During the days when the movie Red Rain was touching the hearts of millions of audiences in theaters, I had the opportunity to return to Nghe An, participating in a field trip to Truong Bon National Historical Site. If Red Rain recreated the fierce battle at Quang Tri Citadel, where the blood and bones of countless Vietnamese people merged into the Thach Han River, then Truong Bon was also the land of blood and fire, where thousands of youth volunteers, soldiers, and laborers fell to keep the traffic arteries open, so that life could be revived and peace could be restored.
In the middle of the hot noon sun in Nghe An, my steps faltered, sweat mixed with tears when I heard about the 13 youth volunteers of Company 317 who died at 6:10 am on October 31, 1968. In just a few hours (from 0:00 on November 1, 1968, according to US time, the US would unconditionally stop bombing the North to begin the peace negotiations in Paris), 11 girls and 2 boys in their twenties would complete their mission, start new plans in their lives, but 172 US bombs dropped had forever turned them into immortals. The remaining relics (arms wrapped in scarves, school admission notices, plastic sandals, faded army shirts...) have become indelible historical evidence.
If the film Red Rain depicts the ferocity of war and the indomitable spirit of the previous generation, then in Truong Bon today, that reality exists in every grave, every inch of land soaked in blood. The night before the day of sacrifice, comrades still reminded each other: "Only one last day left, having gone through a hundred days and nights without fear, what else do we care about...". But that dawn did not come in time for the 13 brave sons. They transformed into the motherland, becoming "living markers" to guide the vehicles, contributing to the victory of the nation, breaking the enemy's will to invade.
Today, on the 220ha campus of Truong Bon Historical Site, life has revived. But anyone who lights incense at the mass grave of 13 heroic martyrs cannot contain their emotions. Truong Bon, as well as Quang Tri Citadel and Dong Loc T-junction, has become a "red address" that records loss and pain but also shines with revolutionary heroism. The Party and State have awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces to the collective of 14 youth volunteers of Company 317 - N65 (one soldier still survived the bombing). This is not only a recognition of great achievements, but also a reminder to today's and future generations about the value of peace.
Coming to Truong Bon, we not only pay tribute to those who have fallen, but also relive a part of “Red Rain” in real life. Because whether in Quang Tri or Nghe An, in any land soaked with the blood of our ancestors, there is a truth: Vietnamese youth have devoted themselves completely so that the Fatherland will last forever, so that the people can live in independence and freedom.
NGUYEN BAO TOAN
Director of Vietnam Tour Guide Operation Center, Vietravel Group
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/mua-nay-den-voi-truong-bon-post813984.html
![[Photo] National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attends the inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Site of National Assembly Standing Committee Chairman Bui Bang Doan](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/9/28/6feba23492d14b03b05445dd9f1dba88)
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