Leading a worthy life to deserve martyrs: veteran war journalist

Journalist Trần Mai Hưởng, former General Director of Vietnam News Agency and former Editor-in-Chief of Việt Nam News daily, has just launched a memoir titled Hồi Ký Phóng Viên Chiến Trường (Memoir of a War Reporter), which recounts the unforgettable incidents he witnessed during the American War in Việt Nam as well as important moments of the nation.

Việt Nam News reporter Lê Hương chats with him about the book and his thoughts on journalism today.

Journalist Trần Mai Hưởng.

How did you decide to write the memoir?

I wanted to tell the story of my life as a journalist, events I witnessed, people I have met in my life, and incidents I have experienced; especially days during the war with so many difficulties and sacrifices.

I wanted to feature the portraits of myself and my colleagues over my working time.

The Vietnam News Agency has many staff and reporters who have made considerable contributions to journalism, nation protection fights and nation-building processes.

Many of them lost their lives. As many as 260 people in the agency died in battles, which urged me to write everything again to help maintain the memories of those unforgettable days.

I’m over 70 years old now. I should complete the book, which should not be postponed anymore.

 What do you think working in fierce war meant to your career?

Wars are the most serious challenges to a nation and a person.

In extremely difficult situations, on the border of death and life, people reveal their characters the most.

People often say that nowhere can people understand one another like in a battle, which is quite true.

To a war journalist, things were not limited to difficulties, sacrifice, betting one’s life on each trip, each campaign. A much bigger challenge is completing his mission in such circumstances.

He should not only appear at the site and witness the scene, but also get images, and information to send news back to the office.

This big challenge requires not only bravery but also determination, agility to deal with problems; and of course, a necessary professional skill level.

He should take good photos, and write quickly and well.

The war offered an environment for us to practise our skills, good characteristics, and spirits, which have been good foundations for us in peacetime.

VNA’s war reporters Trần Mai Hưởng (taking the bike), Hoàng Thiểm, and Ngọc Đản on the way to Đà Nẵng, on March 29, 1975. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Hồng Long

 What do you remember most from those days?

I was in Quảng Trị Battle between 1972-73, Hồ Chí Minh Campaign in Spring 1975; and followed Vietnamese voluntary soldiers to Cambodia. I was in the capital Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979; in Hà Giang and Cao Bằng provinces in the 1980s during the northern border fight.

There have seen so many unforgettable moments that I cannot mention them all. The moments went along with events and people that left deep marks in my memory.

In early 1972, when I first passed the North-South borderline in Bến Hải River, I wrote in my diary: “The river reflects sunset rays and lone dilapidated Hiền Lương Bridge.

A white paint line divides the bridge, which is the fragile border of the two regions in our country. To erase that fragile line, thousands of people lost their lives…”

To me, Quảng Trị will remain a land with many memorable events: The mass offensive with many big fights; and the happiness of being liberated, for which many people sacrificed a lot.

I took photos of female guerilla Thu Hồng and a few weeks later, I heard she died when she was not yet 20.

Photographer Nghĩa Dũng, a journalist of the Military News Agency, met me on the way marching to the battle. He was wearing a shirt with the smell of his 3-year-old boy’s urine. He said he wore it so that he could no longer miss the boy. He died right at the beginning of the campaign.

Spring 1973, after Việt Nam signed the Paris Agreement with the US, engraved in my memory with special images: tears of a couple, who were imprisoned, when they met again after 12 years in a prisoner exchange site by Thạch Hãn River.

The rare moment on the peak of Linh Quang- Triệu Phong, when liberating soldiers and Sài Gòn regime soldiers met.

In the Spring of 1975, I could not forget the moment I entered Huế, Đà Nẵng in liberation days and the image of a tank of liberation troops rolling into the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975.

In my photo, that’s the tank with number 846 led by Nguyễn Quang Hoà, driven by Trần Bình Yên with artillery people Nguyễn Văn Quý and Nguyễn Bá Tứ. They then became my friends.

I will never forget my stunned feeling standing in the middle of the capital Phnom Penh, a dead city in literal meaning.

I was there in the afternoon of January 7, 1979, together with Vietnamese voluntary soldiers. Then came a difficult deadly dry season in the country with the soldiers.

I will never forget the moment we welcomed the first traditional lunar new year far from home.

In Cambodia that dry season, we walked in the middle of mined land. The stingy smell of corpses overwhelmed the atmosphere. We were constantly afraid of being shot from behind.

Journalist Trần Mai Hưởng in Quảng Trị battle in 1972. VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Lâm

In the Spring of 1975, your older brother, journalist Trần Mai Hạnh, departed to the battle. Why did you want to join him?

 In early 1975, I travelled from the central province of Vĩnh Linh to Hà Nội to attend a course hosted by the National Economic University. In March, 1975, after the victory in Buôn Ma Thuột, VNA’s General Đào Tùng prepared to lead a team of journalists to the southern battle including my brother Trần Mai Hạnh.

At the same time, VNA also prepared to send another team of journalists to the Trị Thiên battle. Hearing that news, I asked the VNA chief to cancel my study and let me join the team. My proposal was accepted.

As I have many memories with Quảng Trị and Trị Thiên, I wanted to return to that region. I also sensed that a big opportunity came to me and I wanted to join the campaign.

But at that time, I could not imagine that I could then travel all along the country and reach Sài Gòn in that historic Spring.

That’s a big luck in my career as a journalist.

Overviewing your life with various moments from wars to peace and many achievements in your career, what do you still worry about?

In my memoir, I wrote: I have lived through heroic moments in history. I have witnessed historic moments, sacrifices, pains and losses of people. Many of my colleagues have lost their lives in battles with cameras and guns in their hands. Those sacrifices are priceless.

As a person lucky enough to return and live in peace, I and other lucky people have always thought of the dead’s sacrifices.

Hence, how should I live a worthy life to satisfy the dead’s wishes is often my big question.

I have received much luck and support from others. What I have done is very humble. I still feel regret when reviewing my past life.

If I had a second chance, I would have lived and done better things.

But people just have one life; I’m happy to lead such a life and if I could choose once more, I would have chosen the journalism career again to praise good things and good people in my beloved country.

Reading the memoir, I can see that you have a habit of noting things down carefully. Is that an important characteristic of a journalist? What advice do you want to give young journalists now?

Observing, sensing and noting down are important things to journalists, which are foundations for real precise, timely and vivid stories.

There are also many other demands including philosophy, awareness of the career, citizens’ responsibilities, and willingness to overcome obstacles to complete missions, these are all leading conditions for the career.

Living skills and capabilities to adapt to working conditions are important, too.

Of course, good professional skills are decisive factors.

These characteristics require constant practice by journalists.

Journalist Trần Mai Hưởng in Pochentong Airport in January 1979. VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lợi

You have published many touching poems on your mother and other members of your family. How do you think family is important to your career and your life? What do you often teach your children?

I highly appreciate the support of my family. My parents and brothers and sisters at I and my wife’s side are reliable anchors in my life.

In the war, my family was very poor. My parents overcame all difficulties to bring me and my brother and sisters up.

My brother Trần Mai Hạnh inspired me to follow journalism. I deeply thank my wife, teacher Bùi Thị Kim Vân, who had spent all of her love for me at her young age and came with me through the most difficult moments. She took care of the family, and brought up my children so that I could follow my career.

I want my children and my grandchildren to grow up with good dignity, know how to lead a good life, love people, and have bravery and a strong will to overcome difficulties to become good citizens.

What do you want to tell young journalists through this memoir?

Life has changed a lot. Journalism is now quite different from that in the past. Previous generations of journalists tried their best to fulfill their missions. Today’s young journalist generation has many advantages, are well-trained, especially in technology and modern journalism skills. They are passionate, brave, and have a high responsibility to the nation and people. I strongly believe that today’s journalists deserve to continue previous journalists’ generations to complete their duties and help develop Vietnamese journalism. VNS