Heroic song of the time of war

The gallant student soldiers devoted their youth to the battlefield. Many fell, forever stopping at the age of 20… They wrote a heroic epic with the dreams and ideals of their youth.

Students of the University of Planning Economics (now the National Economics University) before leaving for military service, September 1971. Photo courtesy

Put down your pen and go to war

In 1970, the resistance war against the US entered an extremely fierce and fierce stage, and the need to support the southern battlefield was extremely urgent. Implementing the State's general mobilization order, localities simultaneously called on young people and students to undergo medical examinations for military service . In the spirit of "cutting through Truong Son to save the country", thousands of students in the North as well as in the capital Hanoi were ready to "put down their pens and go to war".

On September 6, 1971, nearly 4,000 students from universities, colleges, and vocational schools in the North attended the ceremony to leave for the battlefield. All shared the promise that, waiting for the day the country was unified, they would return to their classrooms, gain knowledge, and build their homeland. The luggage they brought to the battlefield was not only guns and ammunition, but also their youthful dreams and ambitions, along with their aspirations and beliefs in a peaceful future and national reunification. In their backpacks, in addition to their military equipment, many people did not forget to bring a few books, notebooks, and diaries... as souvenirs, associated with their student life.

Temporarily leaving school, the student soldiers, who were only familiar with books, had to get used to guns and bullets, to night marches... At that time, journalist and veteran Phung Huy Thinh, a second-year student in the Faculty of Literature, University of General Sciences, was also eager to set off.

Mr. Phung Huy Thinh recalled the heroic years: “That day, we set out, bringing our knowledge to the battlefield, serving the fight. The largest number were students from the following schools: Polytechnic University, General University, Agricultural University, Construction University, Planning University (now National Economics University), Pedagogical University, Mining and Geology University, Medical University... Most of them were added to the technical military branches, requiring high academic qualifications, in order to immediately meet the needs of using modern weapons of our army on the battlefields. I became an artillery scout of Division 325...”.

As for Mr. Dao Chi Thanh, when he joined the army, he was a first-year student in the Faculty of Mathematics, Hanoi National University of Education. Not yet 18 years old, but at that time, Mr. Thanh thought very clearly that he was young and had to contribute, when the Fatherland called, he was ready to go and complete the mission.

“After 3 months of intensive training, in December 1971, I was assigned to Company 14, Regiment 95, Division 325. By the end of April 1972, we entered Quang Binh, both training and defending the Central region. A month later, my unit marched into Quang Tri, stationed at the East Gate of the Citadel, fighting continuously during the fiery summer days…”, Mr. Dao Chi Thanh recalled.

Volunteering to go to the battlefield while he was a student at the University of Planning Economics (now the National Economics University), Mr. Nguyen Chi Tue said: “At that time, 100% of the school’s students wrote applications to join the army. I was assigned to Regiment 95, Division 325. The first battle was the battle at Quang Tri Citadel in 1972. 81 days and nights, very arduous and fierce. The enemy bombarded non-stop. At that time, we only ate dry rations and drank water from the Thach Han River”. After the battle at Quang Tri Citadel in December 1972, Mr. Nguyen Chi Tue had the great honor of being in the ranks of the Party.

“The enemy’s artillery continuously fired at the Citadel, and we fought back fiercely. Our troops only had infantry and artillery, while the enemy had planes, artillery, tanks... We, the young men at that time, fought not only with our youth, but also with our intelligence and patriotic hearts. We protected the Fatherland, protected our comrades, and protected our own hearts,” Mr. Phung Huy Thinh continued.

That brave class of Hanoi students was present on all the fiercest fronts, from Quang Tri Citadel to the Southeast battlefield, participating in the liberation of Buon Ma Thuot, and then advancing to Saigon. Along the way, letters were regularly sent to teachers and friends at university. After the battle, they also took the time to write war diaries. The gallant Hanoi boys left behind an extremely beautiful image of soldiers in their twenties, loving life, intelligent, bright, brave and full of enthusiasm on the fierce battlefield.

After the country was reunited, the student soldiers returned to the lecture halls and continued their studies. Many became scientists, teachers, key officials, military generals, poets, writers... But many others died forever in the sacred land at the most beautiful age of their lives...

Deep affection

Although there are no exact statistics, there are documents stating that, of the more than 10,000 students who “put down their pens and went to war”, thousands became martyrs when they were in their early twenties. Some fell right at the gateway to Saigon, such as martyr Nguyen Van Tu (a student at the Polytechnic University), who sacrificed himself on the morning of April 30, 1975, less than two hours before the moment of victory.

Or like martyr Nguyen Kim Duyet (student of Hanoi University of Agriculture) who carried in his backpack all the books in English and French. During the war, this talented soldier always wished that when the country was unified, he would return to university, but that wish was left unfinished, because he fell right before the great victory day... So, the promise of "returning" was forever unfulfilled. As veteran Phung Huy Thinh said, returning is the legitimate dream of everyone, but not everyone has the day to return...

“After the country was at peace and unified, with the attention of the Board of Directors, a number of universities built a “Memorial Monument for Cadres and Students Joining the Army to Protect the Fatherland”. These are Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi National Economics University, Academy of Agriculture, University of Natural Sciences and University of Social Sciences and Humanities (formerly Hanoi University of Science). The memorial is where comrades, former students and soldiers pay tribute to the heroic martyrs and comrades who sacrificed their lives”, veteran Phung Huy Thinh shared.

After peace was restored, veteran Nguyen Chi Tue continued to study and work at the National Economics University until his retirement. He advised the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the school to build a memorial room for 61 martyrs who were students of the school and regularly organized programs to exchange historical witnesses with students.

“Our wish is that the next generation will know the great sacrifices and contributions of the generation of students who “put down their pens and went to war”. In particular, every year on July 27, the school maintains the tradition of sending letters of condolences to the families of martyrs as a way of expressing gratitude and sharing. The families of martyrs are deeply moved,” Mr. Tue shared.

The lucky students who returned are now all over 70 years old, with gray hair, but for them, comradeship is always the most sacred and precious thing. That is why they found each other again, established the 6971 Student-Soldier Association, connecting friends and comrades living all over the country. For more than 10 years, the association has not only organized commemorative meetings with comrades on major holidays but also coordinated with the 6971 Student-Soldier Association Liaison Committee of universities and colleges to organize gratitude to comrades, visit and encourage relatives of martyrs; together with local authorities and families, search for comrades' graves and bring them back to their hometown martyrs' cemeteries...

“We, the former student soldiers, are preparing for the program “Quang Tri Citadel - Your Heart and My Heart”, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification. About 400 former students will gather in Quang Tri from April 24 to 28, 2025, with activities such as revisiting the battlefield, offering incense in memory of comrades... Especially the Phung Nghia ceremony on the evening of April 26, to pay tribute to those who passed away forever at the age of twenty", veteran Phung Huy Thinh shared.

Half a century of joy for the country, the soldiers who “put down their pens and went to fight the Americans” left the university lecture hall that year, dedicating a part of their beautiful youth to the battlefield. Although only a part, it was the most quintessential and proud part of their lives. They contributed to creating the glorious and heroic epic of the current and future generations of Hanoi students.

(To be continued)

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ky-niem-50-nam-ngay-giai-phong-mien-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-30-4-1975-30-4-2025-thu-do-ha-noi-hau-phuong-lon-tron-nghia-ven-tinh-bai-7-khuc-trang-ca-kieu-hung-thoi-hoa-lua-700139.html