National Day memories of the person returning from "hell on earth"

Every time the National Day comes around on September 2, memories of the years of imprisonment in Phu Quoc prison flood back into the mind of Mr. Le Van Phuoc (born in 1944), residing in Trung Quy residential group, old Thach Quy ward, now Thanh Sen ward, Ha Tinh province.

At the age of 81, the veteran's eyes still retain the same determination, courage, and spirit as the first day he entered the battlefield. "Back then, when we went to war, everyone was devoted to the Fatherland. Many comrades sacrificed and remained on the battlefield and in prison. As for me, I felt like a grain of rice left on the sieve. Being alive and returning was a very lucky thing," Mr. Phuoc confided.

In 1961, when he was just 17 years old, Le Van Phuoc, the only child in the family, took up his gun and joined the army. After two years of fighting on the battlefield, the young soldier returned to his hometown to work at the old Huong Son District Forestry School, now Huong Son Forestry and Service Company, Ha Tinh Province. During this time back home, Le Van Phuoc married Tran Thi Dao (born in 1939), a girl from a neighboring village.

In May 1965, the young soldier continued to volunteer for the Southern battlefield and was assigned to Company 4, Battalion 4, Regiment 812, Division 324B, fighting in Quang Tri province. With a brave and intelligent spirit, having achieved many feats, soldier Phuoc was later elected Deputy Commander of the Artillery Squad.

In his memories, the veteran was speechless when recalling his last battle in 1967 before falling into enemy hands. "At that time, I was assigned to take the wounded out and gather the dead. But before I could go far, the enemy surrounded me, opened a ring of fire, and threw petrol bombs. After that, I suffered a traumatic brain injury from a bomb fragment hitting my head. To this day, the scar is still there," Mr. Phuoc said.

Severely injured and unconscious, the young soldier was taken to Dong Ha (Quang Tri) for treatment. When he woke up, what the soldier felt was not pain but regret for having fallen into enemy hands.

After six months of being interrogated for information at a prison in Da Nang, in mid-1968, young soldier Le Van Phuoc was put on the enemy's "stubborn" list and transferred to Phu Quoc prison (former Kien Giang province, now An Giang province), which was considered "hell on earth".

Phu Quoc in those years was the place where tens of thousands of revolutionary soldiers were detained under extremely harsh conditions. Beatings, electric shocks, torture with stingray whips and electric wires became "daily exercises".

"They tortured me with stingray whips, wooden pestles, and electric wires. They beat me and forced me to confess. One day, I was hit 15 times in a row with stingray whips on my back, my limbs were red and swollen, then my teammates had to feed me spoonfuls of porridge to survive," said Mr. Phuoc.

In the veteran's memory, the place where he was detained was prison number 10, zone 1, with about 100 people, they were considered loyal soldiers.

During his time in prison, Mr. Phuoc and more than 10 other party and union members gathered to secretly plan a prison break.

"The fence was eight layers, it was very difficult to escape. Everyone discussed and prepared their actions carefully, if they were discovered, they could be beaten to death," Mr. Phuoc recalled the day of planning.

Then, in the following days, each meal, the soldier saved a portion, crushed it, and put it in his sleeve to save. During the day, he was a hard labor prisoner, and at night, Mr. Phuoc and his comrades divided up the digging with the stainless steel spoons they had hidden. The soldiers crept meter by meter under the barbed wire fence. But when the tunnel was dug about 5 meters, the prison guards discovered it. And then the beatings continued, more brutally.

"I was in charge of security. When the tunnel was more than 5 meters long, only a few days from completion, it was discovered. At that time, the enemy brutally tortured me. They forced me to watch my comrades being tortured and beaten day and night, but no one opened their mouth to reveal the organization," said Mr. Phuoc.

During his time in Phu Quoc prison, in addition to the beatings, September 2, 1969 became an unforgettable memory in the mind of prisoner Le Van Phuoc. "That was the most sacred and emotional night of September 2 in my life," said Mr. Phuoc.

Looking up at the altar where Uncle Ho's picture was, the soldier's eyes turned red as he recalled the historic day. At exactly 9:00 p.m. on September 2, 1969, in a cramped prison cell, many of whom had not yet healed from torture, a voice said: "Today is National Day, September 2, we will hold a flag salute ceremony and sing the National Anthem."

Empowered, after the resounding command, Mr. Phuoc put his hand on the wall and grabbed the shoulder of the person next to him, stood up with his teammates, and faced Ba Dinh (Hanoi).

"The Vietnamese army goes, united to save the country.

Footsteps echoed on the bumpy road far away.

The flag printed with the blood of victory carries the soul of the country.

Guns in the distance mixed with the marching song…”.

The song Tien Quan Ca resounded in the throats but lingered deeply in the hearts of the soldiers who were being held captive.

"At that time, there were no flags, only hearts turned towards Uncle Ho, towards the Fatherland, quietly, but full of pride. We sang the National Anthem just to show it as little as possible, because if we were discovered, we would suffer extremely fierce beatings. The lyrics sung in prison at that time were like a great encouragement, motivating the spirit, the bleeding wounds gradually cooled because everyone believed that tomorrow, the country would soon be unified," Mr. Phuoc recalled with emotion.

According to Mr. Phuoc, a few days later, the news of Uncle Ho's death made thousands of prisoners burst into tears. "So Uncle Ho was really gone. When we heard the news, everyone was sad and disappointed, but we promised each other that as long as we were alive, we would continue to fight to continue Uncle Ho's ideals," Mr. Phuoc said.

After 5 years in prison, in March 1973, when the Paris Agreement was signed, Mr. Le Van Phuoc was released and returned to his comrades. He was then taken to the 550th Regiment in Ninh Binh Province for medical care before returning to his hometown of Ha Tinh.

The day Mr. Phuoc returned, his relatives and neighbors were overwhelmed with joy. Because during the years of fighting, his hometown had not received any news or letters except for a death notice stating "Martyr Le Van Phuoc died at the Quang Tri front".

"My parents were devastated because I was the only son in the family. My wife cried her eyes out when she received the death notice. At that time, we were newlyweds and had no children. At home, they set up an altar, thinking that I had died on the battlefield," Mr. Phuoc confided.

Luckily surviving, Mr. Phuoc and his wife built a home in peacetime. Later, the couple had 3 children and their life gradually stabilized.

In 2018, he and many other comrades had the opportunity to return to Phu Quoc prison. He said that this stop was not for tourism, but to find the old prison cell, where the memories and blood of his comrades were kept.

"Entering the prison cell, I was silent, the memories of this prison gradually appeared, making me cry. Our generation, when wearing the soldier's uniform, seemed to give up all pain to ideals," Mr. Phuoc affirmed.

Veteran Le Van Phuoc has been honored with many medals and awards. In 2010, Mr. Phuoc was awarded the "Revolutionary Soldier Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy" medal by the Prime Minister for his steadfast and indomitable spirit, contributing to the victory of the national liberation revolution. He carefully keeps these noble awards in his house.

Mr. Phan Van Thang, Head of Trung Quy Residential Group, Thanh Sen Ward, Ha Tinh Province, said that veteran Le Van Phuoc was a person who experienced much suffering and sacrifice during the resistance war and in prison, making great contributions to the cause of national struggle and liberation.

"Returning to his hometown, Mr. Phuoc always worked actively, developed his family's economy, lived in harmony with everyone, and was a shining example for the younger generation to follow," said Mr. Thang.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter , Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Nga, Vice Chairman of Thanh Sen Ward People's Committee, said that Mr. Le Van Phuoc is a 2/4 class disabled veteran with a disability rate of 61% and is a revolutionary activist who was imprisoned by the enemy. He is receiving monthly preferential allowances and nursing care according to state regulations.

"Mr. Phuoc has also submitted a request for preferential treatment for resistance fighters infected with toxic chemicals, which the ward is currently reviewing. The local government and organizations always respect and acknowledge his contributions and regularly visit, encourage and give him gifts of gratitude during holidays and Tet," Ms. Nga informed.

Content: Duong Nguyen

Photo: Duong Nguyen, Bao Ky

Design: Vu Hung

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/ky-uc-ngay-quoc-khanh-cua-nguoi-tro-ve-tu-dia-nguc-tran-gian-20250820154956485.htm