The road ahead

USSH — Notes by Professor Pham Dinh Lan (Veterans Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) on the meeting of veterans from the two universities, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Natural Sciences, on the occasion of the founding day of the Vietnam People's Army at the end of December 2012. One chilly winter morning in Hanoi, the campuses of the University of Natural Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities were different from usual. Mixed in with the groups of students heading to their lectures, dressed in colorful coats and hats, were elderly teachers and guests clad in worn military uniforms, their rank insignia on their shoulders and red medals on their chests. They were veterans attending a reunion of Hanoi University veterans to commemorate the founding of the People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2012) and the National Defense Day, organized by the Party Committee, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee of the Veterans' Association of the University of Natural Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The auditorium of the University of Natural Sciences was packed. The presence of over 400 veterans warmed the atmosphere, dispelling the approaching cold. Warm greetings, handshakes, and heartfelt hugs brought back memories of wartime. This school witnessed countless times teachers bid farewell to students, and students bid farewell to teachers, as they enlisted in the army. They temporarily set aside their studies to go to the battlefield, taking up arms to fight for the cause of national liberation. And from this very place, many went and remained forever for the sake of their country. Comrades like Dinh Trong Dinh, Le Anh Xuan, and Nguyen Van Thac have left an indelible mark on the hearts of those who remain. Their will and actions have added another chapter to the history of the nation and of this school. And many, far more than the 400 veterans present today, went to fight and then returned to their alma mater to continue their studies. Journalist Phung Huy Thinh, a student of the Faculty of Literature who enlisted in 1972, shared: “We were a class of students who studied twice at Hanoi University. It wasn't that we failed, but because the American imperialists waged war, forcing us to go to fight to regain independence, freedom, and national reunification.” Leaving school, they became soldiers, facing the enemy and enduring the harshness of war. But in the baggage of a soldier, there are still dreams. Dreams, even when death is near, of one day returning to their beloved alma mater. Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung (Director of the Center for Culture and Arts - University of Social Sciences and Humanities), who was directly involved in the 82-day and 82-night battle at Quang Tri Citadel, shared: “During the fierce moments of the battle, I still remember sometimes muttering to myself two lines of poetry by the poet To Huu: 'Cutting through the Truong Son Mountains to save the country / With hearts overflowing with hope for the future.' Then he explained, in his own way of thinking and feeling: 'For young people full of enthusiasm at that time, going to the front lines to fight was an honor to contribute, a responsibility of patriotic youth. To fight well to become a hero, after the war to return to school to study and become a journalist or teacher to record those heroic years. That dream has become a reality for me, and now I have the opportunity to tell the students these true stories that sound like legends.'"

Return

With the country unified, they returned to their beloved alma mater to continue their studies and acquire scientific knowledge. The nights spent in bunkers, the days of pursuing the enemy, the moments of weeping while digging graves for fallen comrades—these have now become the driving force that empowers them to excel in their studies. Many veterans have become excellent lecturers, leading professors, and key personnel at the universities. According to statistics from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chi Hoa (Chairman of the Veterans Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Huy (Chairman of the Veterans Association of the University of Natural Sciences), there are currently 110 veterans working at the two universities, including 7 professors, 54 associate professors, and 18 People's Teachers and Excellent Teachers. Twenty-one veterans are simultaneously engaged in teaching, scientific research, and administrative work at the university level, from the school level to the departmental and center levels. You, who have endured the fires of war and returned to continue contributing, possess two mindsets: the mindset of a teacher and researcher, and the mindset of a soldier who is undeterred by hardship, undaunted by difficulties, and unwavering in the face of challenges. These two mindsets combine to forge the unique character of the soldier-lecturers of the University. Professor Nguyen Van Khanh (Party Secretary and Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) assessed the contributions of veterans to the university with the following imagery: “Our university has achieved what it has today thanks in part to the traditional foundation upon which our veterans have ignited a flame of enthusiasm, with a noble humanitarian spirit, for the cause of training and scientific research serving the country. We and the current and future generations of teachers and students will always acknowledge the contributions of our comrades.”

Gratitude

Returning to their alma mater, each veteran carries their own unique emotions. Decades have passed since the war ended, yet some still bear the scars of war. Others have left behind a part of their bodies, but the number of returning soldiers is insufficient. Tears roll slowly down the cheeks of the old soldiers upon their reunion, as if clinging to the quiet moment of remembering their comrades. Veteran Nguyen Van Lam, who fought in the eastern battlefields of Southern Vietnam, returned on a journey of gratitude to find the graves of his lost comrades. To date, he and his family have found 150 sets of remains, 80 of which have been brought back to their hometowns and families. Associate Professor Bui Duy Cam (Party Secretary and Rector of the University of Natural Sciences), a veteran who fought in the Thua Thien-Hue battlefield, returned to the University of Hanoi after 1975 to study and work there until today. In his speech, he stated: “This meeting is truly meaningful. Many veterans from Ho Chi Minh City and Hue flew in, like long-lost relatives meeting again. It's both an expression of gratitude and an opportunity to educate the younger generation about the traditions and to cherish what our forefathers have built. Our two universities plan to erect a memorial plaque within the campuses to remind us to cherish the past and what our forefathers have built, so that future generations will always remember and learn from them.” The memorial plaque is a place where our forefathers can come to us and where we can be with them. That wish will soon become a reality.