PANO - Years ago, tens of thousands of people across Vietnam voluntarily joined young volunteer forces and art troupes in remote areas of Dien Bien province. They formed a great strength and encouragement for the national liberation cause.
During the historic Dien Bien Phu campaign, there appeared several moving love stories that have been recalled by generations. Such stories are retold in the book, “Memories of Dien Bien Phu. Stories of history makers”, published by the National Political Publishing House.
One such touching story in the book recalls the love between Mrs. Tran Thi Bich Tho and Mr. Le Quyet who met each other on the battlefield.
Tho recalled that in February, 1954, she was appointed to work as a medical worker in a military medical station in Tuan Giao, 80km from Dien Bien Phu. The station was for seriously wounded soldiers from the battle. While taking care of wounded soldiers, Tho noticed a brave man named Quyet who never moaned though he was seriously injured.
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| Art troupe entertaining troops in Dien Bien Phu. |
Later, as his health was getting better, Quyet often played the guitar and his music touched Tho’s heart, so she usually met him under the pretext of giving him medicines.
Before returning to the battlefield, the wounded soldier held Tho’s hands and said, “I love you very much, Ms. Nurse”.
Three days after the Dien Bien Phu victory, Quyet came back to see the nurse and asked the unit’s commander for a wedding.
The group wedding took place at Division 312 which was decorated with wild flowers, “Sim” flower (purple flower) and “Mua” flower and the banner with the motto, “Enjoying marriage life without forgetting the mission”. The couples and their guests in normal clothes stood in line and the friends sang songs and drank tea for the newly-wed couples’ happiness.
After the wedding, Quyet was sent to Cao Bang, while Tho was assigned to Zone 4. A year later, they by chance met in Nghe An province.
Now, their two sons have become an army officer and a pilot and their daughter is a doctor.
Another touching love story is about Mr. Lo Van Tun and Mrs. Lo Thi Khuyn in Chieng Pac commune, Thuan Chau district, Son La province. Tun and Khuyn were from the same commune but they had never talked to each other before they both joined the Dien Bien Phu campaign. In 1953, Tuan and 20 other people in Chieng Pac commune formed a group to transport rice, salt and working tools for troops, build depots and tents and repair roads for rice transportation from Thuan Chau to Dien Bien.
Tun and Khuyn happened to meet each other while serving the campaign. They met regularly and then fell in love with each other. The day Tun proposed Khuyn was one of the unforgettable memories for the couple. That day, the Tun asked Khuyn, “Will you marry me?” Khuyn accepted his proposal with a shy nod. They got married in 1955 and are enjoying a happy marriage with their 9 children.
Translated by Tran Hoai