The Road Ahead

USSH — Notes by Mr. Pham Dinh Lan (Veterans Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) about the meeting of veterans of the two universities, University of Social Sciences and Humanities and University of Natural Sciences, on the occasion of the founding day of the Vietnam People's Army at the end of December 2012. One winter morning, Hanoi was chilly. The yard of the University of Natural Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities was different from usual. Mingling with groups of students going to the lecture hall in colorful shirts and hats were elderly teachers, guests wearing old military uniforms, military badges on their shoulders and red medals on their chests. They were veterans attending the meeting of veterans of Hanoi University on the occasion of the founding day of the People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2012) and the National Defense Day, organized by the Party Committee, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee of the Veterans Association of the University of Natural Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The hall of the University of Natural Sciences was full today. The presence of more than 400 veterans warmed up and dispelled the coming cold. Warm greetings, handshakes, hugs and kisses, and then memories of the wartime came flooding back. This school has witnessed countless times when teachers saw off students, and students saw off teachers to join the army. The men temporarily put down their pens and went to the front lines to fight for the cause of national liberation. Also from here, many people left and stayed forever for the sake of the country. The brothers Dinh Trong Dinh, Le Anh Xuan, Nguyen Van Thac... were engraved in the hearts of those who remained. Their will and actions wrote more history for the nation and for the school. And many, many more than the 400 veterans present today, went to war that day and returned to school to continue their studies. Journalist Phung Huy Thinh, a student of the Faculty of Literature, enlisted in 1972, shared: “We are a class of students who studied university twice at Hanoi University of Science. It’s not that we failed, but because the American imperialists waged war, we had to go to war to regain independence, freedom and unify the country.” Leaving school, they became soldiers, facing the enemy, enduring the harshness of war. But in the soldier’s luggage, there are still dreams. The dream, even when death is near, of one day returning to their beloved school. Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thanh Hung (Director of the Center for Culture and Arts - University of Social Sciences and Humanities), who was directly present for 82 days and nights in the ancient citadel of Quang Tri, confided: “During the fierce moments of the battle, I still remember mumbling to myself two verses of the poet To Huu: Splitting Truong Son to save the country / While my heart was filled with joy for the future. Then he explained according to his thoughts and feelings: At that time, the youth full of enthusiasm, being able to go to war with guns was an honor to contribute, a responsibility of patriotic youth. Fighting well to become a hero, after the war, being able to return to school to study and become a journalist or teacher to record those heroic years. That dream for me has come true so that I have the opportunity to tell students true stories that are like legends”.

Return

The country was unified, and they returned to their beloved school to continue to go to the lecture hall to acquire scientific knowledge. The nights spent in the tunnels, the days of chasing the enemy, the times of crying while digging the graves of their former comrades, now became the motivation to give them more strength to study well. Many veterans have become good lecturers, leading professors, and key staff of the school. According to statistics from Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Chi Hoa (Chairman of the Veterans Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quang Huy (Chairman of the Veterans Association of the University of Natural Sciences), there are currently 110 veterans working at the two schools, including 7 professors, 54 associate professors, 18 people's teachers and excellent teachers. There are 21 veterans who are both teaching, doing scientific research and doing management work from the school level to the department and center level. You, who have gone through the fire and bullets in the war and then returned to continue to contribute. You have two mindsets. The mindset of a teacher, a scientific researcher and the mindset of a soldier who is not afraid of hardship, not discouraged by difficulties, not retreating in the face of challenges. These two mindsets resonate and forge the unique qualities of a soldier, a lecturer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Party Secretary, Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) when evaluating the contributions of veterans to the school with the following images: “Our school is what it is today thanks in part to the traditional shoulders of the school in which veteran comrades have lit the fire of enthusiasm, with a noble humanistic spirit for the cause of training and scientific research to serve the country. We and the current and future generations of teachers and students always acknowledge the contributions of comrades”.

Gratitude

Returning to school, each veteran has his own feelings. The war has been over for decades, some still carry the consequences of war. Some have left behind a part of their blood and bones, but the number of soldiers returning is not enough. Tears on the day of reunion rolled slowly down the cheeks of the old soldier as if wanting to hold on to the moment of remembering his comrades. Veteran Nguyen Van Lam, who fought in the Southeast battlefield, returned on a journey of gratitude to find the graves of his lost comrades. So far, he and his relatives have found 150 remains, of which 80 have been brought back to their hometown and family. Associate Professor Dr. Bui Duy Cam (Party Secretary, Principal of the University of Natural Sciences) is a veteran who fought in the Thua Thien-Hue battlefield. After 1975, he returned to the University of General Sciences to study and work until today. In his speech, he said: “This meeting is very meaningful. Many veterans from Ho Chi Minh City and Hue flew out like relatives who had not met for a long time. It is both a way to show gratitude and to educate the younger generation about the tradition and to cherish what their fathers and brothers have built. Our two schools plan to build a memorial stele on the campus of the two schools to remind us to cherish the past and what they have built, so that the younger generation will always remember and learn from them.” The memorial stele is a place for them to come back to us and for us to be with them. That wish will soon become a reality.