Accordingly, each district had a sub-branch (equivalent to a transaction office), or an allocation team if it was a small district. Each sub-branch and allocation team would account to the provincial branch. However, they had their own stamp to be more proactive in daily operations. Some sub-branches located nearly 200 km away from the provincial branch, thus they had to ride bicycles or walked on foot every month through rains of bombs to bring documents to the branch for reporting and receiving capital. All stationed positions of the branch must always coordinate with the youth volunteer forces and the fire line people’s laborers to maintain the traffic lifeline. Along with that, they were always ready to evacuate for ensuring security and avoiding enemy bombs. Therefore, each officer and employee of Bank for Construction - Quang Binh Branch encountered countless hardships and challenges during their works. Among 17 martyrs of BIDV who sacrificed in the war against the U.S. to protect our homeland, four comrades worked at Quang Binh Branch. They have heroically sacrificed while on duty as soldiers at the front line.

*

One day at the end of May 1972, Quang Binh Branch’s manager Than Trong Khi assigned the Administrative team where Mr. Du worked to visit Ba Ren sawmill, which was more than 40 km away to receive 5 blocks of grade I wood to reinforce the tunnels and camps. According to the decision, the whole team would start the mission at 2 a.m the next morning.

That night, at the evacuation place, it seemed the Administration team did not want to go to bed early. Ms. Thuc, Ms. Mai cooked rice, boiled water to prepare dry food for the trip. Team leader Le Ba Hung and Mr. Du checked all four bicycles to ensure they still worked well. After preparing everything, Mr. Hung and Mr. Du sat down to drink tea and smoke. Some men in other teams, including me, also stopped by for tea until late at night.

Near dawn, I heard the roar of a jet plane like lightning. So I quickly jumped up and saw a flash of fire on the western horizon, accompanied by deafening explosions. Knowing that the Administration team left at 2 a.m in the morning, everyone worriedly looked towards Cut Bridge.

That day, they bombed for more than an hour. The bombs stopped at 5 a.m. It was summer, so there was sunlight at 5 a.m. We ran to the hillside and glimpsed the smoke still rising far away at Cut Bridge. Mr. Than Trong Khi was also there. Then Ms. Mai and Ms. Thuc came back on their bicycles to inform us that Mr. Ngo Van Du had died. Mr. Hung had to stay there with the local militia to take care of the Martyrs’ burial and emergency service.

As soon as the enemy plane flew away, the two women rushed to find Mr. Hung, their team leader. Along the road that was just bombarded was a mournful scene, many soldiers died, a few cars were still burning while being extinguished... A few hundred meters further, they heard Mr. Hung calling. When they saw Mr. Hung, they burst into tears, announcing that Mr. Du had died. Three persons went to the rock hole and cried together for a long time in front of Mr. Du’s body. After a while, Mr. Hung lifted up Mr. Du’s body. His eyes were still wide open as if he wanted to see his colleagues for the last time. All three people cried again. Hung closed Mr. Du’s eyes. He cried while counting. Mr. Du had 10 bullets stuck in his abdomen and chest. The two women told Mr. Hung that it was Mr. Du who suffered the bomb to protect them...

After that, Mr. Than Trong Khi led a self-defense group of five people to the place where Mr. Du died. Due to wartime conditions, Mr. Du’s body was buried with other Martyrs on a hidden hill, about two kilometers from the bombing place, with a platoon of militiamen carrying guns standing silently to see off 15 Martyrs to eternity.

*

At that point, Mr. Nguyen Viet Mach’s voice lowered. He sat quietly for a long time and said: “It’s been 45 years, but every time I mention Mr. Ngo Van Du and three other Martyrs, Mr. Le Quang Thiem, Mr. Vo Van Tuong and Mr. Luong Ngoc Suong, I and my colleagues at BIDV Quang Binh Branch always remembered their dear image. Currently, in the traditional room of BIDV Quang Binh Branch, the pictures of Martyr Ngo Van Du along with two martyrs Vo Van Tuong and Luong Ngoc Suong are hung in a solemn position to highlight and honor the heroic tradition of Quang Binh Bank for Investment and Development from the time it was at the head of the storm until today when it becomes a member of the great BIDV family, the bank with the leading brand name in the banking system in Vietnam and one of the 500 best-in-class banks globally.”