The qualities of Dien Bien soldiers will forever shine.

Towards the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, we went to Hamlet 2, Yen Lieu Thuong, Khanh Thinh Commune (Yen Mo) to meet Mr. Vu Quang Thin - one of the people who was directly present at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield in the past.

At 90 years old, his health and memory have declined a lot, but for Mr. Vu Quang Thin, the time of war, hardship, "digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, constant rain, eating rice balls" but "undaunted courage, unwavering will" has tempered in him his temperament, bravery and noble qualities, becoming the motivation to overcome challenges in life.

Mr. Thin shared: Our generation of young people grew up in a country in turmoil due to the French colonial invasion, so we always nurtured the determination to fight back, not afraid of sacrifice and hardship. In the 1950s, the village of Yen Lieu Thuong was occupied by the enemy, and the people had to evacuate. I also had to evacuate to Thach Thanh (Thanh Hoa).

At the end of 1953, when there was an order to recruit new soldiers, I volunteered to join the army. I was assigned to the 277th Company, 79th Battalion, 88th Regiment, 308th Division. After more than 3 months of continuous marching, crossing forests, wading through streams, overcoming rain of bombs, storms of bullets, and enemy pursuit, the unit finally reached Pha Din Pass and was informed by the unit commander that we were only 70 km away from Dien Bien Phu. At that time, we knew for sure that we had the honor of participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

At 90 years old and having gone through two wars, for Mr. Thin, joining the army and contributing to the Dien Bien Phu campaign was an honor and a profound memory in his life. Mr. Vu Quang Thin recalled: There are many memories of participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, but the thing I remember most is the battle at Hill A1 at the end of March 1954.

To attack the enemy base, our soldiers had to dig trenches. The weather was rainy, windy and cold, food was scarce, sometimes the rain was knee-deep, making digging trenches even more difficult, while the enemy organized many counterattacks to push our troops back to fill the trenches. However, with the spirit of "determination to die for the Fatherland", our soldiers focused on fighting the enemy during the day, and digging trenches at night. Just like that, night after night, the trenches grew longer as our troops advanced...

The qualities of Dien Bien soldiers will forever shine. — Mr. Vu Quang Thin (far right) shares about his years participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Fighting bravely, Mr. Thin and his comrades gradually surrounded and destroyed the enemy at Hill A1, the most important stronghold of the entire enemy's eastern defense area, contributing with other units to advance into the center of Muong Thanh, occupy the enemy command post, and capture General De Castries alive on the afternoon of May 7, 1954.

"So after 56 days and nights of heroic fighting, "digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, pouring rain, eating rice balls", our army and people destroyed the entire Dien Bien Phu stronghold, establishing a victory that "resounded throughout the five continents, shook the world", ending the 9-year victory of resistance against the French colonialists. On the day of victory, we were extremely happy, hugging each other and crying, everyone was moved and proud..." - Mr. Thin confided.

After the Dien Bien Phu victory, Mr. Vu Quang Thin and his unit were ordered to take over the capital Hanoi. After serving in the army until 1969, Mr. Thin changed his career, was sent to study economic management and was assigned to work at the Ministry of Internal Trade. In 1980, he retired and returned to his hometown and actively contributed to the local patriotic emulation movement.

In daily life, Mr. Thin always encourages his children and grandchildren to actively practice, work, and study to become good citizens. He said: I still remember clearly Uncle Ho's advice to the soldiers, police, and cadres before returning to take over the capital: Maybe those who were very brave during the resistance war, did not surrender in front of enemy bombs and bullets, but when they returned to the city, they lost their stance and fell into sin. Therefore, enemy bombs and bullets are not as dangerous as "sugar-coated bullets" because they harm us without us seeing them. Therefore, to maintain our personality, cadres and soldiers must always "set an example in everything". Therefore, throughout my military career and until now, I have always determined for myself that no matter what position, responsibility, or circumstance, I must maintain and promote the qualities of a Dien Bien soldier, of Uncle Ho's soldiers, always striving to overcome difficulties to rise up.

Article and photos: Mai Lan

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