THE MOST POIGNANT STORY THAT I HAVE EVER READ

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Oldsalt.k22

#149031 Tue, 18 Oct 05 07:04 AM

I am a Vietnamese American living in the US in the past thirty years. I came across Thuy's story very recently through Asia Times, and ever since I found the copy of her diary on this website I've been reading it non stop. What a courageous woman who chose to accept an incredible challenge and gave up her life in the process.

Even though she and I were on opposite sides fighting for different causes, I could parallel much of her hopes and dreams as if they were mine.

I have a lot of respect for you and your brother for having the wisdom to withhold the diary from the burn barrel and keep it all these years. I can't imagine how grateful and joyous her family must’ve felt when they finally had the opportunity to read her diary. And I hope the connection will bring closure to their ordeal.

It’s typical for young people her generation to abbreviate and often times substitute the ‘f’ which does not exist in the Vietnamese alphabet for the ‘ph’ sound. She also wrote her initial as ‘Th’ for Thuy and T2 for Thuy Tram. Another one I notice is the TTS which stands for ‘Tieu Tu San’, the bourgeois.

Best of luck on your translation efforts.

Oldsalt.k22

Joined on Sun, Oct 16 2005

New Member (01)

Abbreviations, Translation

Anonymous

#150097 Fri, 21 Oct 05 05:35 AM

Blueclown, please continue with your translation. I worry that you will stop and we will lose some valuable alternative thoughts. I would love to hear about what your classmates at Chu Van An say about the Diaries, and what your thoughts are about Dr. Thuy Tram once having studied there. I am sure it is much the same in so many ways as it was 50 years ago. I say very often that I am not Vietnamese, not female, not a physician, and will never be as brave as she was to follow her convictions to their final test. Insights from one of the generation of young Vietnamese who have so strongly embraced this story are very important to me, and I am sure to the others who are following this subject.

With good will, Fred's brother

Anonymous

Translation

blueclown

#150766 Sun, 23 Oct 05 07:18 AM

I decided to stop translating as you said , there are some people helping you these days . But now I will change this decision . Despite my busy timetable , I will try to translate more to give you a small hand . Yeah , I will also collect my classmates's opinion on this diary . Recently , our school has had a writting contest about Tram's diary . And many students also feel moved when talking about Tram's diary . We feel very proud of studying in the school where Thuy Tram used to . Many of us are trying to follow her cause , we promise to each other to try our best in education so that someday we can make our country better and more beautiful . See ya soon

blueclown

Joined on Wed, Jun 1 2005

ha noi , vietnam

Junior Member (93)

the world is not enough

blueclown

#153074 Sun, 30 Oct 05 05:25 AM

I continue now : chemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />>>

“ 3.9.69>>

At 9h47’>>

Uncle Ho will forever leave us . >>

Uncle ! We , your children , swear to fight until we can complete your undone will and cause at any cost : To liberate the South and gain independence , freedom for our country . >>

The most heart-broken funeral has come to us . Uncle Ho has passed away . >>

Alas ! I didn’t cry but felt that my heart was oozing blood , it was really a wordless anguish . Uncle! Why did you leave us when your cause was still incomplete ! Our country hasn’t had national unity , Southern compatriots haven’t greeted you to come to the south , but you fell on sleep perpetually . Uncle , in the paradise , you must not feel secure when half of our country is still in fire and sword , Vietnamese ’s blood is still oozing for your carreer and our people . >>

Missing you , we swear to struggle to complete our general cause. Missing you , our tears will change into the hatred for the American aggressors . >>

My Uncle ! Vietnamese compatriots , poletarians from all over the world , let’s believe that Uncle Ho will never lay down , your reputation and your cause will live eternally . >>

> >

“ 13.9.69>>

My dear foster brother , the more distant you are , the more I miss you . I miss you and worry about you more than ever . The day we will meet each other is as dim as a small light in the late night , I’m a pedestrian looking fixedly at that lamp in craving and expectation . Do you know how I have struggled to be near you ? When my wish is not gained , I feel painfully grieved . Among hundred thousands of profound anxiety , I can’t forget a thing : When will I see you ? When can I live near you as we used to live ? Don’t lie down , my dear , please live , you have to live so that there will be one day when I can hug you with my holy affection that I reserve for a dear brother from the South .”>>

* These lines are about Thuan , who I told you to pay great attention to . >>

> >

23.9.69>>

November is nearly over , time runs unexpectedly fast .Autumn has come to the ripe yellow rice field . The scene of harvest should have been so happy because the prosperousness has come after many strenous days . But in fact the American invaders attempt to threaten the rice field . They stage raids on the early morning , bangers ram down the center of field … Anxiety and disgust drowns the happiness of the crop . Suddenly , I remember films and the songs sung on the rice field of socialist , and I writhe in anguish thinking the question : When and when willthe South gain Peace , Freedom and Independence ? >>

There isn’t your( Thuan ) letter among the letters from the South . According to some people , I know that you are ailing and miserable , having a nervous breakdown . My compassion for you is so deep . Wherever I am , whatever I do , I can’t forget you . Alas , is there a manner that I can share with you that all anguish ? Wish that my brother will be unharmed so that we can meet each other . From a distant place , I send you hundred thousand times of cherish , can you hear me , my special brother !”>>

> >

“30.10.69>>

Flood , water is inundating the whole rice field and villages in low land . >>

The American have landed troops since yesterday morning . This morning , we woke up at 4 to prepare and take precautions that the enemy may lay an ambush . It was still raining ceaselessly . At 7 o’clock in the morning , they began staging raids . We went down the fortification which is a large – scale artillery trench . However it is so old that two air holes are covered . It should have been me and brother Ky that stayed there but I thought it was abit difficult and inconvenient ( although nothing happened) . So I suggested Tam to stay with us . After an hour staying in the fortification , the water began rising and then rised very fast , after a while it run high nearly our chests . I couldn’t bear the freeze . In spite of the fact that we didn’t know where the American were , we decided to go up and hide in a brushwood . Till midday , we saw Tam and Di carrying the guns . There wasn’t another fortification that we could stay in , all of them were flooding but we didn’t know where the American were . We all came to Tam’s house , and all of us were wet to the skin , stone-cold and shuddered . However I’m still happy – there is just this scene when we are soldiers fighting in the war , and people’s pale lips were still smiling . All of the radios and watches were dried on the fire because they drank fully water.”>>

> >

I want to tell you a true short story relating to the affection of Dang Thuy Tram ‘s diary . As you know , her diary has an unbelievable power . There is a young boy who can’t get rid of drugs . He had to go to rehabilitation center to get off drugs for many times . But he can’t really give up . One day , when he was in the center , his sister came and gave him a book called DANG THUY TRAM ‘ S DIARY . Day after day , he read , and cried . He felt ashamed of his behaviour and determined to undergo detoxification . Now his aim is completed and he has started a new life thanks to the small diary . You see ? No need to treat with violence , or medicine , he can still detoxicate . Dang Thuy Tram’s diary is the most affective dose of medicine that can treat his body by curing his mind and soul . >>

> >

blueclown

#153075 Sun, 30 Oct 05 05:26 AM

sorry for the mistake above . I don't know what the problem is may be typo. So crazy

blueclown

Anonymous

#155338 Sat, 05 Nov 05 04:25 AM

"5.11.69

It is still raining . Staying in a house that hasn’t suffered from the war , I still don’t feel cosy although I’m living with a happy and full family . Sitting in the camp bed at the centre of the house , I watched the smoke spiralling up from the rice bowl and worried about my people . At the moment , in the cold wind and rain , are you on the way , brother Nam ? The icy wind blowing through your shirt must be making you tremble slightly . I wish this sister’s sense of mercy could be a flame warming your heart .

Also this time , in the far away South , where fire and smoke is widespread , where is my foster brother ? In the flooding fortification or in the forest ? Each day , i’m farther from you , and I have to compress remembrance with love .

And this time , where are homeless families and children ? Where can you hide ? "

"12.11.69

Coming back to the forest after 3 months fighting strenously against the enemy . I feel so anguished when watching the plain . Hamlets that used to feed me for many days are now trodden on by the enemy . They levelled from Duc Phong to Cua mountain . Standing in Hoi An , I could see My A coast line ! Alas , how heart-broken I am ! The rest people now wander about without any dwellling , they can’t leave their hometown even when it is just now a devasted land , trees collapsed under the wheels of bulldozers . Because they still have relations with revolution , wives came back , shouldering in the afternoon day after day on the untidy furrow . They tried to cook a pot of rice so that their husbands won’t be hungry . Old and weak mothers bring rice bowls to each soaked children who have hidden in the river bank ! "

"23.11.69

Today is Phuong’s birthday . ( Phuong is the abbreviation of Phuong Tram , Thuy Tram’s younger sister ) . My sister ! It is not because the drizzling rain and cold wind blowing from the North causes the chill in this forest that I miss you . Everytime , under any circumstances do I keep in mind tranquil memories of our family . I miss the sundays when we celebrated birthday party , our house is full of friends who came and said Happy birthday ,and warm meals as well . Today is sunday , too , so what is my sister doing to celebrate my birthday ? For sure you will remember me , in your happiness is a remembrance to a sister in a distant land . My sister can’t imagine what I’m doing today . Today ? In the morning , I carried a bush-hook for work , at midday , I carried medicine on the shoulders , following 2 comrades , to ask after some ill cadres . On the way , I met soldiers , I hesitated , standing beside a country-man but couldn’t say anything . They were picking bamboo sprout , their skins was pale and they told me that they had suffered hunger and malaria for such a long time . This great Resistance is made of bonnes , blood and youths of many people , do you know that ? "

"26.11.69

One more year old , one more arduous year in the South battle field . Hope that Thuy will always be steady on the glorious way that Thuy did choose . Th ! Th is not sad when in Th’s birthday anniversary , there are only wet leaves in the overflowing rain whispering with Th dear words .Th is not sad when the birthday song today is just the sound of stream rushing in noisily . And the room in which Th is sitting to write down on the life notebook is this narrow and wet trench . Th will not be sad because in the future , when opening these pages , Th will be proud of the time of youth . Here , Th doesn’t have mild moment with friends , beside a small vase with fragrant roses put on the table . Here , Th doesn’t have the happiness of walking next to lover on a silent way , when the sky becomes gradually violet in the sunset . Here , Th is short of many things but Th is also quite adequate .

So cheer up and smile Th , when the life notebook turns over a new page with lots of brilliant glories . "

( Thuy Tram was born on 26.11 , Phuong Tram was born on 23.11 . Of course in different years . So the 2 sisters usually celebrated their birthdays at the same day ) That’s why she wrote : . Today is sunday , too , so what is my sister doing to celebrate my birthday ?

"1.12.69

Coming back to Pho Cuong , felt moved when meeting again acquaintances . Pho Cuong hometown is still unchanged : quite jolly , and people greeted me heartily with their whole love . Still the same , everytime like this , I had the feeling of a child who had been far away from hometown for a long time , and then came back home to live in family’s affection ."

Today is a special day , we are celebrating a 97th anniversary foundation of Chu van an high school .Tonight, there will be shops , and music show , and I will sing a song (i'm nervous) . 97 years is a long time , long enough for many generations to be tought and grew up . Among those generations are many heros like Dang Thuy Tram . Thanks all .

Anonymous