FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH
(HERO NGUYỄN VĂN HUỆ)
Minh Yên
Soon after the Green House battle, in September 1959, Bảy Bông was arrested by the enemy’s secret police at his house (Bình Xương hamlet, Hiệp Hòa village). Hardly had the car stopped at the gate of the police bureau that he was introduced at once into the office. The escort reported:
- Chief, we have arrested the younger brother of Ba Lễ and Năm Hoa!
The Deputy Chief of secret police spoke with a northern accent:
- Let him here!
After the escort had gone out, the Deputy Chief silently gave two slaps on Bảy Bông’s face. He had the impression that a flock of bees broke loose in his brains, but he heard the Deputy Chief’s words clearly:
- You confess, you die!
Then he went out. Bảy Bông pondered puzzledly: “Is it possible that he told me not to confess?” Revolutionaries that were prison habitués had once taught him this experience: “If you revealed some little information, the enemy would continue to torture you much more to get all information from you. So, try to endure pain for the first time, and you will be accustomed to it, and you will keep secrets for the revolution!”
He did not wait long. The slaughterers took him to the “investigation room”, rolled up their sleeves and inflicted every kind of tortures upon him: airplane trip, water ingestion, electric contact, blows given simultaneously by four policemen, blows his ribs… They repeated these tortures for three days. Bảy Bông, who had never been beaten by his parents, knew then about the enemy’s atrocities. Why did some Vietnamese comport so barbarously towards other Vietnamese? This investigation room lacked only a cauldron of boiling oil, and it would be hell on earth, and the investigators would be true growling demons with fangs.
- Where is Năm Hoa? Where is Ba Lễ? How do you contact them?
He repeated the same answer: “I don’t know!”
He did not know really. Should he know, he would not speak. Năm Hoa, who had participated in the Green House battle with his fellow-combatants and killed some American advisers, had return to war zone D in the night of July 7, 1959. Ba Lễ, secretary of town Party Committee, often changed his place of residence, appeared then disappeared at once. How could he know? The slaughterers tortured him much more.
- Tư Cường said that Ba Lễ and Năm Hoa often came to your house!
So, he was arrested because of Tư Cường’s denouncement. Tư Cường was a military rallying activist (whose task was to induce enemy soldiers to desert and join our ranks). He was not a stranger to Bảy Bông’s family (at a memorial service in honour of Đoàn Văn Cự at Tam Hiệp village, Vĩnh Cửu district, held in the beginning of the anti-French resistance war, Tư Cường swore that he would be forever faithful to the resistance and the revolution, and he took the pseudonym of Đoàn Trị, to show that he adopted the family name Đoàn Văn Cự, a patriod who had died heroically in the beginning of the 20th century.)
Unable to get any information, the policemen were very angry:
- Don’t you know that you must confess once you are here? If something does not exist, you must say that it exist! You can not be stubborn. We have ways to make you speak.
Four days later, Tư Mẫm (of Cù Lao Phố) was brought here to confront Bảy Bông. Tư Mẫm said:
- I live near Bảy Bông’s house. I only see him keep buffaloes and cultivate melons.
Tư Mẫm was a party member, in charge of the youth union, the enemy knew this fact well. Bông was not a youth union member, although he had transmitted letters and served as a watcher when revolutionary activists met secretly at his house. Thanks to Tư Mẫm’s testimony, Bảy Bông was no longer beaten. Miss Bảy Bê, a Party committee member of Vĩnh Cửu district, who met him at the prison, also told him not to speak!
As there was no solid charge against him, one and a half month later he was set free. After a few days’ rest, he resumed his work. A week later, going home from the field, he was informed by his mother:
- This morning, four secret policemen in Biên Hòa, led by Hai Bản, came here in a car and looked for you.
He would not be safe at home! It was lucky that he had worked in the field. If he had been home, he would have been imprisoned again forever. After discussion with his mother, Mrs Tám Vân and his wife Thu Hồng, he went to Sài Gòn and lived temporarily at the house of an acquaintance. At home, Mrs Tám Vân tried to contact Năm Hoa. In the beginning of October 1959 she sent a message to Bảy Bông for him to go to Trâm Muối forest (near Phủ Thanh rubber tree plantation). Clothes, tent and hammock very ready for him. Mr Ba Thái took him to the base of Biên Hòa province military command in war zone D.
To advoid difficulties to the family, Mrs Tám Vân and Thu Hồng circulated the canard that Bông had enlisted in the enemy’s division 7 in the western region of South Việt Nam, and some time later, that Bông was missing.
Bảy Bông was not assigned any task yet, so he had a lot of time to recollect the past period of over twenty years of his life, since he had some understanding. He previously heard some persons say: “In South Việt Nam people can live easily with little work”. He found that this was not true. His poor grandparents, who did not have land, had to leave Bình Tự, their native place, and move to Bến Đò Kho (Bình Đa village). Here, they cut down trees on a hill and cultivated manioc, pineapples… to feed nearly ten family members. His parents, reputed for their assiduity, loved each other and cohabited without a formal marriage in conformity with traditional customs because they were too poor. All year long, they had to work hard under hot sunshine and heavy rains to cut fifty to seventy blocks of laterite everyday, which they sold to store-house owner He to feed nearly ten children (because they did not have money to build a road and a wharf to sell their goods directly to traders who came from the western region of South Vietnam). From the year Bảy Bông’s father was 18 (1921) to the August Revolution in 1945, for a period of 24 years, he did not go to Biên Hòa town once because he did not have money to pay his poor category poll-tax (1.5 piaster, the price of a quintal of rice). If he was checked by a policeman, he would be imprisoned for a week! Although Mr Năm Ký (Bảy Bông’s father) was a tax-dodger, the local authorities did not dare to press him for payment because he was very skilled in martial arts, all the mobsters in the region respected him and call him Chief Ký. His relatives, who worked as servants at Biên Hòa airport, collected meal remnants, dried them, packaged them into a bag of over 10 kilograms, then sent it to his family for help in difficult times. Oh! Dried rice, which should be given to pigs, tasted so good to them! When his father was over 40, thanks to the help from generous relatives, his family could buy a pair of thin buffaloes, rented five hectares of field near a bush of bamboo trees from Bang Phúc (living in Biên Hòa). Every year they paid 50 bushels of paddy to the land owner. Bảy Bông had become a true peasant from that date.
After the victory of August 1945 Revolution, the population of Bình Đa village (presently An Bình village) held extremely lively celebrations. But over two months later, the French colonialists re-occupied Biên Hòa town. Bảy Bông’s native village became a famous revolutionary base during the 9-year resistance war, which harassed the enemy continuously. Mr Năm Ký took his son Ba Li to comrade Lê Thoa in the beginning of 1946, and said plainly:
- I am old now, my son is going in my place! I entrust him to you, he will come home after the homeland is rid of enemies and dependent!
In the night of August 8, 1974 Ba Li and his unit mates, in coordination with guerrillas of Hiệp Hòa village, escorted a party of many persons on mission to cross national route 1 at a place near Chín Nếp’s inn (at Săng Máu Bridge). They fell into an ambush lain by the soldiers of the mental hospital post. Ba Li and two comrades were killed. Mr Năm Ký and the village guerrillas searched for three nights, found his son’s body and took it home for burial. Then he took Năm Hoa to comrade Lê Thoa:
- This is my other son, who will revenge his brother!
Năm Hoa was assigned to the Biên Hòa commando unit, participated in Long Điền post battle, threw grenades on the Thành Kèn, attacked the oil store-house at Phước Lư... He was assigned to remain in the South and was not regrouped in the North. In 1956 he took part in the killing of Sự, a dangerous informer at Bình Đa. The enemy frantically looked for him. So, in the beginning of 1957, the Biên Hòa Party Committee allowed him to leave his family and join unit C.250 of the Provincial Party Committee. Mr Năm Ký was a secret party member and assigned to protect our bases at Tam Hiệp village and Vĩnh Cửu district together with other comrades. In June 1956, the enemy launched the Trương Tấn Bửu campaign, madly organized “communist denouncement and destruction” meetings in the eastern region of South Việt Nam. On August 2nd 1956, at 2h PM Hai Bản led a carful of soldiers to Bình Xương to arrest Mr Năm Ký. His wife pulled him back, they pushed her into the car. The two of them were taken to Biên Hòa sector for investigation and exploitation. Two days laters, the enemy released her and allowed her to see her husband. He had a broken arm and tattered clothes, but he did not give out any information. The soldiers admired him very much. On August 10th 1956 morning, they transported him in a car to a brick kiln at the edge of An Hảo offshoot forest (presently the hill on which the Biên Hòa sugar factory is built) to kill him. At this news, his wife, his three daughters and his daughter-in-law (all pregnant) were allowed to take his corpse home for burial. All the family was in deep sorrows. Năm Hoa, who had not joined the war zone yet) returned home, silently looked in the direction of An Hảo, Rạch Cát and said to his wife:
- I have not cared for Dad, and he is dead now. And I have not done anything for you either, you live in difficulties while in pregnancy. How bitter life is!
- What name shall I give to our child?
- Whether it will be a boy or girl, name it Đắng (meaning Bitter)! (Nguyễn Thị Đắng is now a Major working at Đồng Nai Police Service.
When he had some free time, Năm Hoa talked with his younger brother Bảy Bông, who knew this that Năm Hoa and his fellow-combatants had carried out many battles against the enemy, ensuring safety to the area where his unit was stationed. Their initial main task was to carry out armed propaganda, they many times stopped buses which went from Tân Uyên to Đồng Xoài, Bà F.B on roads 8 and 16 made brief propaganda for a few minutes about our peaceful fight for national unification, about the atrocities of the Americans and Ngô Đình Diệm who repressed former resistance participants. Making a father step, they took the initiative to attack the enemy, sabotage Hiếu Liêm farm, attack Hiếu Liêm sawmill, carry out battles at Lò Than, Bà Nghĩa slope, Bến Sắn lepers’ hospital to collect medicine and medical tools, Phú Riềng and Bà Đăng for rice, Dầu Tiếng and Bến Củi to collect millions of piaster...
Năm Hoa told Bảy Bông to get more education so that he could work in the information branch later. Bảy Bông was preplex: if he had to continue to go to school, when could he participate directly in the South liberation war? He many times met and talked with Ba Đạo (Nguyễn Ngọc Oanh), a weapon specialist during the 9-year anti-French resiistance war, the inventor of hand shells which had been used in the Green House battle. Ba Đạo said to Bảy Bông:
- A hand shell is made of two milk cans welded together, containing one kilogram of TNT and fitted with a MK.2 detonator. It has a high destruction power and is used to destroy solid buildings.
Ba Sắc, who had also participated in the Green House battle and whose face was still blackened by the hand shell explosion recounted to Bảy Bông:
- Huề ran ahead with the hand shell in his hand, I followed a few metres behind him. The Americans went downstairs from the second floor. Huề threw the shell on them, as he was too close to the explosion, he was killed by its high pressure. I was only wounded, a fragment was embedded in my body and my face was blackened by the explosive.
At the end of November 1960, our intelligence learned that a battalion of Nùng soldiers of division 5, under Voòng A Sáng, was going to carry out a big mopping-up operation in Bà Đã area. To excite their sanguinary instinct and to help them ignore death, they brought alcohol to the battle, got drunk with it, opened fire and rashly crawled forwards while yelling aloud. The military command of the Eastern region ordered part of C250 and part of C380 (of Thủ Biên province) to make preparation to combat their mopping-up operation in coordination with guerrillas of Mỹ Lộc, Thường Lang, Đất Cuốc... Năm Hoa, in spite of his unhealed wound from Lò Than battle, was allowed to take part in this battle.
Early on Nov 28, 1960, our regular troops and guerrillas dug individual defence holes along the controlling road and camouflaged them carefully. They buried deep six 105mm shells and six 81mm mortar shells apart. According to the plan, when the mines exploded at two ends and cut the enemies into many parts, our soldiers would set aside the camouflaging branches, jumped onto the ground and simultaneously threw grenades and hand shells, then launched an assault to engage a close combat, using knives to destroy the enemy. The fire power associated with white weapons would terrify the enemy. The MG30 heavy machine gun would shoot a support cross-fire to do away with those who would resist or run away.
It was 8h00 AM. The enemy advanced into the battle field unaware of danger, smelling of alcohol with their reddened faces of drunkards.
Only tow of our mines exploded totally, six exploded into two halves, and four were dud. The enemies who were not cut into many parts as we had foreseen, resisted like madmen. Our soldiers jumped out of their holes, rained grenades and knife blows on them. After only a few minutes, we mastered the battle field totally, but we had three killed, Năm Hoa was among them. The enemies were dispersed disorderly. We captured a number of weapons, including tens of bottles, empty or full of alcohol. We carried home the corpses of the fallen heroes. Bảy Bông was personally bathed his brother’s body, wrapped it in a winding-sheet, and buried it on the bank of Suối Cái. The whole unit wept for Năm Hoa, some ones even did not eat. Before his brother’s tomb, Bảy Bông swore to revenge him and his fellow combatants, then asked to go to battle. But the leaders, such as Sáu Chí, Tám Vên Vên, Mai Chí Thọ did not permit lest that he would be too rash and die, in his family there were already three fallen heroes.
Bảy Bông was authorized to count his officilas military age from Sep 1960. Each officer or soldier usually had a pseudonym. He took the name of his son Nguyễn Văn Huệ. So from that date on, his comrades called him Bảy Huệ. He was assigned to altelier C.O stationed at Bàu Sắn, on the bank of Linh Spring (war zone D). The altelier head was Hai Sơn (Lưu Văn Ôn), Ba Đạo was in charge of chemicals. When Bảy Huệ arrived, there were exactly 10 persons at the altelier, possessing only a wood cutting knife with a broken handle. They honed the knife to cut leaves and tree branches and built a sheltering hut. They used a metal sheet from a car as a digging tool. Ba Khánh furtively returned to Tân Uyên and brought back pincers, hammers, anvils,... and a blacksmith, Hai Phương, Hai Phương, to teach them to forge. Atelier C10, formed initially in this manner, developed rapidly soon to make mines, grenades and hand shells. Remembering that his brother Năm Hoa and some other combatants had died in the battle of Bù Ru (Bà Đã) because of dud hand shells, Bảy Huệ vowed to make 100% good shells to minimize his fellow combatants’ casualties.
Iron and steel were not rare like during the 9-year anti-French resistance war, there were enemy’s vehicles abandoned everywhere. Dud 81 mortar and 105 cannon shells were also easy to find thanks to information provided by guerrillas. The enemy destroyed outdated bombs by having planes drop them on Cá Sấu marsh (Tà Lài); there were fairly many dud bombs. Tám Trình, who was experienced in dismantling bombs and shells, was appointed head of the collection section. Bảy Huệ was a member of the explosive section, while felling trees to build a trail from war zone D to Cá Sấu marsh, he from time to time found some dud bombs. It was necessary to know well about the structure of bomb detonators: there are some we could remove very safely; others were fitted with an anti-removal device: it was sufficient to turn the detonator a little to make the bomb explode. The regional weapon department suffered casualties when making study to remove detonators from American bombs. A big bomb provided enough explosives to make many mines and hand shells. Bảy Huệ and his team-mates had the safest way to collect explosives: sawing bombs. This work required assiduity, perseverance, rashness and impatience were forbidden.
Bảy Huệ and a team-mate sat to saw a bomb made of thick cast iron. They changed turns: while one person sawed, the other had to pour water on the bomb to cool the sawed line. If the quantity of hundreds of kilograms of explosives became hot and exploded, the explosion would dig a pond the diameter of which could measure tens of metres. Death menaced them every second. Every time he sat beside a bomb, Bảy Huệ had the impression of engaging himself in a battle, his nerves were very tense. But he and his team-mates accepted to sacrifice for guerrillas to have enough weapons to destroy the enemy. They always recommended to each other: “Do not be rash and die uselessly!” (weapon unit 814 of the region, neglecting safety measures, let ten persons gather together to look at the sawing of a bomb, the bomb exploded and killed all the present persons. This painful experience was disseminated at once to whole weapon branch). Only after the bomb shell had been sawed into two halves showing the mass of explosives inside did Bảy Huệ made a sigh of relief. The bomb shell was cut into pieces, used to forge very sharp knives and hoes.
After our troops had been regrouped in the North, Chín Quỳ remained, and by order from comrade Tám Nghệ, he buried a quantity of weapons in the forest to use in the future. When atelier C10 wanted these weapons to arm our troops, for unknown reasons Chín Quỳ did not show the burial place. Later, someone retrieved about 80 basomines. The mine powder was wet after being buried for seven or eight years. Bảy Huệ had the idea of removing the former powder and replace it with new explosive. Hoàng Bá, secretary of the atelier party cell did not agree lest that chlorate in the wet powder would explode. The atelier had only ten persons, and he did not want any casualties to happen to them. Bảy Huệ thought, if he immersed a basomine in the spring water, the explosive would be wet and would not explode. Knowing that he was not a specialist, he was very anxious when practising his theory for the first time. His heart beat violently, but he was sure that nothing bad would happen. With a tool which looked like a flat and long spoon, he patiently detached out each grain of chlorate which fell to the spring bottom. He did not yell “Eureka” like Archimedes, but he was overjoyed that he had safely removed explosive from the first basomine. Only over a week, he treated forty mines, the remaining ones were treated by other comrades. Stuffing new explosive and fitting detonators were easy jobs! (in Sep 1961, battalion 800 used these shells to attack Phước Thành province, the shells exploded resoundingly, killing chief of province Nguyễn Minh Mẫn, the adoptive son of puppet president Ngô Đình Diệm). At the beginning of his career, Bảy Huệ carried out the promise he had made to his leaders and the heroes who had fallen in Bà Rụ (Bà Đã).
The enemy dropped butterfly bombs on Châu Ra plain (Mã Đã Spring) to cause casualties to civilians and our soldiers who harvested paddy. When these bombs were dropped on the ground, they extended their wings like butterflies, the springs of detonators were stretched in maximum; if they were touched by somebody, they would explode at once. Tám Trình (who had experience during the anti-French resistance war) and Bảy Huệ were appointed to destroy these bombs. After study and discussion, they planned to mix chlorhydric acid with diluted sulfuric acid, pour the mixture drop by drop on the timer and the detonator, the spring would be broken gradually, the detonator would be perforated, and the bomb would be neutralized. After agreement on the method, Tám Trình walked ahead and marked the place of each bomb without omission. Bảy Huệ followed behind, used a syringe to pump a few drops of acid on the detonators. Overnight, these lethal mines became inoffensive, and the two specialists easily took them home, fitted new detonators, and planted these bombs around the atelier for protection.
Detonators were small parts, but they were indispensable to mines, grenades and hand shells. Atelier C10 initially bought copper sheets, cut them and shaped each piece by hand. This method was not successful because the products did not have the same size. If there were a shaping machine, all the detonators would be identical. But how could such as valuable machine be obtained in the middle of the forest of war zone D? Bảy Huệ suddenly found a way to take detonators out of bullet cartridges (which were abandoned everywhere). If a nail was used to force the detonator out of the cartridge, the detonator could be perforated. After pondering for some time, Bảy Huệ discovered an easy and fast way: filling the cartridge with water, cutting a piece of wood in such a way that it could be introduced exactly into the cartridge, putting a cartridge on a block of iron (serving as an anvil) having a hole of the size of the detonator, then striking lightly on the piece of wood, and the detonator was forced out of the cartridge. The detonator, after some retouch, was stuffed with explosive, ready for use. For this initiative, Bảy Huệ was cited as an emulation hero of the military zone in 1961.
To make time mines, we bought copper sheets, rolled them, welded them with an acetylene lamp, made a spring with steel wire taken from car tyres, and installed the mechanical part and the slow ignition cord. Pouring mercurial fulminate was not easy: those who had sweaty hands or who were impatient could not do this work. Chemicals were mixed by hand in small quantities: stirring them slowly and lightly with a feather (they would explode if stirred rapidly and violently). Explosives for detonators had to be mixed well, otherwise the detonators would not be even or they would be dud. Electric detonators were made of thin maillechort wire, bent seven turns in accordance with the sample, rolled into a circle, measured with an AVO counter to ensure that the index was right, finally installed in the detonator. Slow ignition cords for hand shells and grenades had to be wrung very carefully by hand, otherwise the shell would be dud or explode prematurely. A grenade which exploded prematurely in the combatant’s hand was as desastrous a shell which was dud in the middle of a battle. The fault of weapon units which caused the deaths of combatants in the battle of Bà Rụ (Bà Đã) should not be repeated. Comrades Ba Đạo and Tám Trình, first teachers of Bảy Huệ in weapon making, conscientiously gave very detailed technical instructions to Bảy Huệ and others who did not have any knowledge in this domain. Although he had a little education (he had attended only grade 2), Bảy Huệ attentively listened to their teachings and mastered rapidly what was taught to him. Only half a year later, he was able to disseminate his experience of manufacturing home-made weapons, such as treading mines, detonators,... to employees of district and provincial weapon making units who were appointed to attend his courses. Later, many of his students would accomplish brilliant war exploits in their localities. They were valuable nuclei of the popular war in the eastern region of South Việt Nam.
Step by step growing in the weapon making branch, Bảy Huệ was appointed head of the chemical division of atelier C10 (1962), then head of atelier B8 (1967).
Our press and liberation radio station everyday broadcast news of victories on all battle fields since the 1968 campaign. In general, the situation was excellent. We forced the USA to negotiate peace with us in Paris, to cease their bombardments in the North, Johnson not to run for presidency for another term, USA defence minister Mac Namara to resign, general commander in Việt Nam Westmoreland to be dismissed... But after that, the enemy counterattacked frantically, launched successive pacification operations, pushed revolutionary forces far from cities and important communications roads. Even the regional weapon making department and region military command had to move to the Northern region of Cambodia. The forest in war zone D, where atelier B8 (head by Bảy Huệ) was more fiercely than ever attacked by the enemy. Our combatants had to bury machines, retained only light tools, became a “bag-atelier” on their backs. USA tanks ploughed war zone D in all directions. Groups of “flying cavalry” of their “Red eldest brother” division disposed in transversal ranks trampled heavily on the “ sanctuary of the 9-year anti-French resistance war”.They walked ahead, the combatants of atelier B8 followed behind to collect USA canned food to eat. The atelier was divided into two: one half went to Suối Cái, Lò Than, Nhà Nai (Tân Uyên) headed by Ba Đạo, the other still remained at Suối LInh, Bà Hào (war zone D) headed by Bảy Huệ. But in face of savage attacks from the enmy, if Bảy Huệ’s clung to the Northern bank of Sông Bé River, nobody would survive early or late, and they could not serve the battle fields. After mature thoughts discussions with the party members, he dicided to move the atelier division to the Southern bank of Sông Bé River, where they would cling to the enemy’s rear to live and produce weapons for our combatants to fight against the enemy.
In August 1969, before crossing the river, he knew that nearly all his team-mates were from Tây Ninh province and could not swim. There was only a northern Vietnamese, Chất. when asked, he answered categorically:
- Yes, I can
In face of the Sông Bé torrential current which carried big and small trees rapidly down streams, Chất was terrified when he was told to go into water and cross the river! (he had erroneously understood that the river was shallow and easy to wade). Bảy Huệ told his men to cut two long bamboo trees to be place under the armpits of each person. In addition, each person would have his arm attached by a rubber band to their nylon bags containing their clothes and tools (the nylon bags serving as floats). After a final check to ensure that everything was right, Bả Huệ jumped into the river, tols everybody to hold a long parachute cord, and drew this cord and eleven persons across the river. They arrived safely at the Southern bank, overjoyed! But they soon heard a formidable canard: Mười Đệ, deputy manager of zone 5 logistics, came to Suối Linh and noticed that Bảy Huệ and his men had left the atelier location. He circulated the false news that Bảy Huệ and his eleven men had surrendered to the enemy. Cases of surrender were not rare at that time. Even Tám Hà (lieutenant colonel Tám Hà) deputy political adviser of military zone 1 surrendered! A few days later, Bảy Huệ met Mười Đệ at the command of military zone 5, and Mười Đệ apologized for his colossal canard.
Bảy Huệ’s atelier division was located close to a USA post at Cây Dừng ( Southern bank of Sông Bé river). The land here was empty because of bombs, shells and disafforesting poison. The trails were not only dangerous because of bombs and shells, dried fruit and dead branches which fell suddenly could cause death! The atelier cave was dug underground below a cluster of trees. The cave roof was cultivated with American grass which matched the environment colour. Bombs and shells exploded incessantly day and night, but at a few hundred meters from the cave. Keeping secrecy was a vital necessity because they were close to the enemy. American soldiers did not poke through the soil or patrol here, because they thought that it was a no man’s land. Our combatants starved for rice and salt, at times they ate only tree leaves. Contacting the atelier division at Giác Lạc ( under Ba Đạo), they were happy to get some rice. Hardships were such that they counted their life by minutes, by hour and not by day. One Bảy Huệ tested the morale of his men by saying:
- We are so hungry, let’s surrender to survive!
From their cave they would need only to go down the Sông Bé three or four kilometers to arrived at Lạc An post. The enemy planes broadcast propaganda everyday, inducing revolutionaries to surrender with so attractive promises of material benefits that those who had unstable faith in the revolution would be ready to desert. After Bảy Huệ had made the above statement, two thirds of his men nodded perplexly, one third refused categorically: “No!”. He said then:
- I only test you!
Those who intended to escape to surrender were captured by the others and were sent to a re-education camp. In such dangerous circumstances, Bảy Huệ’s atelier B8 division overcame difficulties to produce Dh mines, hand shells and grenades. They cut barrels into pieces and rolled them into shells, sprinkled borax on the joints which were welded with melted copper. They collected American heavy machine gun bullet boxes to make anti- tank mines, unearthed dud bombs to take explosives for hand shells and grenades. For a short period, nobody came to receive produced weapons. The regional command ordered them to plant mines to destroy UAS tanks and armoured vehicles on Ba Sinh road (Bình Mỹ). the three-man group formed by Huệ, Thắm and Tạo destroyed an M113 vehicle, another group destroyed four ones.
In 1970, the Americans began to withdraw in implementation of the “War Vietnamization” strategy. The Sài Gòn soldiers received money and weapons from the USA to make war under the command of Americans. The enemy concentrated forces to pacify their occupied zones to ensure safety to their war de-escalation. War zone D suffered less mopping-up operations, bombs and cannon shells than previously. Atelier B8 returned to Mã Đà estuary with the main task of producing anti-tank and anti-armoured vehicle mines.
In Oct 1970, Bảy Huệ led a four-man group to Cambodia, contacted the regional weapon department to ask for materials. The 3-month trip was very difficult, they nearly encountered death many times because of enemy’s bombs and shells. But what Bảy Huệ remembered most was the statement made by colonel Lưu Dương head of the regional weapon department:
- You are very courageous! You did not need a nurse to bandage your cut arms. Without outside help, you both produce and combat very well!
Four persons could not take many materials home.
In Oct 1971, comrade Hồng Lâm appointed Bảy Huệ battalion leader, assigned to build atelier OX1 for military zone 7 (at Năng Vô). The equipment was better than before, there were many machines for special use, including a generator, materials were fairly abundant for making DB20 shells to attack airports or posts, DH10 shells, hand shells, grenades...
From mid-March 1975, after the main forces had liberated Định Quán sector, then Dầu Giây, all the officers and soldiers of atelier OX1 were ordered to be concentrated on national route to collect guns, shells and other military equipment abandoned by the enemy.
11h30 on April 30 1975 several trucks transported his unit to the roundabout in front of the Biên Hòa police service. Bảy Huệ’s homeland was totally liberated and undergone many changes since his departure. South Việt Nam was totally liberated. There was no greater joy!
Peace came back, the whole nation was reunified. Combatants had then the opportunity to take a rest, began to think of their personal happiness. But Bảy Huệ still worked at the logistics bureau of military zone 7, in coordination with the regional logistics department carried out the heavy task of collecting ammunition, military equipment and weapons abandoned by the enemy on the territory of military zone 7. all this had to be stored. Everybody thought it was easy to work which did not require bravery and sacrifice, but it was latent death.
In May 1976, a big store of tens of thousands of M79 shells, mines, grenades... at Long Bình encountered an unexpected accident. A high tension cable hung above the store-house roof. It was broken, its end from time to time rubbed the steel roof and emitted beams of fire. The store keepers reported to Bảy Huệ, who rode his Honda to the store-house. Nobody was there, everybody had run away. When the wind blew, the cable end emitted fire. In a second, he found the solution. He called Sơn and told him to fetch a dry wooden pole and a ladder. He climbed on the roof, used the dry pole to hurl the cable outwards and hang it over the fence. After the dangerous moment had passed, he wiped his forehead wet with sweat.
A few days later, he supervised his young and care-fee team-mates handle mines and grenades at another store-house. He suddenly discovered that a grenade lost its locking pin. Rapidly like lightning he pressed tightly the lever, then told them to fetch another pin to lock the grenade safely. When there was no more danger, he and his team-mates regained their wit, and had their shirt backs wet with sweat. If that grenades moved and exploded, all the group of store-house keepers, the loading and unloading platoon and Bảy Huệ himself would have their bodies torn to pieces as well as the cars which waited to be unloaded.
In March 1977, Tư Lạc, deputy commander of Đồng Nai armed forces had civilians carry cannon shells, mortar shells, mines... taken from the enemy to a large store-house at Bình Đa. Bảy Huệ suggested:
- This work should be done by soldiers for safety reason. If these shells were time set by the enemy, what disaster would happend.
This suggestion was ignored, and the consequence was that a group of militiamen and guerrillas were killed and a number of cars were destroyed. Shells and fragments were hurled everywhere in an area of nearly one kilometer of radius. Their explosions shook the whole city of Biên Hòa. Seeing smoke and flames rising in the air, Bảy Huệ arrived on his Honda, but he could only look at the disaster helplessly.
After a battle, Bảy Huệ captured many American leaping mines, so called because when someone trod on them, they would leap upwards chest-high to kill with certainty. Comrade Huỳnh Ngọc Đấu, in charge of the regional operation department ordered to destroy these mines. Bảy Huệ said to himself: “What a waste if we destroy them! To have this quantity of mines, we should spend a lot of money, work and materials (cast iron, exploisives...). So he hid 1,500 of them. When Pol Pot’s army invaded our territory in Tây Ninh and Sông Bé, he gave this quantity of leaping mines to Ba Sang, in charge of weapon making in Sông Bé at that time. They were planted along the border and killed a number of Red Khmers.
Bảy Huệ was transferred from the logistics department of military zone 7 to logistics bureau of Đồng Nai province. By the end of 1977, a group of political officials of military zone 7 and officials of Defence Ministry came to Đồng Nai and stayed here for about two months to get information on his deeds. Being a peasant with lttle education, he recounted what he did in a plain manner. The visitors listened attentively and noted down what he said. He thought: “Perhaps the superiors are going to confer the title of emulation combatant on me! But my contributions to the revolution are nothing compared with others comrades in atelier C10, B8 and OX1, let alone with officials of the weapon making branch who are my teachers and have made outstanding contributions to the branch and our victories...”
In November 1978, he was really surprised when the National Assembly and the Government cited him as a HERO OF THE PEOPLE’S ARMED FORCES.