Almost stayed in the battlefield
To celebrate the 76th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Youth Volunteer Force (TNXP) (July 15, 1950 - July 15, 2026), I returned to the house of former youth volunteer Nguyen Tien Dung (76 years old, residing in Dong Xuan village, Thach Xuan commune, Ha Tinh province).
Mr. Dung recounted that in 1971, when he turned 20 years old, he joined TNXP at unit N534P18, mainly operating on Route 21. He was assigned to the bomb and mine clearance team.
“One day in October 1972, when a magnetic bomb from the American enemy had just been dropped, our group of 4 people nearby was bombed, each person was thrown in a different direction. I was thrown about 15m away by the bomb, bleeding in my forehead, lying motionless for a while and then waking up. Only Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoa died on the spot, 2 others were slightly injured. This is the most horrific memory that I will never forget in my life,” Mr. Dung recalled.
According to Mr. Dung, after this injury, he had to be treated for 2 months at the General Team 53 in Thach Dien commune (now Thach Xuan commune). After recovering his health, Mr. Dung transferred to perform duties at TNXP General Team 53.
In 1975, when the country was unified, Mr. Dung got married and built a family life with his wife Nguyen Thi Hong (born 1952).
In 1979, when there was a general mobilization order, Mr. Dung volunteered to join unit C1, Battalion 48, Regiment 176, Corps 678 to Laos to perform international duties and fight. Here, he participated in the logistics department, cooking, and catering for the unit.
In 1984, Mr. Dung returned to the country and was sent by his unit for 6 months of convalescence at Đoàn 200 in Quy Hop district, Nghe An province. After that, he was discharged from the army, returned to his locality, returned to peacetime life, and raised his children to adulthood.
Peace is very precious
Mr. Dung and his wife had 4 children, including 2 sons and 2 daughters. Mr. Dung's wife is also a former Youth Volunteer. After many years of pain and weakness, she passed away in 2025.
Currently, Mr. Dung lives alone in a level-4 house on an area of 1,500 m2. Every day, he hoes the soil to grow vegetables, both has clean vegetables to eat and also relaxes, considering it as exercise to improve health.
In his old age, whenever he felt unwell, Mr. Dung would ask his son to take him to the doctor and get medicine to drink.
As a former Youth Volunteer, Mr. Dung is also a relative worshiping martyrs. Every year, he prepares incense for his older brother who sacrificed in 1973, on the battlefield in Quang Tri province. Currently, the family has not yet found his brother's grave. This is also the long-standing concern of his family.
In the old days of fierce war, saving a life was already very lucky. Now peace, a prosperous life, independence, and freedom are truly precious," Mr. Dung shared.
Mr. Dung proudly boasted that Thach Xuan commune - where he lives - has the North-South expressway passing through, a golf course project under construction, near the train station, and the North-South high-speed railway is about to be constructed.
Mr. Dung recounted that a few days ago, dozens of youth union members of Thach Xuan commune and some members of the Former Youth Volunteers Association of Thach Xuan commune came to help him hoe grass and tidy up the garden.
At the end of the session, the youth union also organized to cook rice to invite former Youth Volunteers and representatives of policy families to eat a very joyful and meaningful "meaningful meal".
The actions of the youth union members, although small, are very meaningful, showing the morality of "drinking water, remembering the source", gratitude to the generation of fathers and brothers who have contributed, fought, and sacrificed for independence and freedom for the Fatherland, for today's peace," Mr. Dung shared.
