Nurse Carries 5 Wounded Soldiers Amidst Gunfire 60 Years Ago

Over 60 years ago, amidst the fierce battles of the Vietnam War, nurse Ho Thi Kim Thanh risked her own life to carry five wounded soldiers to safety. Her extraordinary courage and dedication saved numerous lives and continue to be remembered. Born in the coastal region of Quang Nam province, Thanh joined the revolution at a young age and served as a liaison. In 1961, at the age of 18, she moved to the liberated zone and began her work in the mountainous district of Tien Phuoc, an area that frequently saw intense clashes with the Republic of Vietnam Army. In late 1961 and early 1962, the revolutionary forces decided to attack the strategic Phước Lâm base. However, due to betrayal, the unit's hiding place was revealed to the enemy. The enemy attempted to suppress the revolutionary forces with artillery fire, resulting in many casualties. Assigned as a nurse, Thanh navigated through dense forests to reach the wounded, avoiding enemy aircraft. As artillery fire intensified, she embraced wounded soldiers, using her own body as a shield. When the shelling subsided, she carried the soldiers on her back, transporting them approximately 2 kilometers out of the danger zone to a forward medical station. Despite weighing less than 50 kg, she carried three soldiers and, without rest, rescued two more. After the battle at Phước Lâm, Thanh also became involved in the activities of the Tien Phuoc Provincial Women's Union, training as a nurse and combatant. She learned to handle firearms and grenades and participated in battles. In October 1963, during an enemy sweep operation, she and four other soldiers were wounded. Despite her own injury, Thanh decided to escort and support her comrades out of the enemy ambush. She then traveled alone, avoiding enemy positions, leaving broken tree branches as markers to find her way. Hours later, she met with a support unit. Guided by her markers, they returned to the deep forest and safely evacuated all four wounded soldiers to a medical station. Nine comrades were killed in this battle. The enemy had booby-trapped the bodies of the fallen with mines, but experienced soldiers neutralized them, allowing for their safe burial. During the rescue operation, soldier Ly was discovered alive. He had sustained multiple wounds and had fallen among the bodies, thus being overlooked by the enemy. He endured agony for nine days and nights until our forces found him. Thanh and her comrades immediately took Ly to a medical station for treatment of his open wounds, which had begun to decompose. They all believed he would die, but through camaraderie and dedication, they managed to save him. After recovering, soldier Ly returned to the front lines and bravely fought until his death in a subsequent battle. In 1973, after the signing of the Paris Agreement, Thanh married Tran Van Anh, a soldier from Military Region 5, whom she had promised to marry 15 years prior, having put their personal lives aside for the war effort. The memories of the Vietnam War, through the stories of individuals like Thanh, convey its tragedy and heroism to the present day. Her actions demonstrate human resilience in dire circumstances and deep affection for her comrades. In Vietnam's one-party system, such patriotic narratives tend to be perpetuated as symbols of national unity. Source: VnExpress