It can be seen that, following the source of revolutionary literature during the period of resistance against France and the US, which was largely created from the theme of war and soldiers, when entering the battle to protect the southwestern border of the Fatherland and performing international duties in Cambodia marked by the victory on January 7, 1979, another revolutionary literature was born. Poet Le Minh Quoc, a veteran who fought with guns and lived his youth in the land of pagodas, in the preface to the book of war memories: "That season of war" by writer Doan Tuan, called the memories, memoirs, notes... written about Vietnamese volunteer soldiers on the Cambodian battlefield during those years the "Land outside the Fatherland" literature.
Some works written about the fight to protect the southwestern border and Vietnamese volunteer soldiers performing international duty in Cambodia - Photo: D.T
I was fortunate to be sent and read some memoirs, memoirs, and essays that were considered excellent by the public and held an important position among the works written about Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Cambodia by Doan Tuan, Van Le, Trung Sy, Nguyen Vu Dien, Bui Thanh Minh, Ha Minh Son... Through these works, the authors have realistically recorded the arduous and sacrificial battle and portrayed the noble image of the "Buddhist Army" from Vietnam who used their blood and bones to help the Cambodian people escape genocide. A literary genre so touching, authentic, and sparkling that, as Colonel, writer, veteran Dang Vuong Hung said in the introduction to the autobiography "Southern Conquest, Northern War" by veteran Ha Minh Son: if you were not an insider, did not hold a gun to face the enemy, did not directly bandage the wounded soldiers, and did not bury your comrades many times, you could not have written such vivid and convincing pages. Therefore, many of Ha Minh Son's lines not only contain sweat but also blood and tears!
Right from its first release in 2017, Doan Tuan's war memoir "That War Season" left a deep impression on readers, especially the veterans of Division 307 - the writer's comrades. This work is considered one of the excellent memoirs, recreating in great detail and authenticity the life, the difficult battles, the challenges and many sacrifices of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Cambodia. The special feature in Doan Tuan's works is the "soldier quality". He writes about war, truthfully to the point of cruelty, although naked, painful but still optimistic, imbued with humanity, comradeship, without a single line of sadness. With each page of Doan Tuan's book written, it is so that "no one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten", no matter how many years have passed since the war.
Read the lines of Doan Tuan in “That War Season” about the sacrifice of his comrades when attacking Stung Treng airport: “When we encountered the airport, we lined up... I was looking around when the order to open fire was given. Looking to the right, I saw the regimental reconnaissance soldiers slowly advancing. Leading the way was Chau, a Hanoi soldier, living in the Bach Khoa area. I recognized Chau because he had a red birthmark on his forehead. Having not seen the enemy for several days, our soldiers were very subjective. Chau still had his AK on his shoulder, as if he was entering a deserted place. Suddenly Chau was hit by a bullet. One bullet hit the middle of his forehead. He fell down. My position was not far away. My position was high so I could see everything. Immediately, towards me, Khai gave the order to open fire... I saw Khai turn to the left. I ran after him because I thought that the information had to be closely followed by the commander. Suddenly Khai shouted: “Here he is, capture him alive!”. As soon as he finished speaking, a series of bullets exploded, hitting Khai in the chest. He collapsed...That day was January 4, 1979”.
If “That War Season” is a record of a time of youth tinged with war with everyday stories full of soldierly qualities about love, friendship, comradeship,... then the memoir “The Season of Inspiration” by Doan Tuan is 18 portraits of the writer's comrades, each of whom “even though deep down they knew they would die, they still calmly accepted it. They calmly entered death as a matter of course. Not just one person, but many people left like that. They were not afraid. They did not desert. They did not try to avoid, fall behind. They died. They were the bravest. The youngest. The most beautiful. Their images will forever shine in our minds”.
In the memoir “The Falling Leaf Forest”, former Major Nguyen Vu Dien, who fought in the Cambodian battlefield from 1978 to 1980, wrote down some memories of the warm military-civilian relationship between the author and his Cambodian mother: “One day I caught a cold, had a high fever and could not eat. The unit nurse gave me medicine but it did not help. She went to the market and stopped by our place to ask for water. Seeing me lying lethargic, she asked about me and then told the men to get her a bottle of balm so she could rub my wind. She made me strip naked, lie face down on the wooden floor, then she took the balm and used a silver coin to scrape along my spine and ribs. A few days later, my fever was gone. One day I jokingly asked her for a piece of fabric to make pants. The next day she came back from the market, carrying a pile of colorful fabrics, threw them on the wooden floor and said: “Mom will give you a piece of fabric. Choose, any color you like”. A piece of cloth from Thailand sold at Svay Chek market cost one tael of gold so I didn't dare accept it, but she forced me to choose...”.
In the memoir “The Story of a Southwestern Soldier” by Trung Sy, whose real name is Xuan Tung, a former information sergeant of the 4th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 9th Division, 4th Corps, who participated in the war to protect the southwestern border and overthrow the genocidal regime from 1978 to 1983, he told about the thirst in the dry season in the dipterocarp forest: “One day, we were so thirsty that we almost fainted. Like many other days, we found a clear pool of water in the middle of a dry stream, on the bank of a row of green cypress trees. We rushed in to quench our thirst and collect water, so the pool gradually dried up. When it was my turn, I scooped up my hat and brought it to my mouth to take an endless gulp. The cool and sweet water soothed the burning sensation in my chest. When I scooped up my water bottle to collect water, I saw something white at the bottom. Looking closely, I saw a pale human skull, looking at life through two lifeless eye sockets covered with moss... We still drank, and no one poured out their water canteen. It was already in our stomachs anyway. After all, drinking this holy water was better than drinking urine...”.
In the conclusion of “The Story of a Southwestern Soldier”, Trung Sy explained that the birth of the book was from an inner urge, an urge from deep memories that only comrades who lived and died together on the arduous battlefield could understand: “I returned, stepped onto the steps of my house on the afternoon of the 23rd of Tet Quy Hoi 1983 after more than four and a half years on the battlefields of the country of Pagodas and Towers, full of sacrifice and hardship, with many of my friends and comrades who did not return. Life was busy, but those familiar faces returned many nights. The names of my brothers were always mentioned on anniversaries, in conversations with old soldiers over a glass of beer on the sidewalk. They were the ones who reminded me to tell this story of the Southwestern region. My brothers’ names remain unchanged, as if they were still alive in this world”.
In the days when the country is celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Victory Day of the war to protect the Southwestern border of the Fatherland and together with the Cambodian army and people, the victory over the genocidal regime on January 7 (1979-2024), re-reading the works of the literary genre "Land outside the Fatherland", we appreciate even more the great value of peace, attach importance to building friendship, cooperation and development with countries around the world, especially neighboring countries, like 45 years ago, on the arduous Cambodian battlefield, the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers felt happiness coming from something simple, rustic, imbued with the desire for peace: "It seems that happiness is covering us with a good night's sleep, no longer anxiously waiting to hear a call to the night watch"... (The Story of a Southwestern Soldier - Trung Sy).
Dan Tam
Source
Comment (0)