Memories of a time of fire and flowers

“From all four corners of the world, there are bullets and fire/ My children return after many years away/ I take off my guns and wipe the sweat from my forehead/ We rebuild our Hanoi”, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Thien hummed the poem “The Day of Return” by writer and comrade Nguyen Dinh Thi, drawing before our eyes the unforgettable memories of a soldier about a time of war and war.

“I'm back, Hanoi!”

From the city named after Uncle Ho, we had the opportunity to sit with Colonel Nguyen Nhu Thien, listening to him tell the story of the historic October Capital. Although he has turned 93, his voice - a son of Hanoi - is still gentle, making us feel like we can see the image of the gallant young man of the old Hanoi.

Mr. Thien was born and raised in Gia Vien commune, Ung Hoa district, Ha Dong province (now Hanoi). Before the August Revolution in 1945, when he was not yet 14 years old, he crossed the Day River with cadres and soldiers many times to fight the French in My Duc district, Hanoi. In 1950, he was sent to study command classes at the platoon and company levels for more than 18 months in Yunnan province, China. In 1951, when he returned to the country with his comrades, he was instructed by General Nguyen Chi Thanh (at that time, Chief of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army): "Comrades, you have returned from school, now go to war." From then on, he became a soldier of the Capital Regiment, Division 308.

Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong (left) visits the family of Mr. Nguyen Nhu Thien. Photo: THANH CHUNG

Recalling the days when he and his unit returned to take over the capital, Mr. Thien said: “At that time, the 308th Division was stationed in Bac Giang. Before the day of returning to take over the capital, reporters came to take souvenir photos. The unit lined up neatly, their faces beaming, taking beautiful photos.” On October 10, 1954, the steps of the army entered the capital from 3 directions, led by the Capital Regiment, followed by the 36th Regiment, the 88th Regiment. The infantrymen of the Capital Regiment, led by Regiment Commander Nguyen Quoc Tri, passed through Kim Ma, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Cua Nam, Hang Bong, Hang Dao, Hang Ngang streets... and then entered the Hanoi Citadel. “When the troops returned, people poured out onto all the streets, amidst the forest of flags and flowers. The whole of Hanoi was filled with the joy of liberation...”, Mr. Thien recalled.

At exactly 3 p.m., the Opera House siren sounded a long blast, and military units and the people of the capital attended the flag-raising ceremony. October 10 is also a special day in his heart - the day he reunited with his life partner whom he missed day and night. Talking about his late wife, People's Artist Tran Thi Tuyet, Mr. Thien looked thoughtfully at the souvenir guitar: "My wife has been gone for nearly 4 years now." Ms. Tuyet is the same age as him, "childhood sweethearts". When President Ho Chi Minh launched the resistance war against the French colonialists, he was also in the capital to fight, and she and her family evacuated. After waiting for 8 years, when his unit returned to take over the capital, they were able to reunite. Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet is also a rare person in the field of poetry recitation in our country to be awarded the title of People's Artist (in 2016). She came to the profession of poetry recitation in 1957 and became known to the public through the program "Poetry Voice" of the Voice of Vietnam.

Feeling intact

Ms. Le Thi Van was born in 1930 in the mountainous district of Ha Hoa, Phu Tho province. After joining the Party at the age of 19, the daughter of the homeland was determined to join the army and serve the resistance war. In 1951, Ms. Van attended a 6-month nursing training course and was assigned to treat wounded soldiers in the Northwest campaign, the Upper Laos campaign, and the Dien Bien Phu campaign. After the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, Ms. Van was one of 3 female nurses assigned to the Military Medical Department, merging with the marching units in the Women's Military Medical Company led by Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Toan. Ms. Le Thi Van was the Platoon Leader of Platoon 3.

Recalling the days of training under the hot weather of Hanoi, Ms. Van said: “The sisters practiced day and night, each step was steady, each movement was solemn. The training was hard, some sisters fainted due to the heat, but everyone was extremely proud. The unit was also visited by Uncle Ho.” That day, Platoon 3 did not go to the training ground but stayed at the unit to study politics. “Platoon 3 received notice that a superior came to visit and encourage us before carrying out the mission of the parade on the Liberation Day of the Capital. No one knew who the superior was, only when the door opened, we were all stunned to realize that it was President Ho Chi Minh,” Ms. Van recalled the best days of her life. Uncle Ho walked in and kindly asked the children if they were well, if they had eaten enough, how their training was going... “We were extremely happy and chattered to Uncle Ho. Uncle Ho asked if any of them had come from the South to regroup? The unit reported that there were two comrades, two girls ran up and hugged Uncle Ho and cried, we cried too. Uncle Ho was gentle and asked why we were crying when we saw him. We smiled, wiped our tears, and said we were so happy to see him that we cried. That feeling is still intact with me, I will never forget it!”, Mrs. Van was moved.

On the night of October 9, no one in Ms. Van’s unit could sleep, just wondering what the weather would be like tomorrow, whether they would all be fine. On that historic October 10, the female medical unit solemnly marched in the joy and happiness of the day the troops returned to take over the capital. Ms. Van recalled, her eyes shining with joy: “During the entire training period in the barracks, we were not allowed to go out on the streets to ensure safety. When we completed our mission, the women went sightseeing, strolling on Hang Ngang and Hang Dao streets, going to Dong Xuan market…, whispering to each other that the capital was so beautiful, the streets were so wide, the men and women of the capital were so beautiful. That memory felt like it was just yesterday!”

THU HOAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ky-uc-mot-thoi-hoa-lua-post762745.html