On August 12, continuing the "Journey of Gratitude - Returning to the Fiery Land" program, the Ho Chi Minh City delegation of propaganda, education, press, and publishing officials led by Duong Anh Duc, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, engaged in several commemorative activities across Quang Tri Province.
Responsibilities of Journalists
On the second day of the program, the delegation offered flowers and incense at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery and Road 9 National Martyrs Cemetery, visited the Hien Luong - Ben Hai riverbanks special national historical site, and paid respects at the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel special national historical site.
Walking among the endless rows of gravestones, many delegation members fell silent. While some soldiers' names and hometowns are inscribed on the markers, many other graves remain unidentified. At the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, every artifact and story deeply moved the visitors. At the entrance, an inscribed stone stele features four lines of poetry by poet Pham Dinh Lan:
Step lightly and speak softly
Let my comrades rest peacefully beneath the grass
Quang Tri's sky is clear and breezy
Lulling the immortal song to eternity.
The peaceful green landscape today makes it difficult to imagine that the site once endured 81 fierce days and nights of combat to defend the citadel in the summer of 1972, where countless soldiers sacrificed their youth and lives. The delegation was deeply moved when hearing about the poignant farewell letter written by martyr Le Van Huynh to his family before his sacrifice in 1972.
Journalist Tran Thi Hong Diem, from the Ho Chi Minh City Television and Radio Station, shared: "I reminded myself to be even more cautious with every word, every image, and every story brought to the public. I understand that journalism today requires not only speed, but above all, greater accuracy, depth, humanity, and responsibility."
For journalist Tran Van Tuan from SGGP Newspaper, the trip carried personal significance as his family lost a relative in the southern battlefield whose remains have yet to be found. Witnessing the transformation of lands that once suffered immense loss made him appreciate the value of today's peaceful life even more. "The sacrifice of the fallen heroes reminds me to live a good, worthy, and grateful life for what our predecessors traded. With the responsibility of a journalist, will continue to convey stories, messages, and examples of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, wounded soldiers, and fallen heroes through every article," Tuan shared.
Extending the Journey of Gratitude
Leaving these historical landmarks, the program continued with the distribution of gifts to meritorious people and policy beneficiary families in Ai Tu Commune. Attending the event, Le Thi Men in Trieu Ai Hamlet, Ai Tu Commune, spoke with deep emotion about her two older brothers, both martyrs. Her elder brother Le Van sacrificed his life in 1967, and her second brother Le Van Dan followed in 1970. When they enlisted, they were barely nineteen or twenty, unmarried, and both fell on their native soil of Quang Tri Province.
The greatest sorrow for Men's family is that the remains of martyr Le Van Dan have still not been recovered. For over half a century, relatives have continuously searched for him, hoping to bring him home. Though he sacrificed close to home, the family has yet to bring him back. Men's mother, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, passed away while her longing for her son remained unfulfilled. During the ceremony, members of the delegation kindly visited, encouraged, and presented gifts to Men's family.
Le Van Minh, Standing Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, stated that the return-to-source program in Quang Tri brought the delegation to locations of profound historical significance. For propaganda, press, and publishing workers, visiting these sites firsthand helps everyone deeply feel the sacrifices and losses of past generations. From these practical experiences, Mr. Le Van Minh expressed confidence that journalists and editors will return with richer material to produce deeper, more humane, and empathetic works.
During the visit to Quang Tri, the delegation presented 70 gifts to 35 policy beneficiary families and 35 disadvantaged families, 45 scholarships, 200 warm jackets for students in need, and two sets of books comprising Ho Chi Minh's Heritage and Vietnamese History in Comics. SGGP Newspaper supported the social security program with 400 warm jackets through the Ao am den truong (Warm Coats for School) program and over VND55 million in cash. The total value of the gifts exceeded VND242 million.
