On the evening of September 18, in Quang Tri, the Provincial People’s Committee and Vietnam Television co-organized the political-art program A Tribute - The River of Fire, in conjunction with the Ceremony to announce and receive the Certificate recognizing Long Dai Ferry as a National Historical Site. The program was attended by leaders of the Party and State, including Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong - Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Nguyen Van Hung - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Le Ngoc Quang - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee; representatives of ministries and agencies from central to local levels; leaders of Vietnam Television; along with veterans, young volunteers, and a many locals.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presents the Certificate recognizing Long Dai Ferry as a National Historical Site.
Speaking at the program, Minister Nguyen Van Hung stated that Quang Tri, the “land of fire” of the Fatherland, chosen by history as a stronghold, has become a symbol of Vietnamese willpowerwillpower. He added that every place name in Quang Tri is a page of history, and that every river and mountain is a witness.
In that epic, the Long Dai Ferry became the site where army engineers, civilian workers, guerrilla militias, and above all, young volunteers fought day and night with the spirit: “Live to cling to the bridges and roads, die with courage and resilience / The heart may stop beating, but the traffic lifeline must never be cut”. They sacrificed their lives so that the ferries could continue running, the convoys could reach the battlefield on time, and the Eastern Truong Son could link with the Western Truong Son, thereby contributing to the triumphant spring of 1975.
During the program, Minister Nguyen Van Hung presented Quang Tri Province with a certificate recognizing Long Dai Ferry as a National Historical Site. “This recognition is not only an honor for Quang Tri but also a source of national pride. It reminds us of the culture of gratitude, not just remembrance, but also the responsibility to preserve, restore, and breathe life into the site so that the past continues to illuminate the future”, Minister Hung emphasized.
Retracing the Past to Deepen Pride in a Heroic Nation
The program A Tribute - The River of Fire took television audiences nationwide back in time to the smoke-filled land of Quang Tri during the war of resistance against American imperialism. In the summer of 1972, the Thach Han River once turned crimson with blood , when many young lives were l lost defending the homeland. During those 81 fiery days and nights, the U.S. dropped about 328,000 tons of bombs, equivalent to the destructive power of seven atomic bombs. This left every inch of land in Quang Tri town and city drenched in blood and scarred by war.
Heavy rain pours down just as the program began.
Following the signing of the Geneva Accords, a demilitarized zone was established along the 17th parallel, stretching from the Ben Hai River mouth to the Vietnam-Laos border, forming a temporary military boundary that divided Vietnam into North and South. More than 13,000 bombings, mines, and artillery strikes by U.S. and Saigon forces turned this place into a deadly “white belt”.
The story of 16 young volunteers from Thai Binh became the emotional thread throughout the program. Company C130 had 16 members who lost their lives in two brutal U.S. bombing raids in September 1972. They all came from Thai Binh (now Hung Yen province), and departed on the same day. Nearly all of them died at the same time.
It was an unforgettable memory for Mr. Vu The Huyen, a surviving member of Company C130, who narrowly escaped death during that horrific bombing. “I should have been the one lying in the ground, with my name etched on that memorial, if we hadn’t switched shifts that day”, he recalled tearfully. Decades later, he returned to the old battlefield to visit his comrades who rest in peace at Long Dai Ferry.
Accompanying him was Ms. Bui Thi Thao, the sister of martyr Bui Nang Dac, the very person who had switched shifts with him. To this day, her memories of her younger brother remain vivid. Also present was Mr. Nguyen Van Phung, a soldier from Thai Binh who stayed in Quang Tri after the war and built a new life on the very land where his comrades had fallen. For years, he has tended incense at the memorial site, honoring his comrades.
A highlight of A Tribute - The River of Fire were the meticulously staged artistic performances, which harmonized with the sacred atmosphere of Long Dai Ferry and deeply moved the audience. From timeless songs such as Binh Tri Thien in Flames, Steps on the Truong Son Range, Truong Son East, Truong Son West, The Girl Who Opened the Road, and Red Leaves, to new compositions like My Memories, The Pain Amidst Peace, The Fatherland in the Sunlight, and Continuing the Story of Peace,... every performance stirred profound emotion.
