When I Die, Don’t Take Me To The Sea

“The river was running red with blood.”: THE 62nd BORDER RANGER CIDG CAMP LE-KHANH (POLEI-KLENG)

WHEN I DIE, DON’T TAKE ME TO THE SEA

Translator Dương Hồng Ánh Nguyệt

Take me to Lao Bao, Khe Sanh
Let me hear the sound of the marching song at night
Oh! We were proud to be warriors a time.

When I die, don’t take me to the sea
Take me to Ben Het, Dakto
Where my friends built a dream of river and lake
And swear to defend the beloved Truong Son Range.

When I die, don’t take me to the sea
Take me to Binh Gia, War Zone D
For the salvation of my soul with an oath
The body of the warrior swears to pay the debt to the country.

When I die, don’t take me to the sea
Take me to Cai Nuoc, Dam Doi
U Minh night hearing the screaming sound of war-cry assault
Celebrate the victory to dedicate to the motherland.

When I die, don’t take me to the sea
Return me to the Vietnamese nation
Package my body in the flag of three red stripes in the yellow background
Enshroud me with the sacred spirit of the homeland’s mountain and river. “

(Composer : Nguyen Van Phan, former ARVN Marine Lieutenant Colonel)