Treasuring the past
During the trip, Division 7 veterans visited old battlefields, paying tribute to their fallen comrades still resting in the deep forests and recalling their youthful vows of determination.
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Division 7’s veterans and officers at the Dak O border marker, the unit’s founding location. |
Major General Nguyen Ngoc Doanh, former Deputy Political Commander of Army Corps 4 (now Army Corps 34), emotionally shared that upon returning to the land that sheltered troops during the fiercest periods of the war in Vietnam, he felt as if he was reliving those arduous but heroic years. He affirmed that generations of Division 7 personnel would forever remember the locals’ support.
During wartime, Dak O’s ethnic minority groups shared their scarce food and protected Division 7’s officers and soldiers from enemy raids. Meeting the unit’s veterans and current young officers, local veteran Dieu Mam recalled the times of shared hardships when troops and civilians lived together, expressing his joy during the visit to his family.
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Division 7’s veterans and officers express gratitude to veteran Dieu Mam, who sheltered and helped the unit’s personnel during the wartime. |
Continuing the legacy
Returning to their unit’s birthplace, Division 7 personnel offered incense to martyrs and presented bicycles, scholarships, and gifts to disadvantaged students and ethnic minority households in Dak O commune.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Bao Trung from Division 7’s Political Department shared his pride in the unit’s heroic history, affirming that the younger generation would preserve and promote their predecessors’ legacy.
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The organizing panel presents gifts to local residents and students. |
On this occasion, Division 7 partnered with Military Hospital 4 (Army Corps 34) to provide free health check-ups and medicines for locals. Nguyen Thi Hoa, one of the residents, noted that the community was extremely happy and grateful for the soldiers’ dedicated medical care, given the area’s difficult living conditions.
Meanwhile, a night cultural exchange bridged the past and present. Senior Colonel Nguyen Doan Nam, Political Commissar of Division 7, emphasized that the trip aimed not only to express gratitude to the civilians who sheltered them but also to educate the youths on traditional values, inspiring them to uphold the qualities of Uncle Ho’s soldiers.
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Division 7 collaborates with Military Hospital 4 to provide free medical check-ups and medicines for locals. |
Although nearly 60 years have passed, the civil-military bond in Dak O remains intact. The trip marked a return to the sacred roots of loyalty, comradeship, and an enduring will to win.
Translated by Minh Anh