The cover of the new book 'Ghi vội trên mâm pháo' (Quick Notes by Anti-aircraft Artillery) by war invalid and lecturer Nguyễn Thùy. Image courtesy of Writers' Association Publishing House

HÀ NỘI — A book titled 'Ghi vội trên mâm pháo' (Quick Notes by Anti-aircraft Artillery), a war diary by war invalid and lecturer Nguyễn Thùy, was officially released to the public on November 14 in Hà Nội.

The launch was held at the same time as two portrait photo collections depicting renowned Vietnamese leaders and intellectuals were donated to the Vietnamese Women's Museum.

Both activities marked the 95th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930) and the 43rd anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day (November 20, 1982).

The ceremony was jointly held by the Trái Tim Người Lính (Soldiers' Hearts) Club, the Vietnamese Women's Museum, and other partners.

Born in 1944 in Bắc Giang, now part of Bắc Ninh Province, Thùy joined the army when he was 19 and became an anti-aircraft artillery soldier based in the northwest and upper Laos during the resistance war against America.

During a thrilling battle on October 31, 1967, after a comrade died, Deputy Platoon Leader Thùy took up his position and managed the artillery. He was hit by a cluster bomb and seriously injured.

His comrades thought he had died, but later discovered he was still breathing. Thùy was transported to the military hospital and miraculously saved. However, many pieces of shrapnel remained in his body, including one that is still lodged in his brain to this day.

After his military discharge, Thùy studied at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology before going on to become a lecturer. In addition to his work as a teacher, he was also involved in several other activities with the school's Youth Union.

His war diary of more than 270 pages was written by hand from March 8, 1965, to August 22, 1968. It contains genuine and touching notes about the life and battles of an anti-aircraft soldier in the early days of the anti-American war.

Some pages still bear traces of bombs, the smell of gunpowder, and even the tears of his comrades.

The new book is published by the Writers' Association Publishing House and is considered a valuable historical document about the truth of life in war and one soldier's thoughts and love, painstakingly copied down over the more than 1,000 days and nights under bombings.

After the book launch, the Trái Tim Người Lính Club presented the portraits collections to the museum's managers.

In the first collection, photographers captured eight portraits of the first leaders of the National United Front, now the Vietnam Fatherland Front. They are: Nguyễn Lương Bằng, Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Tôn Đức Thắng, Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, Trịnh Đình Thảo, Hoàng Quốc Việt, Huỳnh Tấn Phát, and Lê Quang Đạo. These illustrious luminaries contributed greatly to national construction and defence, and are worthy examples for younger people to follow.

The second collection includes 20 portraits of intellectuals who left a rich, comfortable life to accept hardship, danger and sacrifice for the revolutionary ideals of the Party and the nation.

Portraits of intellectuals and teachers were restored by painters of the Trái Tim Người Lính (Soldiers' Hearts) Club and presented to the Vietnamese Women's Museum. Photo courtesy of the organisers

According to writer and head of the organising board Colonel Đặng Vương Hưng, during the resistance wars, thousands of teachers directly took part in battles.

In the resistance war against the US alone, from May 1961 to December 1974, 2,752 teachers joined the army and 621 died heroically.

Hưng said the portraits were made by a group of painters who restored old photos into vivid colour portraits.

Speaking at the event, Museum Director Nguyễn Thị Tuyết said she was moved to hear the stories of the teachers' sacrifice. Among them many were women who died at young age, such as Lê Thị Bạch Cát and Lê Thị Thiên Dương Lệ Chi. They represent the 'forever 20 generation'.

“These collections are a profound tribute to teachers who sacrificed for their students and the independence of the nation. We are committed to preserving and promoting its value at the museum,” she said. _ VNS