Back to memories of a glorious time
The 12/9 cinema was packed with white heads, slow-moving figures, leaning on canes, but their eyes always lit up with pride. They were veterans of the 1972 Quang Tri Citadel who came to watch the movie "Red Rain", to relive a time of fiery youth.
The free screening of the film "Red Rain" for members of the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Soldiers Association in 1972 in Nghe An will take place for 4 days, from September 9 to 12, 2025. It is expected that more than 2,000 members will participate.
The activity is not simply watching movies, but also a journey back to the tragic memories of a generation of soldiers who fought at the Citadel in the past.
Mr. Pham Xuan Tinh, 76 years old this year, directly participated in the 81-day and night battle at Quang Tri Citadel and was injured. Although he lived in Chau Binh commune, hundreds of kilometers away, he got up very early to catch the bus to be on time for the movie screening.
Mr. Tinh confided: "When I heard that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province organized a movie screening for veterans of Quang Tri Citadel, I was extremely excited. The night before going to the cinema, I couldn't sleep; because I not only got to watch the movie to relive a glorious and glorious time, but also to meet my comrades and teammates, recall memories, remember and show gratitude to those who sacrificed for the country to have peace like today. At the same time, I learned more about the lives of my teammates now to share with each other like during the war when we shared a sip of water and a piece of dry food."
When the first shots appeared, the entire auditorium fell silent. The wrinkled faces of the veterans seemed to tighten and well up with tears. The hands of comrades held each other tightly, some quietly wiped their tears with handkerchiefs. Many veterans could not sit through the entire screening and had to step outside to contain their emotions.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Son, 87 years old, in Thanh Vinh ward, who directly participated in the fighting and served in the fighting in 4 battlefields in the South, the North, Laos and Cambodia, shared: “The film only depicts a “slice” through images of a war; in reality, it cannot fully describe the fierceness. In addition to bombs and bullets like in the movie, in the Quang Tri Citadel campaign, wherever Napalm bombs were fired, trees and people were burned to the ground, unrecognizable. And in addition to facing bombs and bullets, life and death, in the war, people also suffered countless hardships, sleeping on the ground in the middle of wild mountains and forests, wild forests and poisonous waters; getting lost in the forest, eating wild vegetables and stream fish and being poisoned, being attacked by wild animals…”.
Mr. Son added: “The humanity in war has been portrayed very realistically by the director, through the image, our soldier standing before the enemy of the nation, even though he raised his gun, he could not pull the trigger when facing life and death, the soldier on the other side of the battle line held the picture of his wife and child on his chest. I myself have also stood before the enemy, raised the barrel of the gun high, but when the person on the other side of the battle line said the two words “mom”, I let go of the trigger. Because even though they are enemies, behind them there is still a mother, a wife and children. In the midst of fierceness, humanity still shines.”
For veterans, watching movies is not only a reminiscence, a reliving of a time full of hardship and pride for the country’s independence, freedom and peace, but also an opportunity to remember the many comrades who have fallen and remain in the heart of Quang Tri. Through that, it also adds strength, will and sense of responsibility for life today and tomorrow.
Mr. Nguyen Tat Trien, 78 years old, Chairman of the Association of Soldiers of the Ancient Citadel of Truong Vinh Ward, said: He and his teammates continue to actively connect information, search and collect the remains of martyrs who are lying in streams, deep forests and mountains, in order to erase some of the pain of the mothers, wives and relatives of martyrs.
Gratitude and Confidence
Along with the mood of reminiscing and reliving heroic memories, the veterans also expressed their joy and emotion at the timely attention of the province on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the traditional day of the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Soldiers Association in 1972, Nghe An province (September 16, 1972 - September 16, 2025), organizing for veterans to watch the film "Red Rain".
Comrade Nguyen Dinh Hung - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province shared: "Organizing film screenings for veterans who participated in combat and served in combat at Quang Tri Citadel on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the Association's tradition is an activity to show gratitude to veterans, living witnesses of history. Thereby, contributing to arousing national pride for generations, including cadres working on the Front".
The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee added: This activity is organized with socialized resources, with the goal of both expressing gratitude and connecting and consolidating the great national unity bloc, so that the heroic past continues to illuminate the path today.
For the soldiers who once held guns to protect Quang Tri Citadel, the film “Red Rain” is not only a cinematic work, but also a legacy, an indelible part of memory. It is a reminder for today’s and future generations that: peace , independence, and happiness are not easy to come by, but are exchanged with the blood and bones of many generations of fathers and grandfathers, so that each person can live more responsibly towards their homeland and country.
Mr. Nguyen Tat Trien (Truong Vinh ward), a veteran of Quang Tri Citadel, confided: "In each historical period, the requirements of the revolution and the tasks of each generation of Vietnamese people are different. For the generations of fathers and grandfathers who dared to sacrifice the most sacred and noble thing of human life for the country's peace, I hope that today's generation, in addition to daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, must also dare to sacrifice personal interests to build the homeland and country to be more and more prosperous and happy.
After watching the movie "Red Rain", many veterans still lingered, holding hands with many stories of affection. For them, being able to relive a heroic time, meeting their comrades again, being recognized and appreciated by society, that was a great encouragement...
Source: https://baonghean.vn/nghe-an-chieu-phim-mua-do-mien-phi-cho-cac-cuu-chien-binh-thanh-co-quang-tri-10306122.html
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