Mr. "Sau Thong" wrote blood letters four times asking to go to the battlefield.

Indifferent to life and death

Having made an appointment, we met with war invalid Bui Trung Thong (70 years old) nicknamed "Sau Thong" late in the morning of an autumn day in October. Before us was a war invalid with a small figure, dressed simply with a badge pinned to his chest. He smiled and said: "Earlier this morning, I had a schedule for the war veterans to clean up the village road, so I postponed the appointment with you until now. Please understand me!"

Mr. Thong invited us into his family's simple living room, about 20 square meters wide, with many medals, certificates of merit, and awards hanging on the wall.

Over a cup of hot tea, Mr. Thong reminisced about the time of war, full of enthusiasm when he set out to fight the enemy.

As a child, Thong was impressed by the fighting spirit of his father and brother. His father was a former prisoner of Phu Quoc, and his brother was a martyr who sacrificed his life in the Mau Than campaign in 1968. The story of his father - a living witness who returned from the "hell on earth" with brutal beatings and tortures - always haunted him and urged him to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy.

Mr. Thong recalled: "At that time, in the commune and district, everyone volunteered to go to war. The road to the front was as crowded as a festival. Even though I knew I was not old enough and was exempted from military service, the desire to go to war always burned within me."

In November 1971, 16-year-old Bui Trung Thong pricked his index finger to write an application for military service, but it was rejected. More than a month later, he wrote a second application with blood and the result was the same as the first time.

Impressed by the spirit of “Determination to die for the Fatherland” of the young man, by the third blood letter, Mr. Thong was allowed to join the army by his superiors. Although he no longer kept it, he never forgot the content of the letters. At the end of each blood letter, he wrote: “When there is no more enemy, I will return to my homeland.”

Carrying his backpack and setting out to defend the country, Mr. Thong said goodbye to his family and enlisted in the Tran Hung Dao Battalion, Left Bank Military Region. After the training course, he was selected by his unit to study in the North. However, with the determination to go to battle, to hold a gun alongside his comrades, for the fourth time, he pricked his arm and wrote a request to go to battle. In July 1972, he was assigned to the Truong Son Corps, Route 559, Quang Tri.

Going to battle, he and his comrades experienced many fierce battles on the battlefields of Quang Tri, Southeast, resisting enemy sweeps, liberating many revolutionary areas.

The annihilation of the 512th Reconnaissance Battalion at the Thu Chi cemetery in May 1974 was an unforgettable memory for him. At that time, he was the Deputy Company Commander of the 312th Battalion, the 3rd Cuu Long Regiment, nicknamed “Sau Thong”. The 3rd Regiment was then considered the “iron fist” of the Liberation Army, the pillar and reliable support of the armed forces and people of Vinh Tra. “Sau Thong’s” unit was divided into 4 attack prongs, of which Mr. Thong was the leading prong.

Before the battle, Deputy Regiment Commander Tran Van Ba ​​instructed: "If unfortunately Tu May (the Battalion Chief of Staff) is sacrificed, Sau Thong must take over the task, at all costs must closely follow the information, deploy the plan as practiced before". At about 6:00 a.m. on May 17, 1974, Mr. "Sau Thong" was on duty to fire the B41 to open the battle. The enemy defending at Thu Chi's tomb fired fiercely, his unit had to ask for support from the outside.

After more than a day of fighting with the enemy, our army captured the entire base, killed more than 300 enemies, and captured many of their guns and grenades. But in that battle, Mr. Thong also witnessed many of his comrades fall.

At this point, Mr. Thong fell silent, his eyes red with grief for his comrades.

After that time, Mr. Thong's unit carried out the mission of "holding the ground, holding the land and winning the people", continuing to attack the enemy, protecting the people and maintaining the liberated areas. During a battle against the enemy's sweep, Mr. Thong was hit in the head by a bullet, causing him to fall unconscious and then be taken to the Regiment Hospital for treatment. Because the wound was so severe, some of his comrades thought he would not survive, so they reported his death. Therefore, in his Resistance Medal, it was written that "martyr Bui Trung Thong" had made contributions in the resistance war against the US to save the country.

When the enemy attacked the hospital, many wounded soldiers had to be evacuated. Mr. Thong was sent to a mother's house in the West for care and treatment.

After being treated for his injuries, he was assigned to perform policy duties for wounded and sick soldiers in Military Region 3. In February 1981, due to the recurrence of serious injuries, he was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown, as a 1/4-class wounded soldier.

Returning home with shrapnel still in his head and physical wounds that could never heal, there was a time when Mr. Thong had low self-esteem and thought it would be difficult to find personal happiness.

Introduced by his comrades, he met and married Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - the younger sister of a comrade in the commune. Overcoming many initial difficulties and hardships, the couple had 3 sons, all of whom have grown up. Mr. Thong shared: "During war, soldiers relied on their guns and comrades to move forward. In peacetime, unfortunately becoming disabled, wives, children, and families are the support that helps us feel more confident in life."

Simplicity in everyday life

"Returning to his homeland was the most difficult time for him. He underwent more than 20 surgeries and treatments but could not intervene with the bullet fragments in his head, making his health even weaker.

But with the qualities of a soldier of Uncle Ho, Mr. Thong has risen up, actively participated in building his homeland, and taken the lead in all local movements. He was trusted to be the Head of the Veterans Association of Phuong La village. In addition to focusing on developing the association, he actively mobilized members to build new rural areas, maintain security and order, protect the environment, and develop the economy together. With the efforts of Mr. Thong and the association's executive committee, the movement "Veterans join hands to build new rural areas" in Cam Che commune has many marks.

Mr. Thong said that he always kept in mind that if he wanted to gain the trust and enthusiastic response of the members, the cadres must first set an example. He personally called on members to contribute, mobilized people and philanthropists to build high-voltage power lines for the villagers. The straight concrete road in the new rural area, decorated with rows of green trees, was all thanks to the cleaning and care of the veteran members of Phuong La village, including Mr. Thong. He is also the Head of the Inspection Committee of the Association of the Disabled in Thanh Ha district, helping many disabled members to develop the economy on their homeland.

With his contributions, Mr. Thong has received many certificates of merit from all levels. The example of a 70-year-old war invalid, 55-year-old Party member, always diligent and devoted to the common work of Mr. "Sau Thong" is a beautiful image of a heroic soldier in wartime, shining in peacetime.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hai, Chairman of the Veterans Association of Cam Che Commune, said: "Mr. Thong is an exemplary Branch President, actively participating in activities launched by the Veterans Association of the commune and district. He is a shining example of preserving and promoting the tradition of Uncle Ho's soldiers."

Over the years, Mr. Thong’s blood letters still retain their value, contributing to educating the tradition of patriotism and encouraging the spirit of young people before they leave for military service. In local youth exchange programs preparing for military service, Mr. Thong has been invited many times to tell his story.