Wind through memory

Late afternoon, standing hesitantly at the National Martyrs Cemetery of Route 9, looking up at the dark green Truong Son range in the distance in the majestic wilderness, listening to the wind resounding the song "A country girl goes to save the country/Her green hair is like a full moon/Her hands break rocks to open the way/Her hardships force her to step back to let her move forward"... The afternoon space of the cemetery seems to sink in the scent of frangipani flowers that cling to the sacred place. Regret, remember, and pride for the outstanding children of the Fatherland who fell for the peace of the country today.

Wind through memory

Illustration: N.DUY

I read the diary of doctor and martyr Dang Thuy Tram and understood why in the diary dated July 14, 1969, she wrote to confide in her mother: “...Tomorrow, in the song of victory, there will be no me. I am proud to have dedicated my whole life to the Fatherland. Of course, I am also bitter because I cannot continue to live the peaceful and happy life that everyone, including me, shed blood and bones to regain. But it's nothing, millions of people like me have fallen without ever enjoying a single day of happiness, so there is nothing to regret!”

Dang Thuy Tram was a person who longed for peace. She went to the South to fight to regain peace and independence for the nation.

And more specifically, the diary's journey over the course of 35 years also shows a burning desire for peace because the person who kept the diary had participated in the war and the horrific memories of the war haunted him throughout his life.

The wind through the memory always blows forever with time, rising from the pain and loss of war, we appreciate the value of peace even more. Many times I have been to Quang Tri Citadel and each time, I could not hold back my tears when reading the two letters of martyrs Le Binh Chung and Le Van Huynh sent to their families during the fierce fighting days to protect the Citadel.

The grass at the foot of the Citadel is still green in the days of July. Perhaps, life is nourished by invisible values so that today when looking at oneself by the Thach Han River, people's hearts are filled with tears, sending gratitude through the candles lighting up the river in the night of flower lanterns carrying the wish for peace.

Not only the Thach Han River, but also in this land of spiritual and talented people, every river that flows through it marks a miraculous story. Here I would like to mention the Hieu Giang River flowing down to Cua Viet, preserving the footprints of Princess Huyen Tran, a girl who devoted herself to expanding the territory of Dai Viet; the O Lau River, preserving the sad and painful love stories of the girls who were born, bathed and grew up on this riverbank.

The beautiful life eventually returns to dust, leaving behind only painful love stories; the Ben Hai River with the Hien Luong Bridge spanning it. Just a river a few oar strokes long and wide, but carrying the pain of separation for decades.

In the past, present and future, I believe that Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River will always stand tall as a monument to the aspiration for unification, carrying the message of love for peace that the Vietnamese people send to humanity all over the world .

And in today's triumphant song still echoes the pride of the once fiery young men : "We have gone without regretting our lives/(How can we not regret our twenties)/ But if everyone regrets their twenties, what is left of the Fatherland?/The grass is sharp and warm, isn't it, dear..." ( Thanh Thao).

“That’s right! Like this afternoon, the wind still blows endlessly from the Road 9 Martyrs Cemetery to the Hieu River and blows all the way to the foot of Hien Luong Bridge. It is the wind of memories, of the past, rushing up with a desire for peace.

An Khanh

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