It was a surprise when Photographer Ton That Hung took us to visit the house of the eighth younger brother of martyr Nguyen Thai Binh in Tan An City (Long An Province) - a beautiful house in the Bank housing complex on Vo Van Mon Street (Ward 4), with a not-so-large garden but skillfully arranged with plants in brick pots built around the tree roots, as beautiful as a picturesque landscape painting. In a corner of the garden is the tomb of Nguyen Thai Binh's parents, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (87 years old) and Mrs. Le Thi Anh (100 years old).
Portrait of student Nguyen Thai Binh. Photo taken from the document
1. Around this time 51 years ago, in the Thao Lu May Tan attic of journalist and poet Kien Giang in Thu Thiem, Saigon, I lay reading a pile of newspapers reporting contradictory news about the death of Nguyen Thai Binh.
The American newspaper said that Nguyen Thai Binh was the "hijacker" who held a knife and controlled the American pilot of a Pan America Boeing 747, not allowing him to land at Tan Son Nhat airport but forcing him to fly straight to Hanoi. The American pilot wrestled him to the floor of the plane and allowed the American security personnel protecting the flight to shoot him dead with a pistol.
But the "opposition" newspaper said: Nguyen Thai Binh had anti-American activities during his 4 years of studying in the US, so the US found an excuse to "eliminate" him: They arranged for pilot Gene Waughn to take control and CIA agent William Heary Mills to shoot Binh 4 times in the chest and then throw his body onto the runway of Tan Son Nhat airport at 10:00 a.m. on July 2, 1972.
In the following days, Saigon's press (not "servants" (newspapers serving the government) ), along with foreign newspapers and news agencies, published news, commented, and cited many pieces of evidence to expose the despicable plot of the invaders who staged the above "political assassination" drama.
A few days later, one afternoon, Kien Giang rode his motorbike to Thao Lu May Tan and called me and Vo Bao Dam, a Tra Vinh native - studying at the University of Literature - to stay there: "You two come to Phung Son Tu Pagoda right now to eat vegetarian food with me", then Kien Giang turned his motorbike and left.
When Dam and I arrived at Phung Son Tu - an ancient pagoda hidden in a quiet ancient garden in District 11, we saw a banner hanging on a high platform saying "Massage for student Nguyen Thai Binh".
Journalist Kien Giang wearing a loose old vest stood up to host the program. Monks and many Buddhists were solemnly performing a prayer ceremony.
The next day, reading the newspaper, I saw that at the same time in California (USA), many Vietnamese students studying abroad and overseas Vietnamese were also holding a memorial service for student Nguyen Thai Binh, showing that he was loved and mourned by many Vietnamese people living and studying in the United States.
Nguyen Thai Binh distributes flyers on the streets of America right after receiving his honorary degree from the University of Washington on May 26, 1972. Photo taken from the archive
2. 51 years have passed... Nguyen Thai Binh's eighth younger brother, Nguyen Huu Duc, was only 7 years old at that time. He heard the news that his brother Ba Binh was shot dead at Tan Son Nhat airport while Duc was holding a stack of newspapers and running while shouting "Newspapers here! New newspapers here!" - he sold newspapers to earn money to go to school, because the family had many children, 10 mouths to feed, only depending on the salary of his father who worked as a secretary at the Saigon Port Company.
“My third brother was very studious and studied very well. After passing the Baccalaureate II, he passed the entrance exams to the University of Medicine, the University of Pharmacy, the National Academy of Administration, the University of Agriculture and Forestry and chose to study Agriculture and Forestry and Animal Husbandry. He loved us very much. Every time we came home from school, he took us to the river to practice swimming. At that time, my house was in Nha Be district (Saigon) next to a clear river. Binh said that living near the river, we must know how to swim and he taught us how to swim. He also made toys for us…”- Duc said.
Duc still remembers that at that time, newspapers with anti-American and anti-clone tendencies, called "opposition newspapers", were often suppressed by the Saigon Police Department for control; the Information and Rehabilitation Department (called the "Hot-Cat-Duc" Ministry (hot: confiscate, cut: cut out censored places and chisel: chisel out embossed letters on zinc plates for printing, censored).
To fool the "undercover" and "surface" police, Duc had to wrap new newspapers inside old newspapers. When he met the police, Duc showed them a stack of newspapers and said, "These are old newspapers for sale to people who buy packages." The police saw that the newspapers were really old, turned their faces and shouted, "Go away!" So Duc hopped around on the street and shouted, "Newspapers here! New newspapers here!"
“Opposition” newspapers always sell like hotcakes because they provide truthful news and make appropriate comments, unlike “slave newspapers” that are boycotted by readers. Thanks to selling newspapers on the street, Duc had money to study at Phu Tho University of Technology, get a degree in mechanical engineering, and then open auto repair training facilities in Long An and Vinh Long provinces.
Nguyen Thai Binh (holding microphone) is giving a speech condemning the US war in Vietnam. Photo taken from the archive.
3. Read Characters & Events on Xua & Nay by the Vietnam Historical Science Association, which wrote about the biography and patriotic activities of student Nguyen Thai Binh, or Vietnam - My Country and Nguyen Thai Binh's Heart by female writer and journalist Ngo Ngoc Ngu Long and The Daughters in Nguyen Thai Binh's Life by female writer Tram Huong (These two female authors both had contact with Nguyen Thai Binh's mother and sisters to get documents), showing the life of a heroic martyr with many special qualities.
He is not very handsome, but he is talented, intelligent and brave, loves playing football (was a striker for the Washington University Football Team, USA); has a talent for presenting and speaking very eloquently; is also very graceful in dancing and most importantly, is always at the top of the academic rankings.
That is why he is highly respected by his classmates. Many girls of different nationalities studying in America admire him and come to him, but he only keeps it at the level of friendship and brotherhood and does not love any of them in particular. Even a princess of a famous royal family in Asia, if she wants to be his "son-in-law", he can go ahead and get her right away. He was also offered jobs by large American companies with very high salaries, but he refused them all.
Although he received an honorary degree from the University of Washington, because he organized a celebration for many students to celebrate President Ho Chi Minh's birthday on May 19; on February 10, 1972, he and other international students broke into and occupied the Republic of Vietnam consulate in New York, demanding that the US withdraw from Vietnam, President Nguyen Van Thieu resign and dissolve the Republic of Vietnam regime,... so he lost his scholarship from the University of Washington and was forced to return home instead of continuing his graduate studies and possibly pursuing a doctorate.
Feeling that the flight was fateful, Nguyen Thai Binh took advantage of the moment the plane landed in Guam Island on the way to Tan Son Nhat International Airport to quickly write his last words expressing his feelings, aspirations and will, including the following passage: “…I know that my parents and siblings will suffer a lot in this separation or death (...) Today, for the sake of justice, for the survival of the entire nation, for the sake of truth, justice and humanity, if I sacrifice myself, this death will not be an end but a beginning for a revival of future generations... The path I take will definitely follow the footsteps of Vietnamese heroes going down in history, not following in the footsteps of foreign invaders, becoming a servant demanding slavery...”.
Two policemen are covering the body of Nguyen Thai Binh with a nylon sheet after he was shot dead by a CIA agent and thrown onto the runway.
Just like Nick Ut's Napalm Girl was stronger than an explosive bomb, shocking the conscience of not only Vietnamese people in the country but also Vietnamese people living and studying in the US and foreigners, a series of anti-war protests in the US, a series of pens and lenses exposing the war crimes caused by the US and its brutal regime and lackeys to the country and people of Vietnam,...
Today, the country is a strip of peace like his name. In his hometown - Tan Kim commune, Can Giuoc district - stands a monument to Nguyen Thai Binh and a large, beautiful street named after Nguyen Thai Binh in Tan An city. In the country, there are many awards, schools, and streets honoring him. That shows that Heroic Martyr Nguyen Thai Binh has entered the history of the nation like the heartfelt letters he sent to his family before passing away.../.
Quang Hao
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