Comradeship

Remembering the difficult years on the battlefield, sharing the sweet and bitter moments and even the life-and-death moments before the enemy's arrows and bullets, they found each other and lived together in a common house called the Truong Son Thai Binh Women's Soldiers Association. Established in October 2014 by the decision of the Central Committee of the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail Tradition Association of Vietnam, up to now, the Association has gathered more than 3,600 members. Despite many difficulties and deprivations in life, they always maintain the qualities of Uncle Ho's Soldiers - Truong Son Soldiers, upholding the brave, loyal and responsible example of the women of the five-ton homeland.

Activities of love and gratitude to comrades are regularly organized by the Truong Son Thai Binh Female Soldiers Association.

We had the opportunity to talk with Ms. Pham Thi My, Tran Hung Dao ward ( Hung Yen province) - one of the veterans who fought on the legendary Truong Son route. In 1973, she volunteered to join the army, assigned to Company 14, Regiment 542, participating in road opening and traffic assurance on the Truong Son strategic logistics support route. In the conditions of numerous shortages, she and many other women in the unit encouraged each other to overcome and complete the mission. When returning to normal life, she accompanied Ms. Tran Thi Khanh Vuong, Ta Thi Hanh, Nguyen Thi Phuong, Vu Thi Vy, Nguyen Thi Lan, Do Thi Mien... to become the nucleus of connection, enthusiastically operating and developing the Truong Son Thai Binh Women's Soldiers Association. As President of the Association, she and the Executive Committee actively participated in the activities of the Truong Son Women's Soldiers Association, doing a good job of charity work, helping members who were sick and in difficult circumstances. From 2020 to now, the Truong Son Thai Binh Women's Soldiers Association has awarded 25 savings books worth 75 million VND to members who are sick or have serious illnesses. In addition, the Association, in collaboration with local authorities and families, has searched for and returned the remains of 5 martyrs to their hometown cemeteries. Every year, on the occasion of Lunar New Year, the Association visits and presents thousands of gifts to members in need. With the attention of the government and philanthropists, the Association has built and repaired nearly 30 houses of gratitude for members who are single and have difficulty with housing...

Improve spiritual life

In addition to caring for material life, the Association also has many meaningful forms and programs of activities that contribute to improving the spiritual life of its members. Most recently, it organized a campaign to compose poems, memoirs, short stories... about female soldiers of Truong Son in general and their homeland in particular in the resistance war against the US, to save the country and the cause of national construction today. The campaign has received the response of many members. After a period of launching, quality works were selected by the Executive Committee of the Association, directed to edit, and organized for publication in a book titled "Female soldiers of Truong Son Thai Binh, proud and shining" published by the Writers' Association Publishing House in September 2025.

The book "Female soldiers of Truong Son Thai Binh, proud and shining" published in September 2025.

Reading nearly 400 pages of the book, a collection of 138 works of poetry, short stories, memoirs... by 66 authors, we went from one surprise to another. Each work is a story that crystallizes the beauty of the soul and personality of Vietnamese women. These are female soldiers, youth volunteers who perform medical duties, drive vehicles, carry stretchers, carry ammunition, and open roads to ensure traffic safety, bravely and steadfastly in: "Em co gai truong son" (Nguyen Huu Ban), "My day on Truong Son peak" (Than Duc Chinh), "Co gai sach ky truong son" (Quach Duc Boi), "Hoi muong mot sau" (Nguyen Thi Lan), "Chuyen cua toi tuoi muoi 16" (Nguyen Thi Phuong)... There are also female soldiers who are diligent, love their comrades, always strive to overcome difficulties and hardships, and carry out their work with dedication and responsibility, recreated through the works: "Female soldier who raises soldiers" (To Thi Van); "The eyes of female comrades" (Le Tran Bach). During the resistance war, through concrete actions, they contributed to the strength of Truong Son and today they shine with their noble hearts for their comrades with "Reunion" (Ta Thi Hanh), "Comradely affection" (Bui Thi Ha), "Visiting friends in A Luoi" (Pham Thi My)...

Closing the book, we still feel "craving" for more of the attraction from the simple yet emotional poems, or the love story that sprouted in the fire of bullets and was as beautiful as a fairy tale of the Truong Son soldiers. If only the book were a little thicker so that readers could continue to "enjoy" more of the meaningful memories of a time not long ago. Surely there will be many memories and stories still kept in their hearts that they have not been able to write down. The female soldiers of Truong Son Thai Binh have the right to be proud of the most beautiful time of their youth that they left behind on the battlefield. The Truong Son mountains and forests have kept for them that glorious and proud part of their lives. Today, although each person has a different situation, the female soldiers of Truong Son in the past are always united, shining together in everyday life with a kind heart, sharing, contributing the red flames to warm up the camaraderie.

Article and photos: SOUTH

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/tu-hao-nu-chien-si-truong-son-thai-binh-850210