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Legendary Route 1C: Memories of a 'Fire Coordinate' Emerge at Vietnam Exhibition
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam /Culture & Society

Legendary Route 1C: Memories of a 'Fire Coordinate' Emerge at Vietnam Exhibition

From Thanh Niรชn · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • The "Legendary Route 1C" exhibition at the Vietnam Women's Museum showcases the sacrifices and youth of soldiers on the historic Route 1C.
  • The route, known as the "fire coordinate" of the Mekong Delta, was a site of intense conflict but also of youthful dreams and dedication.
  • Personal accounts from survivors, like Ms. Lam Thi Minh Tam, highlight the harsh realities of war, including hunger, loss, and constant danger.

The "Legendary Route 1C" exhibition at the Vietnam Women's Museum brings to life the fierce battles and youthful sacrifices made along a historic route in the Mekong Delta.

Once dubbed the "fire coordinate" of the region, Route 1C was a critical theater of war where young men and women, some as young as 16, dedicated their lives amidst intense conflict. The exhibition features poignant testimonies from survivors, painting a vivid picture of their experiences.

The enemy ambushed us right on the bank. The mines exploded deafeningly, and the boat sank without a trace. My friend and I were thrown by the blast, but luckily we managed to get close to the bank and hide ourselves completely with grass.

โ€” Lรขm Thแป‹ Minh TรขmRecounting an ambush during a troop transfer on the Vฤฉnh Tแบฟ canal.

Ms. Lam Thi Minh Tรขm, who joined the Youth Volunteer Force at 16, recounted her harrowing journey. Driven by a deep hatred for the enemy after witnessing her homeland devastated by Agent Orange, she faced extreme hardship. Her account details weeks of hunger, wearing only two sets of clothes, and wading through mud. She described surviving on water hyacinths and even boiling seawater for sustenance.

But it was heartbreaking, two boats right next to us were hit by mines, and all 10 people on board died, forever resting at the bottom of the river.

โ€” Lรขm Thแป‹ Minh TรขmDescribing the loss of comrades during an ambush.

The most haunting memories for Ms. Tรขm involve the loss of comrades. She vividly recalled an ambush during a troop transfer across the Vฤฉnh Tแบฟ canal, where enemy fire sank their boat. While she and a friend narrowly escaped by camouflaging themselves with grass, 10 others in nearby boats perished. The trauma of witnessing such immediate loss fueled her determination to continue fighting.

Mr. Vรต Ngแปc Diแป‡p, a former deputy head of the Southwest Region Youth Union, shared his memories of the dangerous nights spent on Route 1C. He described the constant enemy shelling and the perilous task of transporting 15kg ammunition crates across the Vฤฉnh Tแบฟ River. Many female volunteers, unable to swim, ingeniously used rubber sheets and ropes to create makeshift rafts for the weapons, demonstrating remarkable resilience under fire.

Many sisters didn't know how to swim, so they took a rubber sheet, placed the weapons in the middle, and tied it tightly with a rope to make a float.

โ€” Vรต Ngแปc Diแป‡pDescribing how female volunteers transported ammunition across the Vฤฉnh Tแบฟ River.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Thanh Niรชn in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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