Although the war has long ended, the memories of the intense years and the experiences shared with fellow soldiers during the liberation of the South remain vivid in the mind of former youth volunteer Phạm Thanh Tịnh, now living in Thanh Bình ward, Điện Biên Phủ city, and former youth volunteer Khúc Thị Hằng, both of whom participated in the national cause and are now living in Điện Biên.

Phạm Thanh Tịnh, a former member of Youth Volunteer Unit N29 - 376 from Nam Định province, recalls how, at just 17 years old and weighing only 39kg, she lied about her age, hiding plums in her hand to meet the weight requirement of 40kg to enlist in the frontline. She recounts her tears when recruiters initially rejected her due to her small size but recalls her determination to join the youth volunteer force. In 1974, she volunteered and entered battlefields of the South.

Similarly, Khúc Thị Hằng, a member of Youth Volunteer Unit N35 - 356 from Thái Bình province, also defied her young age of 16 and joined the volunteer force. She remembers her parents’ efforts to bring her back when they discovered she had joined, but they finally respected her decision to serve, offering encouragement instead of preventing her from doing so.

The two young women, along with their fellow comrades, marched into the heart of battle to ensure smooth transportation and logistical support for the South. Between 1965 and 1969, Phạm Thanh Tịnh’s unit performed tasks such as road construction, maintaining supply lines, and transporting essential goods, often under enemy fire. The young volunteers were often faced with danger, having to deal with bombings, floods, and enemy attacks, but they pressed on, fighting for the greater good.

On one occasion, after spending hours working on the road under heavy artillery fire, Phạm Thanh Tịnh narrowly escaped death when a rocket hit the entrance to her shelter, failing to explode. The courage of these volunteers contributed to the success of the transportation routes crucial for the South’s war effort.

Khúc Thị Hằng, similarly, was stationed in Hà Tĩnh province, where her unit worked on protecting the Ho Chi Minh trail and repairing roads that were heavily targeted by enemy bombardments. Despite the constant danger, she recalls the youth volunteer force’s steadfast determination to ensure the success of each mission, even when faced with hardship, exhaustion, and scarce resources.

The life of a youth volunteer was harsh, with limited food and difficult living conditions, often bathing in rivers and enduring physical hardship. Both Phạm Thanh Tịnh and Khúc Thị Hằng, along with over 100,000 other youth volunteers across the country, participated in over 2,000 key points of resistance, playing a vital role in connecting the North and South of Vietnam.

Today, as they look back, these veterans take pride in their contributions to the country’s independence and unification. They will never forget their service and the sacrifices they made for the country’s freedom and sovereignty.