Mr. Pham Quyen wrote the letter of heartfelt wishes. Photo: PXD [/caption] In 1968, there was a well-known American film event related to the Vietnam War. It was the release of the feature film The Green Berets , which depicted the image of American special forces. The film was professionally produced, reaching Hollywood standards, and was very popular. The filmmakers of The Green Berets chose to film at the McNamara Electronic Barrier in 1967. One of the special things about this film is that two Vietnamese people appeared in different scenes. The first was the famous singer Bach Yen, who sang in the film. The second was a young boy from a rural area on the border, almost unknown to most people. The Vietnamese child actor entered the film naturally, acting without knowing he was playing a role – that was Pham Quyen. He himself quickly forgot about this because his turbulent childhood in the border region and on the front lines held so many other things… In 2008, after becoming a US citizen and reuniting with his relatives, Mr. Pham Quyen (now 65 years old) lived in Washington DC and worked at Walmart as an import inspector. He often went online to watch movies for entertainment after work. His favorite keyword to search for movies was “Vietnam War.” One time, after searching, the American film The Green Berets appeared. Wow, the scenery was so familiar! And who was that? He rubbed his eyes and watched the film again and again. The boy in the film was indeed him. Memories of his childhood, bombs, and smoke flooded back with images of his hometown in Gio Linh. Pham Quyen was speechless, deeply moved. Inner urges surged uncontrollably… He recounted this story to his American friends… In Washington DC, American veterans who fought in the Vietnam War often hold reunions. One day, hearing that a group of soldiers who had been stationed at the McNamara Electronic Barrier were meeting, Mr. Quyen rushed to listen. After the reminiscing subsided, Mr. Quyen boldly asked to speak… Then, Pham Quyen presented to the veterans his desire to recreate the image of the military bases at Con Tien, Doc Mieu… to implement a nostalgic tourism project there, to look back at the war and strive to preserve peace , so that the Vietnamese and American people could understand each other better and become closer… One, two, then a series of hands of American soldiers rose in agreement and applause. Each promised to help in their own way. Some promised to send photos of the military bases to provide a basis for reconstruction to resemble the originals. Others pledged to solicit some American military equipment and supplies from the Vietnam War to support this unique tourism project… From then on, Mr. Pham Quyen traveled back and forth to Vietnam like a shuttle to promote the project. Despite his advanced age, declining health, busy work schedule, and the inconvenience and expense of traveling back and forth, he persevered with incredible persistence. He confided: "In America, I have a stable job, a decent income, a comfortable house, and a pension I won't even need to spend all of it later. Besides, I'm old now, so my needs aren't that great. My children can take care of themselves, so making a living and earning money isn't urgent. Moreover, I'm nearing the end of my life; why burden myself with unnecessary work? But I do this because my soul and my spirit guide me. Although I'm sometimes very tired, when I think about the future of my hometown, Quang Tri, having a tourist area like the one I dream of, I can't give up…" (Excerpt from " People from the Border," https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su/nguoi-tu-gioi-tuyen- May 31, 2020. [caption id="attachment_664230" align="aligncenter" width="400"] 
[Caption : A Letter of Aspiration from Mr. Pham Quyen. Photo: PXD ] I happened to meet Mr. Pham Quyen, a Vietnamese expatriate who has been living in the United States for a long time, now over 65 years old. He is from Thanh An commune, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province. Before 1975, his house was near the McNamara electronic barrier in Gio Linh district, so he knew many American soldiers stationed there. Later, after moving to the US, he had the chance to meet them again and recognized them through reminisced stories from the war. He himself had the idea to carry out a project to restore a part of the McNamara electronic barrier model to serve nostalgic tourism , promoting peace, friendship, and mutual understanding. This is also a way to contribute to poverty reduction for the people of Quang Tri, especially in Gio Linh district. This idea has been enthusiastically supported by many former American soldiers who later became generals and politicians, and they have promised to fully support this aspiration full of goodwill, peace, and humanity. He once met with the leaders of Quang Tri province to present his idea and received approval in principle. Unfortunately, for various reasons, this idea could not be implemented… He was also the main character in my entry for the feature story "People from the Border" which won first prize in the 2020 feature story and reportage competition of the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, which I just mentioned above. But the story mentioned is not the main content of this article; it only illustrates a few things about a Vietnamese person deeply devoted to his homeland. After getting to know each other and gaining each other's trust, he confided in me about a story that had kept him awake many nights. The first time I heard it, it felt like an electric current ran down my spine… A STORY THEY SHOULD HAVE KEEPED TO THEIR HEARTS WHILE THEY LIVED. He recounted: “This story may sound unbelievable, but to me, it’s 100% true. During a conversation after we had become close, several American veterans thoughtfully told me a story they should have kept to themselves until they died. After a battle, they obtained a part of a soldier’s remains. One of them kept it and brought it back to the US after their service in Vietnam ended, specifically from a unit stationed near the McNamara Line in Gio Linh, Quang Tri. Later, when they were old and didn’t know when they would die, they wanted to return a part of the remains to the Vietnamese side peacefully, but they didn’t know who to turn to. They considered me a close friend, so they confided in me… But the matter was too difficult, too complicated. You’re a journalist, so how do you think we should have resolved it?” I was speechless because the story was so unexpected, beyond my imagination, and the issue was beyond the reach of a journalist. Since then, for many years, I have been struggling and pondering, trying to find a solution to a problem that I consider extremely difficult and potentially very complicated. But everything remains at a standstill. I'M TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT… In March 2023, Mr. Pham Quyen visited his hometown. We met for coffee. The conversation meandered and then returned to the topic of the remains that had been lost for over half a century, halfway around the world. With determination after much deliberation, I contacted a leader in Quang Tri province to present the matter and request a meeting with Mr. Quyen in person. However, the local authorities were holding a provincial People's Council meeting for several days, and Mr. Quyen couldn't wait and had to return to the United States. After some discussion, Mr. Quyen wrote a letter to me. The full content of the letter is as follows: “ A LETTER OF PRAYER . My name is: Pham Quyen. Date of birth: January 10, 1958. Hometown: Truc Kinh, Thanh An, Cam Lo, Quang Tri. Currently residing in the United States. I have had the opportunity to get to know many American veterans who fought in Vietnam before 1975. Many American soldiers were stationed in my hometown, along the McNamara Electronic Barrier. When I came to America, I met them again. A group of American veterans told me that someone had brought a skull, the remains of a soldier, from Quang Tri to America when they left Vietnam. That happened more than half a century ago. Now, these American veterans are old and frail, and they want to return a part of the remains of the soldier to the Vietnamese side, but they don't know how to do it. The story is delicate and important, involving spiritual matters, so it's not easy to talk about. They only told me. And I have told this story many times to journalist Pham Xuan Dung, who is currently I live and work in Quang Tri and I'm asking for your assistance in bringing the remains of soldiers back to Vietnam. The matter is too difficult and too important, so I don't know how to resolve it. Therefore, I'm writing these words to confirm that I heard the story above and personally witnessed the skull. I sincerely hope this information will be publicized and sent to the relevant authorities for consideration and action. Because this is a humanitarian and spiritual issue, I respectfully request cooperation from the authorities of both Vietnam and the United States. I am old now, and I only hope to do something for my homeland, including the matter mentioned above. I sincerely hope that journalist Pham Xuan Dung will somehow inform the Vietnamese government to find a way to bring the remains back. I guarantee that everything I have written is completely true. Thank you all and I hope the story will have a happy ending. Quang Tri, March 28, 2023. Signed: Pham Quyen . Immediately after the Provincial People's Council concluded its session, I boldly went to the Provincial People's Committee headquarters. Quang Tri. Mr. Ha Sy Dong, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, received me and listened to my story, as well as read Mr. Pham Quyen's heartfelt letter. He also obtained Mr. Pham Quyen's phone number in the US and said he would try to verify and handle the matter within his authority and responsibility. He added that if this was indeed part of the remains of a fallen soldier, then it was even more important to find a way to bring them back to reunite with the family as soon as possible. He said he would direct the relevant provincial agencies to expedite this process. Nearly a year has passed since then, but the story seems to have made no progress, and those who know about it are very anxious. In 2020, while working on my article, Mr. Pham Quyen provided me with initial information on this matter, and I included it in the concluding paragraph of my article about him: “ As I write these lines, I received news from Mr. Pham Quyen. A group of American veterans who were stationed at the McNamara Electronic Barrier said they trust him and want him to act as a bridge to help the two countries continue to better search for and return the remains of soldiers when conditions permit. Mr. Quyen said he hasn't considered this yet, but for now, he acknowledges their goodwill – American citizens who once fought in the Vietnam War and, whether they like it or not, have suffered many psychological traumas. There are many things from their youth that people only calmly reflect on when they are older. Perhaps all sides hope for a reunion between the two hemispheres, sincere, tolerant, and moving, without any boundaries… ” This time, I would like to borrow his heartfelt wish to temporarily conclude this article. Hopefully the story will have a happy ending…Pham Xuan Dung
Source: Literature and Arts Magazine No. 3/2024
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