Not everyone knows that many streets across the country today are named after the Heroes of the People's Armed Forces who bravely sacrificed their lives to defend Vietnam’s northern border.

The roads that bear the names of heroes

A well-known writer, while walking through Lao Cai City, came across a street name that seemed unfamiliar -Pham Xuan Huan Street.

Heroic Martyr Pham Xuan Huan, born in 1948 in Cam Giang District, Hai Duong Province, enlisted in April 1968, leaving behind his beloved, Dang, who later became his wife. He fought valiantly in southern Vietnam and Laos during the resistance war against the U.S. Neither bombs nor hardship could break his resolve.

In 1977, after completing his mission in Laos, Huan returned to Vietnam for a brief reunion with his wife, during which their daughter, Thu Ha, was conceived.

However, duty called again, and he returned to the northern border to defend the country. The last time he saw his wife and daughter, Ha was just eight months old.

On February 28, 1979, at the northern border, Captain Pham Xuan Huan was serving as Company Commander of Company 10, Battalion 6, Regiment 148, Division 316, Military Region 2 when he killed 45 enemy soldiers before making the ultimate sacrifice.

On December 20, 1979, the President of Vietnam posthumously awarded him the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces. His wife, who lost him at just 25 years old, never remarried, choosing instead to honor his memory and raise their daughter alone.

Similarly, in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, a small street in Hong Ha Ward is named after Do Chu Bi, a hero who perished in Hoanh Mo, Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh, during the early days of the 1979 war.

Do Chu Bi, a native of Nam Sach, Hai Duong, had two older brothers already fighting in the South, meaning he was not required to enlist. However, in 1970, he volunteered to join the war effort in southern Vietnam.

After liberation, he was recognized for his exceptional service and trained as a border guard officer. He later became Deputy Company Commander of Company 6, Station 207, Quang Ninh Border Guard (now Hoanh Mo Border Gate Border Guard Station), with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

On March 1, 1979, Bi led his unit to defend Outpost A1, located 300 meters from the border and 400 meters from the Hoanh Mo Border Guard Station. The enemy launched a relentless artillery barrage for an hour, followed by a four-battalion assault. Despite sustaining multiple injuries, Bi led a fierce hand-to-hand battle, using bayonets, grenades, and rifle butts to repel the attack.

As the battle raged on, Bi continued to evacuate wounded comrades while defending Outpost A1. He fought until his last breath, sacrificing himself on the battlefield.

On December 19, 1979, the President of Vietnam posthumously awarded him the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces. He never had the chance to marry.

Pain left behind for those who remain

In 2016, Thua Thien Hue Province named a shady, tree-lined street in Huong So Ward after Le Minh Truong, a young hero who perished at just 19 years old while defending Dong Dang Fortress, Lang Son, on February 17, 1979.

Le Minh Truong, a soldier of Company 5, Lang Son Border Guard, died fighting overwhelming enemy forces. His father, Captain Hong Minh Ky (birth name: Le Thai), had been killed in Quang Tri on February 16, 1968 during the Khe Sanh Campaign.

In the ferocious battle for Dong Dang Fortress, Truong destroyed two enemy tanks and killed ten enemy soldiers before sacrificing himself. He was posthumously awarded the Third-Class Military Merit Medal, and on December 19, 1979, he was honored as a Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

In 2014, his mother, Nong Thi Duyen, was recognized as a Vietnamese Heroic Mother for losing both her husband and son to war.

And many more roads in the hearts of the people…

At cemeteries in Lao Cai Province, graves of female volunteer youth soldiers who perished on February 17, 1979, still stand. Many of them were from Ha Nam Ninh Province (now split into Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh Provinces).

In 1977-1978, Ha Nam Ninh had a twinning relationship with Hoang Lien Son Province (now Lao Cai and Yen Bai), sending many young female volunteers to help develop border regions while supporting national defense efforts.

When the war broke out, over 1,200 members of Ha Nam Ninh's volunteer force were stationed in six border districts of Hoang Lien Son. Many young women, barely 17 or 18 years old, fought and died defending the homeland.

Some never had the chance to fall in love, and many remain unidentified to this day. But their names live on in the hearts of the people.

Naming streets after the heroes of the 1979 Northern Border War is a solemn tribute, ensuring that their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten.

These names serve as eternal reminders of history, ensuring that future generations remember the price of peace and sovereignty.

Nguyen Phuoc Thang
Head of Science, Technology, and Environment Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam