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Remember the liberation day of Hai Duong town

Memoirs of NGUYEN SI DOAN October 30, 2024 09:09

Seventy years have passed but no one can forget October 30, 1954 with its heroic and exciting atmosphere, the day of liberation of Hai Duong town.

At 8:00 a.m. on October 30, 1954, the last French colonial expeditionary soldier had just crossed Phu Luong bridge when a long, clear whistle sounded from the roof of Hoa Binh cinema. The entire Hai Duong town seemed to burst into cheers welcoming our troops to liberate...

Peace, independence. From now on we are the masters of our country, the masters of our lives. Many beautiful girls carrying bouquets of fresh flowers stepped out onto the street to give to the soldiers. The soldiers wore uniforms, tight pants, and hats with camouflage nets, shouldered guns, their faces glowing as they received them with both hands.

Still in those footsteps, I seemed to hear the joy in everyone’s heart. Joyful but unable to forget the crimes of the French colonialists and their puppet government. How many houses of farmers were burned down not long ago. Remember. Remember to clearly realize the value of each day living in peace.

My grandmother hugged a very young soldier: "My children... My children... Oh Ut". She was only able to say that and then burst into tears. As if understanding her feelings, the soldier comforted her: "Mom! The homeland is liberated, the sacrifices of the heroes and martyrs brought us this day". Not just my grandmother, many people cried on the day of victory. Some cried out of joy, but many cried out of sadness thinking about their loved ones who would never return.

My grandmother gave birth to five children, two boys and three girls. The boys were my father and Uncle Ut. Uncle Ut joined the Vietnam People's Army from the beginning of the resistance war. At that time, he was seventeen years old, "small as a candy", working as a laborer in a winery. My grandfather died when he was only a few years old. That was what my father later told me. Many times Uncle Ut asked my grandmother and my parents for permission to join the army. My grandmother said: "You have to eat a lot, when you grow up, you can go."

It seemed that my uncle could not wait any longer. The country was in danger, with enemies both within and without. Fighting the enemy did not wait until one was old enough. My uncle ran away from home and volunteered to join the army a few days before the national resistance day.

My grandmother complained to my father: "I never forbade him..." My grandmother was illiterate. She did not understand what a national democratic revolution was. No one had ever come to campaign or propagate to a sixty-year-old woman who was a native of the city. She simply understood that the Westerners were too cruel, too barbaric, and exploited our people to the point of exhaustion, so we had to fight them off. She understood the responsibility of the people to the country through legends and Vietnamese fairy tales. When the enemy came to our house, even women fought. Uncle Ho called for a nationwide resistance. Gunshots rang out across the country. Every house, every street corner became a barricade to stop the enemy. Tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, sandbags... everything was used as a barrier right in the middle of the road.

About a month after my family was preparing to evacuate, my uncle suddenly returned. He came to say goodbye to his family to follow the army to the Fourth War Zone of Dong Trieu. My uncle was still dressed like the day he escaped from his family to join the army, his face was darkened by gunpowder smoke. The only difference was that this time my uncle was stronger and healthier, carrying an old rifle produced in World War I. He told my grandmother: "Following Uncle Ho's orders, we are retreating to the war zone to preserve our forces and prepare for a long resistance war". My grandmother held her youngest son's hand and told him: "You go strong, when the war is over, you will return to your mother, to your brothers and sisters. I hope you will be strong and brave, striving to be equal to your brothers and sisters". My uncle nodded his bald head: "Yes. Yes. I will listen to you, mother".

Then my uncle returned to his unit immediately. The meal my mother had hastily prepared for him was still intact. No one thought about eating anymore. That was also the last time my uncle and his family met. Two years later, in 1948, my family received news that my uncle had sacrificed himself at the front line of Kim Thanh district, in an ambush of a French military train on Route 5.

The liberation army entered from the two gates, the west and the south. They all gathered at Bao Dai flower garden (now Independence Square). At that time, Hai Duong town was still small, with a sparse population, but almost all the town's residents poured into the streets to welcome the liberation day. Therefore, the square became crowded. The army and the people stood together.

The largest rally ever in the town's history was solemnly held. "Long live Vietnam's independence and democracy". "Long live the Vietnam Workers' Party". "Long live President Ho". "Long live, long live, long live". The shouts from thousands of hearts shook the town's sky.

Behind the rally, the French bunker stood cold and bare. The loopholes were like wandering eyes, half in surprise and half in fear. The meter-thick bunker was a symbol of the feudal colonialists who had once caused the Vietnamese people so much suffering right on their own land, and now suddenly became an involuntary historical witness.

The rally quickly turned into a march to demonstrate the determination to build the North towards socialism, to promote the national democratic struggle in the South towards national reunification. Leading the parade were soldiers of the Trung Dung Regiment. The flag "Determination to fight and victory" fluttered. Next was Regiment Commander Nguyen Nhu Thiet. "For the people, forget yourself/For the people, sacrifice/Brothers, forget yourself for the people...". The marching song "For the people, forget yourself" by musician Doan Quang Khai was repeated over and over again with each step of Uncle Ho's soldiers. This was an army born from the struggle for independence and freedom of the Vietnamese people. An army of peace.

Although we know that victory day is inevitable in a just resistance war, why are the people of Hai Duong town still surprised by the boundless joy? Twenty days ago, the capital Hanoi was liberated. The people of Hai Duong held their breath and followed every step of the victorious army. Eyes looked at each other as if to ask: "When will our town arrive?". There was a lot of news from the capital: Our army has arrived at Nhu Quynh. The next day, there was another news: Our troops have arrived at Pho Noi.

Saying is saying. Hoping is hoping. But the people of Hai Duong still have a lot of work to do. Fighting to prevent the enemy from dismantling the factory's machinery and equipment and taking them away. Encouraging people to stay in their hometowns and not listen to the enemy's enticements to migrate to the South. Helping people from Hai Phong and other districts with food and accommodation to attend the liberation ceremony. About half a month before the liberation day, the French army gathered in large numbers in the town. They occupied Cho Lon (now Phu Yen market) as a gathering place. Every day, they used trucks to carry beds, cabinets, tables, chairs, bricks, tiles and other heavy objects and threw them all over the streets. They wanted our revolutionary army to liberate the town in a dirty and messy environment. They wanted to slow us down. It seemed that they had learned the lesson of December 19, 1946 for our army and people.

Realizing this evil trick, the Resistance Committee sent people to Cho Lon to meet with the enemy commanders to protest, forcing them to immediately stop their bad faith actions and demand the correct implementation of the Geneva Agreement. Faced with strong and reasonable arguments, the commander had to apologize and promise not to repeat the offense. On the afternoon of October 29, the "tricolor" flag on the roof of the water tower (the highest point of the town at that time) was lowered without trumpets, drums, or even a flag lowering ceremony.

The whole night of October 29, 1954, the whole of Hai Duong did not sleep. The work for the big day became more urgent. Inside each house, the lights were still bright. Everyone was in a hurry, there was not much time left, they had to be quick to make it on time. Groups of young men and women urgently sewed flags, put up flags, slogans, and portraits of President Ho. Groups of women cooked rice, roasted sesame seeds, and then rolled them into small balls to be distributed to the participants of the rally and march the next day. Groups of elderly people boiled large pots of water. The blazing fire made cheeks rosy, and the faces and eyes sparkled. Tomorrow, Hai Duong would be red with flags and banners like 9 years ago to welcome the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. People tried to decorate a simple but bright town. It was not Tet, but no Tet had been as joyful as these days. For the people at that time, everyone had the same feeling: Hai Duong town had never been so beautiful, so heroic.

Gone are the years of suffering under the yoke of feudal colonialism and the guns of invaders. Now is the time for the people of Hai Duong to express their trust in the Vietnam Workers' Party, their gratitude to the Government, and their boundless love for President Ho Chi Minh. Everyone decorated colorful flower floats. Eight years of fighting and sacrifice by the army and people of Hai Duong have brought about this day.

Years have passed, seventy years, more than two-thirds of a person's life is long, very long. At the age of forgetfulness, no one can forget October 30, 1954 with the heroic, exciting atmosphere of the liberation day of their hometown.

Memoirs of NGUYEN SI DOAN
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Remember the liberation day of Hai Duong town