“Let the boat drift gently along the Thach Han River,
My comrades still lie beneath these waters.
Their twenty-year-old lives became part of the waves,
Lapping against the shore, forever through the ages.”
These verses by poet and veteran Le Ba Duong, written about the historic Thach Han River, may already be familiar to many students. Yet the story behind these lines—the 81 days and nights of fierce fighting at the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, and the soldiers who gave their youth for the nation’s peace and freedom—takes on a deeper meaning when TDSers set foot in these historic places themselves during the recent E-Dream Dream School charity journey.
At the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, TDSers had the opportunity to learn about the symbolic significance of the Monument to Heroic Martyrs and listen to stories of the historic battle of 1972. In response to the nationwide mobilization for the resistance, more than 10,000 university students at the time put aside their studies and headed south to join the fight. Countless grey-haired parents bid farewell to their young children as they left for the frontlines. As the guide read aloud letters that soldiers had written to their loved ones in a warm, solemn voice, the atmosphere fell silent. Tears were shed—tears of gratitude, pride, and deep emotion in the face of the immense sacrifices made by previous generations. In the solemn atmosphere, teachers and students offered incense together, expressing their gratitude to the soldiers who had given their lives for the nation’s independence and freedom.
Retracing the footsteps of history, TDSers also visited the banks of the Thach Han River, a major route for transporting personnel and supplies to the Quang Tri battlefield; Bo De School, one of the few structures that survived the devastating bombing of 1972; and the home of the late General Secretary Le Duan, a distinguished son of Quang Tri. Each destination became a living page of history, allowing students to step into the past and encounter its traces firsthand, gaining a deeper understanding of the stories behind them.
When history is experienced through gratitude, the past is no longer a collection of dry facts. Instead, it becomes a source of inspiration that nurtures each Dewey student’s sense of purpose and responsibility. After the journey, the students seemed to return more mature, with a stronger desire to contribute, as shared by Ha Linh (12 Seattle, The Dewey Schools Ocean Park): “I understand that the freedom we enjoy and the peace our country has today were built upon the blood and sacrifice of previous generations. Our generation can honor that legacy by preserving our national pride, working hard to contribute to a stronger and more prosperous country, and always choosing to live with kindness and compassion, so that we may be worthy of the sacrifices made by those who came before us.”
