Run away from home at night to go fight the enemy
In 1949, the French paratroopers occupied the village, built a Thien outpost, established a village militia, mobilized troops, swept through the free zone, and controlled the resistance movement.
In 1952, at the age of 17, Nguyen Van Sap, a young man from Thien village (now Lac Son residential area, Thai Hoc ward), the youngest son of a poor farmer family, ran away from home at night to the liberated zone. Passing the enemy's post on Highway 18, he found his way to Dong Chau, Hoang Hoa Tham commune (also in Chi Linh today), a Viet Minh base, and asked to join the army.
Added to the 246th Regiment, he and his comrades marched to the Northwest to train and prepare for combat.
Having just turned 2 years old in the army, he was assigned to a unit to participate in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Being quick, resourceful, and brave, he was assigned to a reconnaissance company. He and his teammates infiltrated deep into the Doc Lap base, A1 hill, drew the terrain, monitored the enemy's movements, and reported back to his superiors, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu Victory "famous in five continents, shaking the world".
After the Geneva Agreement, his unit was mobilized to Bac Ha district ( Lao Cai ) to carry out the task of suppressing bandits. Here, he was injured in a fierce gun battle with bandits.
At the age of 20, still in full bloom, the Dien Bien soldier, the disabled soldier Nguyen Van Sap, returned to his village with a backpack. Looking at the sparkling Dien Bien badge on his chest, everyone in the village admired him.
Poor family, father lost early, mother old, he worked hard in production, joined the labor exchange team, joined the agricultural cooperative, took care of his old mother. Then he got married, the couple worked hard day and night, stuck to the fields, the village, the husband plowed the wife planted, within 3 years gave birth to two children.
Re-enlist in the South to fight
In 1965, he re-enlisted, joining the spirit of young soldiers aged 18-19, enthusiastically going to the South to fight. He was assigned to the infantry unit of Regiment 2, Division 308, the main force. As a Dien Bien soldier with combat experience, he was assigned the task of Deputy Squad Leader.
He traveled across the battlefields, participated in major battles in Binh Long, Phuoc Long, and narrowly escaped death many times in the battles of Dong Xoai, Long An, and bordered Cambodia.
Also from the battle, he quickly matured and was appointed to the position of Deputy Company Commander, belonging to the Logistics Department of Military Region 7. His unit was tasked with transporting goods to serve the battlefield, from the North to the border with Cambodia.
After the liberation of the South, he continued to work at the Logistics Department of Military Region 7, then returned to Dong Nai province to do Party organization work. Not yet used to the work, he decided to return from Dong Nai to the North, to Group 870 of the Capital Military Region. Finally, from here, he was assigned to a unit tasked with increasing production, with the rank of captain, Battalion Commander.
Return to contribute to building the homeland
In 1982, at the age of 47, the Dien Bien soldier, Captain, Battalion Commander Nguyen Van Sap packed his backpack and returned to his village to retire.
He was not old, nor was he young. At first, after a bit of surprise due to many years away from home, he continued to plow, raise livestock and grow crops with his wife who had waited for him for 10 years, worshipped his mother, and raised his children. His two children grew up and settled down.
The captain's pension and the 4/4 disabled soldier's allowance were not enough for his family, so he saved money to buy a flour mill for children and a bean mill to have extra money to buy vegetables and fish sauce every day.
His friends, the Dien Bien soldiers of the past, have passed away one by one over time. Now he is the only one left. In previous years, Mr. Sap and his friends founded the “Dien Bien Soldiers’ Family Association”. He still invited his friends to his house to meet. One year, all 7 couples in the association gathered together, it was very happy... They recalled the bloody time fighting on the Northwest battlefield, the Dien Bien Phu Campaign with many heroic memories.
Mr. Sap has made many contributions but does not pay attention to himself. On important holidays, all his teammates around him have medals shining on their chests, but he is too modest. Now retired, looking back, he finds the most precious thing is the Dien Bien soldier badge that has faded because of the vast battlefield, the constant bombs and bullets, the constant movement...
KHUC GIA TRANGSource
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