The last lines of words in the battlefield
Flipping through the pages of the diary that have been stained with time, Mr. Hoang Luong Thien (77 years old), brother of martyr Hoang Huu Thao, still cannot help but feel sad and touched. More than half a century has passed, the pages of the diary and keepsakes of his younger brother are still treasures for the family.
Mr. Thien will always remember the morning of May 28, 1972, when the unit stopped to rest after marching at Dong Toan peak. Here, he accidentally met two comrades of his younger brother. Looking at their eyes, he had a premonition that something was wrong.
When I heard my sister's comrades report that Thao had sacrificed herself while directly commanding the artillery battlefield, I was stunned. The feeling of pain was like a thunderbolt. But I turned the pain of losing her into fighting will, determination to complete the task to be worthy of the sacrifice of my comrades and my own younger brother," Mr. Hoang Luong Thien shared.
Martyr Hoang Huu Thao was born in 1952, from Quang Minh commune, Ba Don town, Quang Binh province (now Nam Gianh commune, Quang Tri province). In May 1970, while studying in 12th grade at Le Hong Phong High School, he put aside his studies, enlisted in the army according to the call of the Fatherland and fought in the Quang Tri battlefield.
In the fierce years, the young soldier recorded his feelings about his homeland, family, and comrades through each page of his diary, letter, and poem. Simple words but containing ideals, love for the country, and belief in peace.
In his last diary written on the evening of April 14, 1972, one day before his sacrifice, martyr Hoang Huu Thao recorded the fierceness of the battlefield:
“In the evening, I still marched at 8 am to the place, dug fortifications, just lay down and it was morning. In the early morning, there was gunfire until 6 pm, temporarily stopping. Gunshots and bullets crowded together exploded like popcorn. Fierce battlefield scene. After one night, I went to transport wounded soldiers...".
Those diary entries closed the fighting journey of the twenty-year-old soldier when he sacrificed himself before the age of 20. For his contributions to the independence and freedom of the nation, martyr Hoang Huu Thao was posthumously awarded the Third-class Resistance War Medal for National Salvation.
In 1980, the martyr's remains were found and handed over by the local authorities to his family to be buried at the Quang Minh Commune Martyrs' Cemetery (now Nam Gianh commune).
Souvenirs that preserve the memories of soldiers
Although martyr Hoang Huu Thao has passed away, the memorabilia he left behind are still cherished and carefully preserved by his family. Over time, the paper has faded, the ink has somewhat faded, but the diary, letters not yet sent, poems and personal belongings are still invaluable spiritual assets.
Mr. Hoang Minh Son (69 years old), Nam Minh Le village, Nam Gianh commune, the nephew who is currently worshiping martyr Hoang Huu Thao, said that after his uncle sacrificed himself, in 1972, the unit handed over the death certificate to the family along with a backpack and artifacts including a diary, unsent letters, a calendar, a set of clothes and some personal belongings.
For nearly 54 years, the family has always carefully preserved those keepsakes. Every time they reread the writings of their uncle, family members are moved by the affection for their homeland, family and comrades.
When they learned that the family still preserved the artifacts of martyr Hoang Huu Thao almost intact, the Nam Gianh commune government proactively researched and collected documents.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh, Head of the Culture and Social Department of Nam Gianh commune, said that these artifacts are not only meaningful to the family but also a valuable source of documents, contributing to recreating local history and educating traditions for today's generation.
The pages of the diary, especially the lines written before the day of sacrifice, helped us clearly feel the image of a resilient and optimistic soldier in the fierce battlefield," Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh shared.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phai, Head of the Veterans Association of Nam Minh Le village, Nam Gianh commune, said that he has requested the family to agree to let the Department of Culture and Society, the Military Command and local authorities collect and preserve artifacts within the framework of the 500-day and night Campaign to promote the search, repatriation and identification of martyrs' remains.
We hope that these pages of diary, letters and memorabilia will be preserved and widely introduced, so that the younger generation can better understand the sacrifices of heroic martyrs," said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phai.
In the historic July days, the pages of martyr Hoang Huu Thao's diary, letters and keepsakes continue to be preserved as messages from the past. It is not only the story of a twenty-year-old soldier who dedicated his whole life to the Fatherland, but also a memory reminding today's generation to appreciate the value of peace.
