Forever a soldier

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities currently has 58 veterans among its nearly 500 staff members. Many veterans are leading lecturers and scientists, or have held and continue to hold key management positions in all aspects of the University's operations. Let's listen to their stories about their unforgettable time in the military and empathize with their reflections and thoughts on life and the younger generation… * Teacher Nguyen Chi Hoa(Director of the Training Quality Assurance Center): Believe in the younger generation. I enlisted on April 19, 1972. At that time, I was 17 years old, in my final year of high school in Hung Yen town. I was granted a special exemption from the military to enlist and go to the battlefield. On November 13, 1976, I was discharged and enrolled in the Faculty of Literature at Hanoi University. If I consider my university degree in Linguistics important to my life, then the equally important "practical" degree from the "military university" is what I consider important. Although the tuition for it had to be paid with blood, health, and youth, it instilled in me an unwavering will to strive and an "iron" discipline that served as a foundation for my later life. As a soldier returning to civilian life, the biggest difficulty and obstacle in continuing my studies and work is my health – which has been significantly depleted after years of hardship on the battlefield. What I gained was an unwavering will to improve and iron discipline – the habits of a soldier – which permeated all my activities. I often keep in mind that "Every day should be a beautiful day." Of course, I haven't completely fulfilled my aspirations, but fundamentally, willpower, hard work, and self-discipline have helped me a great deal in life. These are the qualities of a soldier that have helped me in teaching and scientific research. I have great faith in today's generation of students and young people, just as I did in my own generation. They are intelligent, determined, and disciplined… and whenever the country is invaded, they would rather sacrifice their last drop of blood than lose an inch of its land… Never lose faith in them, even if you see them prioritizing their families or personal interests… or speaking recklessly. I love and respect them, because they were us a few decades ago.* Teacher Vu Thanh Tung(Lecturer in the Department of Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Studies): Maintaining my integrity as a soldier. I enlisted at the end of 1970, and after eight days, I received my acceptance letter to Hanoi University of Technology. At that time, no young man my age could remain in the rear, even with a valid reason. After a year of training, we marched on foot for six months into the Đồng Tháp Mười region and became undercover soldiers building up local forces. In October 1976, I enrolled in the Department of Literature, Hanoi University. I have many wartime memories. But I can say that while undercover, building bases, we lived alongside many "bases" that were actually enemy spies planted within, whom we called "swans" or "phoenixes." Only when our security forces came to arrest us did we realize the danger and feel terrified. After the US "Vietnamization of the war" strategy, most revolutionary bases in the Southern Delta were destroyed. Every night, we secretly infiltrated strategic hamlets, establishing connections with the people and building up our forces. It must be said that the people never abandoned the revolution. Only the revolutionary cadres caused them to lose faith. Fortunately, back then, the people had great faith in Uncle Ho and in the North; just hearing us speak with a Northern accent was enough to convince them. In the fierce war, death occurred daily, and many couldn't bear it and deserted, fleeing to the other side. We persevered because we believed we would return one day. We must believe in the people, be honest with them, and not lie to them; with the people, we have everything. Throughout those years, we received no support whatsoever. We survived because the people provided for us and protected us. The biggest difficulty for soldiers returning to civilian life is how to live like everyone else. This illustrates the immense hardship and difficulty our country and people faced in the 1980s, a time when hopes and beliefs were shaken and shattered. We veterans were able to maintain our integrity, continue our studies, and successfully complete our assigned tasks thanks to those arduous and brutal years of war. I often remember my fallen comrades and their words of advice, which helped me remain true to my role as a soldier. Being both a soldier and a teacher requires even greater effort, resisting the temptations of everyday life, living honestly, and acting like an honest soldier and a teacher of integrity. I fear that after class, students will see me merely as a ferryman transporting passengers across the river and forget everything. During class, I always strive to ensure students understand that I have poured all my enthusiasm into helping them master the subject matter and maintain honesty in every lecture, so that I may be honest in life as well. Fortunately, many students wrote to me, thanking me for the closeness and sincerity I showed them. Perhaps the war taught me this? Someone once asked me for my opinion on political and ideological education for students today. I think only sincerity can influence each other. Everything else in life is fleeting. Sincerity helps us maintain our integrity and faith in the future of our country and nation. A teacher must be a support and a role model for students to emulate.* Teacher Pham Dinh Lan(Lecturer, Faculty of Journalism and Communication): My years in the military are the foundation for my life today. I enlisted after the victory of national reunification in 1975. During my 15 years in the military, although I didn't participate in fierce battlefield battles, I faced many difficulties and hardships, especially during my time in Northern Laos, where I served as a radar surveillance officer protecting the airspace of our neighboring country. I lacked everything, even the voices and smiles of women, which left my lips thin and worn, but my eyes remained sharp and alert to fulfill my duties. Then, during the border war in the North, we marched with enemy artillery firing from behind and on both sides of the road, but it seemed we weren't afraid of death. Perhaps it was patriotism, love for my homeland, love for my parents, love for the sound of roosters crowing... that urged me to fight and fulfill my duty. After fifteen years in the military, holding the rank of captain before the age of thirty, I transferred to Hanoi University, now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The new environment, with the baggage of a soldier carrying the spirit of Uncle Ho's army, provides a foundation and a source of confidence for delivering better lectures to the students. The stories I tell them are memories and recollections. I – a veteran teacher – want you to better understand the past, to be more deeply imbued with love for the country and national pride, and to appreciate what your ancestors have contributed. Young people today are studying and training in an open but challenging environment. Life is different now than it was, with many demands and not a few pitfalls. You can overcome all difficulties, but you haven't had enough time to truly reflect on life. Live, study, and work in a way that history always accompanies you; don't let that distance grow. If you do that, history will not forget your kindness and will grant you what you desire. Isn't that right, my friends?