / Mother's dream is bright red, each drop of blood red / The soldiers return, spreading their hands over the smoky hearth / Mother's dream is like the glistening grains of the rice harvest / The soldiers return, threshing straw / Mother's dream is like a stream of white milk / The soldiers return, smiling shyly / Mother awakens in a dream, crying out...
As a soldier in the final stages of the war against America, I didn't have the happiness of sharing a dinner with my comrades at the Independence Palace, gazing up at the vast Saigon sky and feeling the overwhelming sense of freedom (as in Huu Thinh's poem), but my heart was heavy when I thought about the price this nation had to pay for peace.
Come to Quang Tri someday. This narrow strip of land in the heartland of Central Vietnam is impressive in both sun and rain, but perhaps even more impressive are the scars of war. The memories of war and the yearning for peace are evident here in every mountain and river, in every familiar landmark from the banks of Hien Luong and Ben Hai to the Ancient Citadel, Cua Viet, Cam Lo, Khe Sanh... and the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, Highway 9. Con Co Island, the "steel island" and "pearl island," also cannot be overlooked.
Because we must not forget, we have repeatedly mentioned those names as an everlasting expression of gratitude. The memory of the tragic years of our country in the 20th century is inseparable from Quang Tri.
That sacredness was partly explained by the Peace Festival held in Quang Tri in July 2024. It cannot be said otherwise; peace is the greatest happiness of a nation, of humanity, and it is the aspiration of all ages and all people. Remember, remember for a long time, a line of poetry by Pham Tien Duat: "Better to eat salt all my life / Than to have enemies."
That poem, imbued with national and universal aspirations, is incredibly simple because it is the unadorned words of a Vietnamese mother. I have always thought of that saying as a philosophy of life emerging from the hardships of mud and soil, from the relentless sun and wind, from the roaring storms, and from devastation and ruin.
Nothing compares to the devastation and ruin of Quang Tri Citadel after the brutal war; those 81 days and nights have been immortalized in numerous works of literature and art. I heard that the Army Film Studio is preparing a film set for a major project called "Red Rain."
I also mentioned that red adjective in a poem I wrote about the Ancient Citadel. Moss is red, as if it were once blood... The rain in the Ancient Citadel is also red because it is stained with so much human blood. I think that the Ancient Citadel in particular, and Quang Tri in general, deserve, very much deserve, great cultural projects. The ultimate goal of these projects is none other than the aspiration for peace of the nation and humanity.
Visiting the Hien Luong-Ben Hai National Special Historical Site - Photo: HNK
Half a century has passed, filled with significance, and the lessons of nation-building and national defense learned from the descendants of King Hung have been further enriched. Following the glorious triumph of April 30, 1975, the country entered a period of ups and downs, facing difficult situations and circumstances, at times seemingly on the verge of complete loss. To be honest, amidst the storms of life, the darkness and light of human nature, and the myriad changes, I sometimes considered the "fussility" of countless sacrifices and contributions.
Fortunately, our nation has a pioneering Party that dares to look directly at the truth, to sift out the bad and keep the good, to firmly steer the country out of perilous situations, and to gradually achieve many important accomplishments. And, as a historical rendezvous, spring 2025 marks the beginning of a new era—the era of the Vietnamese nation's resurgence.
As General Secretary To Lam emphasized, this is an era of development, an era of wealth and prosperity under the leadership of the Communist Party, successfully building a socialist Vietnam that is rich, strong, democratic, just, and civilized.
Every citizen enjoys a prosperous and happy life, receives support for development and enrichment; contributing increasingly to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, to the happiness of humanity and global civilization, ushering in a new era - an era of strong growth for Vietnam.
The happiness of our nation today lies in having chosen the right path. That path is the liberation of the country from colonial and imperialist aggression, leading to independence, freedom, peace, and national unity. It is the determination to successfully build socialism and firmly defend our beloved Vietnam. There is no other path to a bright future for our country than the one chosen by our Party and President Ho Chi Minh.
History has proven, is proving, and will continue to prove the truth of this. However, the destination is still far away, and the path the nation continues to tread is fraught with countless difficulties, challenges, and obstacles. Here, the most important thing remains the foresight, the ability to bring peace to the people through benevolence and righteousness, and the wisdom and flexibility of adapting to changing circumstances while maintaining core principles – a lesson that never becomes outdated.
We are inheriting and preserving the immutable traditional cultural values left behind by our ancestors. Although humanity is no longer the same as it once was, with the Fourth Industrial Revolution becoming a reality, and the world becoming "super-flat," religious, ethnic, and territorial conflicts still persist. Wars still occur here and there, along with even greater dangers lurking, even though humanity has entered the 21st century more than two decades ago. Like a legend, with the support of technology, the Internet of Things, global connectivity, is no longer a distant dream, but the threat of war and humanity's yearning for peace remain intact. Mutual understanding among nations would be a good opportunity for friendly coexistence. Speaking of this, two words suddenly come to mind: "What if..."
If only those who once set foot on Vietnam as conquerors had known about the nation-building and national defense culture of this people, there certainly wouldn't have been the world-shattering confrontations that we have witnessed.
How could we know, when history doesn't contain those lyrical and humane words, "what if"? But having said that, let's also consider the other side of the coin. To quote the great poet Nguyen Du in *The Tale of Kieu*, " Heaven still allows this day to come / The mist dissipates at the entrance, the clouds part in the sky..." The mist has dissipated, the clouds have parted, revealing the vast, boundless blue sky. The adversary has become a strategic and comprehensive partner.
We are overjoyed to have more friendly glances and smiles from our friends. We understand even more that love leads to receiving more. We will all triumph together when we know how to place our trust in each other.
The 50th spring since the milestone of April 30, 1975, will be a spring of faith and hope. Faith and hope in the good things that are coming and will come to our country. New developments in building and defending the Fatherland, and in international relations, will surely bring many good things to the Vietnamese people.
The essence of spring is spreading through the lush greenery, the blossoming peach and apricot trees, from the borderlands to the islands, from ancient villages and towns to hamlets reviving after superstorms like Nu village. Everything is bursting with the colors and fragrances of spring in a life that may not be particularly affluent or wealthy, but is very peaceful.
Through storms, we learn to appreciate calm days even more; through war, we cherish peace even more. The song of the post-war era is peace. May every peaceful spring forever be the first spring named Happiness!
Essays by Nguyen Huu Quy
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/khai-hoan-ca-sau-chien-tranh-191353.htm
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