Reflections on Youth in War

The grass burning smell The wave of 20 years old generation... ...gently lapped against the shore for eternity. Please take picture of our whole bodies! Whole bodies? 1... 2... Me! It's bad luck to take pictures of three. Call Long! Then we will have four people. My mouth is stiffing because of smiling for too long. There's a girl taking pictures with us! You can kiss her as many times as you want without being slapped. Stay away! Hey! This is my spot! They're all the same! Okay, now! Smile! It's mine! Take your hands off! It's mine! Do we have to take that one again? No. Why don't you bring your girlfriends along? We'd love to! But... we don't have anyone yet. You're all so young. Eighteen and twenty years old. When will you leave? Tomorrow! You can have this picture tomorrow! Yes! Let we pay you! It's my gift for you! Attention! Line! Salute! Thank you! We promise we will come back here to take picture on the victory day. Then, I will charge you guys as usual. Right face! Right! Walk! 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... We're running out of time. Then run! Where's everyone? Everyone hasn't enlisted yet, right? Who let women enlist? They are even better than men in shooting! I agree with the fact that they're better than you. If they use this kind, no birds can escape! They've already evacuated. Where's Hoang? He's sitting in the lecture hall. Let's go there! I'm imagining myself sitting in our class and learning as usual. Where did you get this notebook? Someone forgot it. Her handwriting is amazing. This one is belong to Phuong. No, it's Nga. What's your opinion? You guys are acting as their boyfriends... by thinking that you know their hand writings. I was the one who transferred your letters to her. She received your letters in a cold way. Then she gave this at the farewell event. How can I forget her handwriting? Why have you written any poems about her coldness? Those fools, listen to my words of heart! I want to speak, I want to cry! Let me sing my first song, the song about my old school. A green class... The night Indian-almond fruit is falling into the night school yard. Great! It's extraordinary! I will volunteer to be the one who collects the night Indian-almond for you. You rude! The Indian-almond fruit is belong to poetry. It's not the same Indian-almond fruit out there. Yes! You're the only one who understands the poetry. Goodbye our lecture hall! 6th September 1971 The night Indian-almond fruit is falling into the night school yard. We leave today. We will definitely come back with our dear lecture hall. Come back with our dear ancient capital. Please take a sit! Wait here! The court will start now. During this war time, you two decided to come here to divorce. I don't understand! Today, we will give you the final decision. According to our invitation, your children have to be here too. So that we can assign each responsibility for you. Who will go with the father and who will go with the mother. Court! Four of them are in the evacuate station. Long is the eldest. He has just enlisted for a few days so he can't be here today. You guys had five kids together, why don't you understand for each other? Keep stubborn like this, your children will have to suffer. Those having the father won't have the mother, those having the mother... Long too! What will he think when he knows you guys are doing this? Afraid that Long will think too much, so we... ... have to wait till today to come here. We don't enjoy doing this. He's not a man. He never gave me enough money. I will take care of all four of our children. Court! I will take care of them. So she can be free. When Long comes back, he will understand. We can't finish this case today. Because the children are not here. Especially, Long has to be here. We want to ask him. He is a citizen now. When he comes back, we will close this case. What happened? Long! Untie the other end for me! Clean the table and take the oil stove to where it is. Hurry up! Hurry up! Hurry up! Let's go! OMG! Why are you such careless? His backpack is too heavy. Help me! Hurry up! Hurry up! Thang! Hey! This one! This truck! Here's your photo! Goodbye! Goodbye! Why are you such careless? Who allow you to take picture here? You're revealing our military secret. Take him to the office! I haven't take any pictures here! I just came here to say goodbye to my friends. Goodbye! We are kids of our parents. If we miss home, we will escape to go home. We go home with our parents then we will come back. What are you doing? Brake like that, you can kill us all. Take him to the military court! Take him to the military court! Take who? What did you just sing? Do you want to escape from the army? Who's the first one singing that? It's me. Get off! What's your name? What's your faculty? I am Hoang. I'm from the Literature faculty. You're learning Literature, why are you making those nonsense words? You are taking the spirit of soldiers down. Everyone! Get off! Attention! Right face! Right! When you are a soldier... ... you have to give up the free life style. You always have to follow the military regulations. When you're in your line... ... even if you got bitten by ants, you're not allowed to scratch. You're not allowed to look when girls pass by. - Is it clear?

Yes! Everyone! Repeat after me! When you're in your lines... We're not allowed to scratch when we got bitten by ants. We're not allowed to look when girls pass by. You have to scratch when you got bitten by ants. You won't stand of that itchy. Just scratch! So disorganized! Right face! Right! Everyone will get punishment. Forward! Walk! 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... 1 2... Why are there so many toads? What? It's not easy to buy them! Chop them for me! Only take their legs! Me? Why? To make salted shredded toad and send to our son. Toad is poisonous. That's why we only take their legs. Hoang can only strong enough to practice with this thing. I have no ideas. When Thanh was young... My father fed him with this thing, it was really good. Did you take them by yourselves? I have to order. How can we take them by ourselves? They're always moving. How can we send them anything? Just do it! He's near. They've just moved. Really? When? To where? See? That's what an army is. Did they go to the South? They're moved to the North. They haven't had to go to the battlefield yet. This thing is not good at all. He is the Uncle of God*, and you want to cut his legs. *According to Vietnamese ancient story. They've been moved to Nha Nam. It's a secret. Is it near the train station? Hey! Hey! Hey! Sit here! I've just met her. I was lying. And I was about to come up with a great sentence. I felt something at the end of my bed. Is that you? When I looked at her closely, that is her. Did she climb to your bed with you? Who allowed? We are soldier. We have to follow the regulations. Did she touch you? No, she just talked about us. What did she say about me? She said you are insane. You always want to brush others' hair. No, I just want to touch. What's the difference? Stop denying! What about me? You're a nerd. You will come up with many great novels. Did she complement us? She blamed us. She blamed us for touch her breast in crowd. You're so bad! You have to explain. We didn't mean anything. She knows that you guys are not that innocent. So are you innocent? But she didn't blame me. She asked for one thing. What? No one is allowed to look at her picture. And we have to go there to take a picture again when we come back. We're only allowed to stand next to her, and read with her. Alarm! Alarm! Attendance! Wait for me! Four new soldiers have deserted. Vice squad lead! Take a team with you and go to the truck station. And the train station to capture them and take them back here now. We have to come in now! You guys have to leave after 10 minutes. Yes! It's painful! Who did this? Who? He's pretending! I didn't hit that hard! Carry him to the infirmary! Yes! It's 5 kilometers. When they arrive, the one who have to carry will also have to stay there. Now! We've just come back from the toilet. You guys bring along a picture to the toilet? You guys are having moral problems. The team has just got the mission. Mission abort! Yes! Four of you! Go take the hoes and the shovels. Start to dig the shelter from tonight! Yes! Carry him! He's not hurt anymore. You still have to carry him. Ten rounds around our barrack. You can cause a tragic with that kind of prank. 50 centimeters deeper! Low down! Your butt will be full of bullets with that kind of crawling. Prepare to fight at short distance! Left! Low! Is this your low part? Look at me! - Do it again!
Yes! You did it right this time. Start! Hurry up! Run to the high point! Let's consider that I got hurt! Thang! Long! Go back to help your teammate! You're not allowed to abandon your teammates when fighting. Yes! You have to say it loud and clear! Repeat yourself! Yes! That weakness and you also volunteered to come here? Rest at your position for 10 minutes. Look! I got a cicada! His wings are gorgeous! We can't even breath. You have time to get a cicada? To get a butterfly? Hey! Cicada is cicada, butterfly is butterfly! There's no differences between them. They're all winged insects. Dry this cicada and send to Nga. She will be moved. Go to the battlefield at the cicada season. Although our childhood rolled with marbles. Who said those backpacks... didn't cover 1 2 3 voices of cicadas. Who said those backpacks... ...didn't cover 1 2 3 voices of cicadas. Stop it! Everyone! Continue! Turn around! Why do you come here? You even bring chickens. Your mother told me to bring them with me. She said I could go back only when we had a son. Son or daughter, they are all our kids. We only have daughters. People are making fun of us. What's wrong with you? I tripped this morning. My back is really hurt. You have to take care of yourself, you're not young anymore. Sometimes, I can't believe that there's a star in my hat. And there a red band in my collar. This soldier life came to me so naturally. It's too calm, and too sudden. What can I do? What can I contribute for the literature of this period? 2... You! That's how you do it! Why are you missing your mother that much? You are an adult now. Do it! Thanh! You have to let me prepare! Girls! Yes! I can sing forward and backward. Let me sing this sentence for you. Shame on you! The wild chicken! The wild chicken! singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song singing a folk song Start to move! Give me my backpack! Is that one big? This is a live or die battle! Attention! Everyone is ready! Everyone! Our mission... ... is to practice while moving. We will have to need help from normal people sometimes. You all have to remember. Soldier and people are like fish and water. Fish will die without water. Water without fish will... It will be too bland. Be serious! Everyone has to understand. That we have to make people miss us when we have gone, and like us when we stay there. - Is it clear?
Yes! Make people miss us and like us. You're missing somethings. Start! It's like meet our girlfriends. Hey! If I die... ... remember to plant a small eucalyptus tree next to my grave. How silly you are! You are deeply insane! Why do you bring up this topic? I also want to be insane. But in a poet way. Don't think that I am being pessimistic. It's not hard. It's not difficult to die, just a bullet. Or a malaria fever. That fact won't except anyone. If I die, please bury the guitar with me. It's a waste of the guitar. To be honest, who is afraid of death... ... will find all the way he can to avoid... So he can go back home, pull his pants down... ... and let his mother hit him. Thanh! Come back home! Where are you? I feel like my mother is calling me. Another crazy man! Read a poem, Hoang! Read it, Hoang! The footprints are backward. The footprint of our youth. Eighteen, twenty, sharp as grass. Thick as grass, weak and fierce as grass. We do not regret giving our life. But how can't you regret your twenty? But how can our Father land survive if everyone doesn't want to scarify their youth. Grass is sharp but warm, isn't it? When did you write that poem? I heard it through the radio. Tape it too. Enjoy yourself! Reserve for the kids! We have plenty. Have you had to go yet? We don't know when. We're also being impatient. I don't know when my husband will go back. He's gone for too long without any information. Where is he now? In B. I don't even know whether he is dead or alive. Do you have any poems? I only have this one, I don't know if I should... I've collect them. People are competing. Where is Long? He's helping someone. I know where he is. Show me, I also want to help someone now. Not far from here! Damn! Attack! Attack! Attack! There's Thanh. Where is Long? He's at the village well. Attack! Attack! singing singing Pour it gradually! Let me help you! Your village water is really fresh. When the war ends... ... you can come back here to use our village water. I'm afraid that no one will welcome me. I'm only afraid then you will think that... our village water is no longer fresh anymore. What if I won't? How can we foresee the future? Free the South... 2... 3... Go to free the South Kill the American invaders And kill all the coward who sold our country. Even when our bones is dissolved and our blood is falling. With the high spirit, and our separated lands... Our doughty Cuu Long! Our glory Truong Son! They are motivating us to kill our enemies! We all stand under a flag. Stand up! Our hero South citizen! Stand up! We can get through storms and winds! We can devote ourselves to save our country. With swords and guns, we attack. It's our fate, it's our dawn! We will build up our glory country for eternity. The South is calling us. Are you ready? Ready! Ready! Ready! Does anyone regret your student life? No! No! No! Please! Hoang from the Literature faculty again? I... Honestly, we're regret that life a little bit. But we will regret more deeply... ... if we are not belong to... ... this army today. Great! Great! What a literature student! I've just take a glance at our press. Everything is very impressive. But there is this one. I'm sorry, I have to take it down. To read for you guys. My dear girlfriend, Killing the American invaders and saving our country... ... is the glory period of our nation. At the dawn of our revolution, who will be the pioneer? There's me and more than a thousand students... ... from different universities. Don't go find deep philosophy... ... through novels or poems. The 1975's April will give you the answer... ... of what is happiness. 1975 It's about four years ahead. But I have the feeling that that year will be very sacred. Who's the private? No! I want to know... ... who wrote this. Emergency information! Move! Let me go with you! Me too! They let us move! Where's Long? He's still at the well. Pack this stuffs for him. After we done packing, I will go get him. Is Long back yet? Not yet! If I leave this place... ... it will be the same as leaving the one I love. Having to leave this beloved land... ... who don't want to come back? Please wait for me! Let our missing inside... Long! We have to move now! We have to move now? Do you have to leave now? What's your address? Block 2. I will write for you. Hurry up! Goodbye! We have to leave now. Don't know when we will have a chance to come here with you and the kids. My husban is Suu. This is his mail address. Tell him to come back with me. Our youngest son doesn't even know his face. Be good! Remember to help your mom. Yes! Take them! Each of you can take one. Thank you! When I come back, we can continue to play. Yes! If you guys meet him... ... tell him to write for me immediately. I will find him. We have to leave now. Why do you have leave in that rush? Don't forget the way to come back here. Goodbye! Goodbye! We will come back! I will come back! Wait for me! When the war ends, you guys have to become my best men. Have you given her anything? As an engagement! I don't have anything to give her. That's not okay. You have to find something in the battlefield. Find some pieces of an air plane. Then make a comb from it and send her. She will remember you for the whole life. What a romantic love story in war! Does anyone have any stamps? I don't have enough time to send a notified letter to my parents. Stamps are unnecessary. Just write on it "A soldier sent it" Stop at the post office for them sending letters. They've gone. Where? To the South! To the South? That fast? Find some hiding spots, quickly! Put the lights to other directions! Hurry Hoang! Bombs are near! The guitar! Where's Hoang! He's still on the truck! Hoang! Hoang! When you see my sign, go down immediately! We have to save every minutes. What's this river? Thanh Han! Is the other side the ancient citadel? That's it! Does any people live there? Just soldiers. A man is even naked for a month, and it's totally fine. How can we fight in that state? Just fight, nothing will hold you back. It's great, we don't have to wash our clothes. They will be kept new. That's right. Captain, what's your name? Where are you from? I'm Suu, from Bac Giang. I also come from Bac Giang, please guide me. My parents worries so much for me. It's fate. Go with me, you don't have to worry anything. I will wrote a letter for them when I got that side. I haven't go home for a long time. My wife must have suffered many things. We've met an countryman. I'm so bad at swimming. Why don't you tell them to stay? I only knew we had to across a river when I arrived here. Go with me, if... When we arrive the south side, you have to take me a cricket. I don't know whether I can take him to the other side. I heard that if we stayed here, we could survive. We are sons of Truong Son mountains. We nurture our love among the forests. The forest is our father. The forest surrounds our enemies. The road connects the South and North is sacred. The dawn is here, the sunshine is shining through our heart. We follow our heart. In our road, fire and blood are hunting us. Is anyone Nghia? It's me! It's me! Together, we build up our happiness. With love... We're all happy together. Please, stop singing! My parents have never ever known that feeling. Why are you so emotional now? We are heading to the battle. How can you beat the enemy then? The communication is lacking people, so I have been transferred to that team. We can still go together. We just don't have Hoang. Remember to write a poem about us. Only if you stop injecting me that hurt. Hello! You're not allowed to get out. Hoang! Hoang! We have to leave now. If planes come, you have to move to the shelter immediately, okay? I will catch you as soon as possible. It's for you. Write more poems. You can listen to him for a second. Everyone, gather! I wish we could stay here with you. Why do we still have to wait, Captain? Wait for the guide. Remember the distance between each group is 50 meters. To reduce the lost. I will go with the first team. Yes! 1 2 3... 1 2 3... I heard that crossing this river is extremely hard. Try your best! It willl be great if we have a banana plant here. I have never swum before. Are you kidding? No, I'm not. I thought you knew "cheo"*, then you would know how to swim. Homonyms: (1) Cheo: rowing and (2) Cheo: one kind of Vietnamese traditional music. Stop joking! When we cross the river, Thanh will swim in the middle, hold the lifebuoy. I and Long will be on your sides. We have to stay together. Yes! If fish comes to you, remember to greet them... ... or they will bite yours wiener. Fish God! Bite his first, it's better. How can you guys keep joking in this situation? Are you the guide? Yes! How many people are there? 107 people. Divide them into groups of 20 people. Swim separately. We got it. Go right now. Use your legs! I am! But I've just stepped on somebody's head. I've just touched a leg. Is this place okay? Long! Are you escaping? No! I am scared. How coward you are! Go back! No! Don't be coward! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! There are many wounded soldiers. Saw it! Be careful! I saw pieces of their bodies. Blood was running. An arm is going to be cut apart. I saw that too. Are we moving our canon? Which canon? They're burying people who died this afternoon. Run! Don't cross the river! Run! Don't cross the river! Don't cross the river! Long! Lay down! Long! The last group has arrived. How many people left? 49 people. 58 people has died in the river. So there are only 48 people left. Long has just been hit by an air canon. He's lying there. He's just successfully crossed the river. How can he lose his life like that? I didn't expect... ... that Thach Han river took so many of our people. Tonight is 2 months round. From the day we started to protect this ancient citadel. We've lost so many people. That's all because of Fleet 7. If only we have a chance to fight them face to face. Take some people with you to bury Long. I will take the rest to the station. Yes. Lieu, Hung, go with me! Yes! You two go down to dig. Yes! Why are you so rush? The girl at the well will cry out all her tears for you. Thanh, go find if there is anything left in his clothes. Go quickly so we can go back to the station. Yes! There are only a handkerchief and a hairpin. Keep them and send them back to her. Don't! Leave them with him! Then leave them for him. How can we tell her? Wait! Now you can sleep better, Long. Please remember. Long's grave is the one having a stone. After the war, guide his parents here to take him back. You're lucky. To rest in the warm ground. Thousands of people are resting in that cold river. Sleep well! Bless for us. Attention! One minute for honoring. Hoang! Hoang! Why did you scream like that? What did you dream? My friend... He has just died! Put it there! Find the shelter gate! Four people are lying there. It's so hurt that I can't see anything. Guard! This man shot the whole pack of bullets toward me. Lieu! It's useless! He's dead. Can we just let him here? The smell will be horrible. Throw him to the bomb hole. We're all human, let's make him a grave. Hello! An air force squad has approached us. Please send more people to us. We only have few gunmen left. And only few B40. His parents looks like good people. I'm afraid... ... that we can't go back to meet our mothers too. Yes! I will tell everyone. This afternoon, I will find some vegetables for you. Can we save my eyes? We can heal everything when we go to the North. In the next few days... ... the enemy will focus their strongest and their most skillful force to attack us. So they can put more pressure on us in the Paris conference. I've just received the order that we have to stay strong on this battlefield. We can't let the enemy put their flag into our ancient citadel. You go to the southern stations... ... and tell everyone there that information. I will take care the front line stations. Yes! Tonight, a boat will come here. I will send you to the North. That's impossible. There are many wounded soldiers from days before. There's no boats coming here. Eat this. I have to go to the stations. My dear mother, ... this might be the last letter I sent you. When you received this letter, ... I've already lied down into the ground of the ancient citadel. I wish that I could have one more chance... ... to be playful as the old days... ... so you could hit me hard into my butt. Mother! When our nation become one, please come here to take me home. I'm on the west south corner of the ancient citadel. Only 10 meters away. Please take care of yourself! Do you have any quinine medicine left? We've run out long time ago. We've received an order to keep the ancient citadel by all means. So we can have a strong voice at the Paris conference. Never before, the military battle and the diplomatic battle... ... have that tight connection. Our whole nation is looking at us. The pure night, feel the sound through my chest. I've met the grass burning smell of my youth again. How can you meet the grass burning smell of your youth? You will feel and meet that smell one day. There's an order sending you to the battlefield. Really? So we have to say goodbye to a poet. Keep this notebook for me! And send back to my home for me. Guys! They're having a break for lunch. Get out! It's take too long to have a break. I think they've just run out of their bullets. I think they are fed up with shooting. I feel like a real man when I can stand to pee like this. Peeing like this makes us real men. Ky! Cut my hair! It's so itchy! Why do you have to cut them? Your hair are being good house for lice. Hurry up, Thanh! I'm here! There are so many handsome boys here. Girls! Tomorrow will be the full moon day. Who want to eat blessing sugary... ... then go to the pagoda! When did you go to the pagoda? Long before! They called me, Mau, slutty. That I flirt with everyone. But I went to the pagoda in the 13rd. I have gone to the pagoda since I was young. Then I saw the young monk. He's thirteen years old. He smells like girls. Stop! Stop! Disgusting! Hoang! Hoang! Thanh! - Thanh!
Hoang! I came here to revenge for Long. It's really fierce here. The death is always beside us. Be alive! So pessimistic! Maybe! Remember to plant a small eucalyptus tree next to my grave. My mom sent it. I divided them into four packs. Put one into Long's grave. He has his share too. Hoang! Read a poem for us! We haven't listened to your poems for a long time. The night Indian-almond fruit is falling into the night school yard. Do you have any new poems? The pure night, feel the sound through my chest. I've met the grass burning smell of my youth again. The star felt on the barbed wire fence. This land has no rooster crowing sound. Grass is burning the sunset. It's the land of worries. We can only receive our mother's letter through seven rounds of fire. Our wounded is red, the bullet is shining. The strange green leave in life. Hoang! Let's go! I will finish that poem when I meet you guys again. The enemy is approach the ancient citadel at the coordinate 35. The west south direction, coordinate 35. Yes! Move to another watching spot! You two go to block them at the right direction. Yes! Hello! Hello! Hello! Support us! The enemy is approaching the battlefield. Hung! Hung! Withdraw! Mother! Mother! Goodbye Mother! The fierce summer of 1972 had become our memories. Quang Tri citadel is a human mortar. Not many bodies are complete. Not many bodies were taken crossing the river. Three... ... among four of us stayed at the ancient citadel with many of our people. There's only me left. I am carrying many dreams of my friends... ... who also enlisted the army with me that year. We are going to the victory day. Independence! Independence! Captain Phong! Captain, it's me, Hoang! I served under your command before. Hoang of the Literature faculty! Is that you the one... ... who wrote that the April of 1975 would answer... ... what happiness was? No, that's not me. Then who? It's Thang, a communication soldier. So that is Thang. So many people died that summer. Most of them were very young. Keep it carefully! So you can show your children. About how we went throught the war. Don't blame me! Hey girl! Do you know why there are so many cicada? There is no cicadas in this season. That's weird! There are thousand of cicadas. They are landing on Thach Han river. There are so many of them. Please row gently at Thach Han! My friends are still laying at the bottom the river. The wave of 20 years old generation... ...gently lapped against the shore for eternity.

Transcript for:Reflections on Youth in War

Transcript for:
Reflections on Youth in War