Lý, then 18 years old, embarked on this historic campaign. Now, at 89, she still cherishes vivid recollections of those challenging and heroic days, reminiscing about her efforts in carrying rice and forging paths through dense forests to support the military at the Điện Biên Phủ battlefield.

In her modest home in Nam Thanh Ward in Điện Biên Phủ City, Lý fondly reminisced about her days as a frontline volunteer. Her eyes gleamed with memories of those unforgettable moments.

Lý was born and raised in An Lạc Village, Hạnh Phúc Commune, Thọ Xuân District in the central province of Thanh Hóa. In 1953, at the age of 18, she answered the nationwide call to transport supplies to support the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign.

“At that time, in the village, banners with slogans like 'All for the front lines, all for victory' adorned every corner. Many people volunteered to serve in the campaign. The village and commune were left with only the elderly and children,” she recalled.

After undergoing rigorous selection processes, Lý assumed the responsibility of transporting supplies and food for the Điện Biên Phủ battlefield. During those days, all essential goods were stockpiled in the Lược Warehouse and the Cẩm Thủy Warehouse. From there, the supplies were carefully routed through various paths to the battlefield to evade detection by the enemy.

During those challenging times, each woman bore the weight of 20kg of rice, trekking from Thọ Xuân District in central Thanh Hóa Province to the warehouse at Suối Rút in northern Hòa Bình Province, and then onward to the northern mountainous province of Sơn La, finally reaching the Điện Biên battlefield.

The team of frontline volunteers, entrusted with the crucial task of transporting supplies to the Điện Biên Phủ Battlefield, navigated through a maze of routes, meticulously avoiding detection by enemy spies and aircraft. Under the protective cloak of night, they embarked on their perilous journey.

Ensuring the safe delivery of essential goods was an extraordinarily challenging and demanding endeavor, as Lý vividly recalled. "Enemy bombs detonated nearby, the forest paths were treacherous with steep slopes and deep ravines, mosquitoes inflicted fevers, and provisions such as food and water were scarce. Many fell ill and succumbed," she recounted.

Nevertheless, driven by the indomitable spirit of "all for the front lines, all for victory," these young volunteers persevered tirelessly, bearing heavy burdens on their backs as they traversed daunting peaks and perilous passes in service of the campaign.

Lý admitted that she couldn't recall the exact number of trips she had undertaken or the amount of cargo she had transported to the Điện Biên battlefield. However, one memory remained etched in her mind: the day when she and her fellow young volunteers received the news from the frontline declaring, 'Điện Biên Phủ has been liberated!'

Instantly, the once-silent forest reverberated with the jubilant cries of thousands of volunteers.

With the invaluable contributions of youth volunteers and frontline workers in transporting supplies for the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign, Thanh Hóa Province emerged as the primary rear base for this pivotal endeavor. Each time the Government entrusted the province with mobilising and transporting supplies, Thanh Hóa surpassed expectations.

For instance, during the initial assignment, the province was tasked with mobilising and transporting 1,352 tonnes of rice to Hồi Xuân and 100 tonnes of food to Sơn La. In the subsequent assignment, Thanh Hóa mobilised and transported 1,000 tonnes of rice and 165 tonnes of food to Km22 on Route 41, completing the task three days ahead of schedule.

As the campaign reached its climax and the frontline urgently required provisions, the Government once again designated Thanh Hóa to mobilise 2,000 tonnes of rice and 282 tonnes of food.

At this critical juncture, Thanh Hóa Province found itself facing depleted rice reserves with the harvest season still out of reach. Nevertheless, the resolute people made the unwavering decision to sacrifice their last grains of rice for the front lines. In many households, green corn or sweet potatoes became the substitute meal. Despite the hardships endured, the province's collective efforts surpassed the assigned targets, making a monumental contribution to the victory at Điện Biên Phủ.

The late Party General Secretary Lê Duẩn once asserted: "Without the rear bases of Thanh - Nghệ - Tĩnh (Thanh Hóa - Nghệ An - Hà Tĩnh), there would be no victory at Điện Biên Phủ."

Following the triumph of the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign, Lý remained steadfast in her commitment to the resistance war against the US. Her dedication was recognised and honored by the State with the award of the First-class Resistance Medal. The contributions made by Lý, alongside her fellow young volunteers, will be eternally cherished and remembered by future generations.