Receiving Vietnam War Remnants Records

The reception ceremony was organized by the “Soldier’s Heart” Organization in coordination with the Vietnam Center and Archives (USA), the Vietnam Environment and Urban Magazine and the “Forever 20” Club.

The autobiography “Mai van nguoi linh” by author Dang Ngoc Da tells about his journey from the fierce battlefield to the “garden of happiness”; from the hardships of war to a peaceful and serene life. The book is a simple, authentic and interesting memoir about the life and family of an old soldier through a long period of time with many ups and downs of life and great events of the country, with the courage and will of Uncle Ho's soldiers. That is veteran Dang Ngoc Da, born in 1939, from Me So commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province. He is one of the rare soldiers who successfully completed all three missions of “Eliminating hunger, eliminating ignorance, eliminating foreign invaders” as President Ho Chi Minh called for in the Patriotic Emulation Campaign in 1948.

Leaders, guests, and veterans observed a minute of silence to commemorate the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect national independence.

About “Eradicating Ignorance”: Remembering his active participation in the “Popular Education” teaching movement and his outstanding achievements in eliminating illiteracy in his hometown (Me So commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province), in 1958 teacher Dang Khac Da (former name of Mr. Dang Ngoc Da) was presented by the Ministry of Education with a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, with his signature and handwritten notes.

About “Killing foreign invaders”: In 1967, following the call for the General Mobilization of forces for the Southern battlefield of the Party and beloved Uncle Ho, with the exemplary spirit of a local union cadre, he volunteered to join the army when he was nearly 30 years old, with a wife and 4 young children. After being trained at Bai Say Regiment, on the way to the B battlefield, Dang Ngoc Da was admitted to the Party in the Truong Son forest. He was attached to the Duc Hue - Long An war zone for nearly ten years.

Also in this fierce battlefield, he fought in the famous "Yawning Dog Field" in the Southwest region during the anti-American war. He completed his mission excellently. After the South was completely liberated, Dang Ngoc Da was able to return to the North in early 1976, transferred to work at Gia Lam airport under the Aviation Department - Air Defense - Air Force. Then he was assigned back to Saigon, managing and operating the Computer Center at 27B Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

Regarding the achievements of "Eliminating hunger" and doing business: In 1990, veteran Dang Ngoc Da was allowed to retire. However, he did not rest but thought about doing business for his family. His hometown is Me So commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, a fertile land with a tradition of intensive rice and fruit cultivation. The old soldier traveled everywhere to learn, then returned to rent land to grow flowers and ornamental plants. After many failures, Mr. Da built a large ornamental garden, almost the first in his hometown Me So, with high economic value. It can be said that veteran Dang Ngoc Da was one of the first people in Me So to open a new direction in growing vegetables and colors, building ornamental gardens, increasing the income value per unit of cultivated land. His ornamental garden model has inspired many veterans and farmers in Hung Yen as well as many places in the country to learn and follow.

Special art program at the reception.

During the resistance war against the US, there was a huge volume of tens of thousands of diaries, handwritten letters, personal belongings... which were relics and memorabilia of the Northern Army and the Southern Liberation Army captured by the US army and the Republic of Vietnam soldiers on the battlefield. Most of the originals were destroyed during the war. However, many of the contents of the above relics and memorabilia were photographed and preserved in microfilm form, at the Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech University, USA (abbreviated as VNCA). These copies can also be considered as "originals", containing a lot of private information, but very touching and sacred, because almost all relatives of the martyrs' families involved have never had the opportunity to see them and can help in searching for the graves and remains of the martyrs...

According to Colonel, writer Dang Vuong Hung (founder and current Chairman of "The Heart of a Vietnamese Soldier") - Head of the event organizing committee, said: We have coordinated with VNCA to implement a non-profit and humane project called "Vietnam War Remnants File". In 2023, we translated it as "Heritage" and now we would like to change it to "Remnants" for a clearer meaning. We have used documents screened from the microfilm archive, with nearly 3 million pages, currently kept at VNCA, to search for information about Vietnamese martyrs who sacrificed or went missing during the war, at the same time, coordinated with many organizations and individuals, to search for relatives of martyrs and war veterans who survived the war, to be able to return the "Remnants File" (Diaries, Private Letters, etc.) to individuals, or relatives of martyrs in Vietnam.

Since the beginning of May 2024, based on the exclusive source of documents sent by VNCA, the organization "Heart of Vietnamese Soldiers" has compiled and introduced on the social network Facebook and the electronic magazine "Culture and Development" more than 30 "War Remnants" files. That is the summary content of 35 Diary notebooks and 10 wartime letters. With the help and contributions of many readers, 12 of the files have received positive feedback from relatives of martyrs, former prisoners of war and war invalids. We have contacted the above witnesses, currently in many regions across the country, to invite them to attend the event.

The photos of the martyrs will be handed over to their families by the Organizing Committee.

Specifically, many families of martyrs have registered the whole group, including brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren... Everyone wants to directly attend the event. Typically, the group of relatives of Martyr Dang Van Te, in Phu Tho, registered to go with 6 people (including his wife who is over 80 years old, his son and grandchildren). The group of relatives of Martyr Tran Xuan Linh, in Ha Tinh, registered to go with 7 people (including his brother and grandchildren, both male and female). Notably, number 11 of the files found recipients, with 3 cases surviving the bloody battles. They are former prisoner of war Mai Xuan Ngoc in Hai Phong, war invalid Do Xuan Thuyen in Thai Binh and war invalid Nguyen Tien Dong in Ha Tinh. Unfortunately, Mr. Mai Xuan Ngoc passed away 2 months ago, due to old age, at the age of 87. Mr. Do Xuan Thuyen (born 1945) is currently in Thai Binh. Although he is 80 years old, has to use a wheelchair and needs someone to accompany him, Mr. Thuyen still registered to return from Thai Binh to Hanoi to attend the event. Mr. Nguyen Tien Dong (currently Head of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts to Laos in Ha Tinh province) will take the night train to Hanoi to attend the event.

The martyrs’ relatives were very excited, emotional and expectant when they received the information that they could receive the “War Remnants File” related to their families. Because of the familiar and sacred handwriting and will of the deceased, along with the content contained in each letter, or diary pages, notes during the resistance war. Everyone was moved and choked up, witnessing a part of the “return” of their loved ones, after decades of sacrifice…

The autobiography "Forever a Soldier" was launched at the event.

In order to contribute to healing the wounds of war, closing the past, and moving towards the future, with a better peaceful life; the Institute of Science and Arts, in coordination with the Institute of Peace and Conflict, and the Vietnam Center and Archives of Texas Tech University (USA), sent a delegation of researchers to Vietnam to study the reality; at the same time, in coordination with the organization "Heart of Vietnamese Soldiers" to hand over the "War Remnants File" (2nd time) to the relatives of martyrs' families, in Hanoi, on June 12, 2024.

Also within the framework of the event, the “Forever 20” club in collaboration with the “Soldier’s Heart” organization restored in color 4 portraits of martyrs. These are the only portraits of martyrs taken before their sacrifice, to present to the relatives of the martyrs’ families - who are also typical members of the “Forever 20” club.

News and photos: Trung Nguyen

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tiep-nhan-ho-so-chung-tich-chien-tranh-viet-nam-post298974.html