A Kazak veteran returns to Vietnam PANO - Issa Bissenov, a Kazak veteran and the former Soviet Union military advisor for Vietnam in the resistance war against American imperialists, has returned to Vietnam nearly half a century after he had been working as advisor to the Vietnamese army. Without many vestiges left behind from the war in the capital city of Hanoi, the mind of the former military advisor was flooded with memories of the fierce war in the S-shaped country at that time. Issa Bissenov actually is a wounded soldier; he has had an incurable heart injury due to high pressure of bomb explosion during his time working in Vietnam. He also has to use hearing-aid due to hearing impairment causing by the bomb explosion.  Issa Bissenov The Kazak veteran recalled that having joined former Soviet Union army for a period of time, he was assigned to a team with other Soviet Union military experts to support Vietnam. At that time, the movement to assist Vietnam in the Soviet Union was growing high and a lot of Soviet Union people volunteered to head for Vietnam. Both his parents and wife encouraged him to take the mission in Vietnam because they all understood the great significance of his mission. After 15 days off to be with their families, he and other advisors left for Vietnam. At the age of 23, he did not think much of danger of war, even death. He just felt happy to have a chance to assist a country invaded by foreign invaders. However, “coming to Vietnam, I learnt much”, he said. At first, he worked as a doctor taking care of injured troops and people because that mission was urgent at that time. He became more sympathetic and admired the Vietnamese people after witnessing the pain and sacrifice they had to suffer to protect the Fatherland. All these helped him understand the value of the fight against foreign invaders of Vietnam. Later on, he took another mission as a missile expert to train missile radar operators for the Vietnamese army. The mission gave him an opportunity to enter combat side by side with soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Army. Issa Bissenov and his wife in Hanoi “We foreign experts greatly admired their brave and indomitable spirit, and this is also the reason why we dearly love Vietnam and its people more”, Issa Bissenov said. He went on that it was essential to keep secret the presence of his training and of foreign military experts so they had to work in a forest in former Ha Bac province. The training took place right on battlefields under frequent US air force bombardment, despite severe weather conditions, either under scorching sun or other risks for their own lives. All these efforts were paid off when both foreign experts and Vietnamese soldiers shared joy and happiness after shooting down a US aircraft or after hammering out a technical solution to improving soldiers’ capability of handling weapons and military equipment. Issa Bissenov said young Vietnamese troops had really surprised Soviet Union military advisors with their ability of quick study and creativeness in fighting, though they were young. Some 14 months working in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 was the most memorable and meaningful time in his life. Thus, the visit to the Vietnam Air Force and Air Defence Museum this time left him with much sentiment. He was moved to see the exhibits and video clips of the Vietnam air force and air defence force’s fierce combat, which he used to take part in dozens of years ago. Issa Bissenov awarded a Friendship Order of the Vietnam's Government These sweet memories could explain why Issa Bissenov always considers Vietnam his second home land. Issa Bissenov still wears the Friendship Order presented by the then Democratic Republic of Vietnam Government in 1966, in acknowledgement of his wholehearted assistance to Vietnam. He has also carefully kept for nearly 50 years now the decision signed by then Prime Minister Pham Van Dong to confer him that order. During the recent visit to Issa Bissenov, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Kazakhstan again reaffirmed the gratitude of the State and people of Vietnam for his support during the Vietnam War and invited him to visit Vietnam. He also shared his pride at being the only Kazak person to join the Vietnam War and the only Kazak military expert to support Vietnam at that time. On this visit to Vietnam under the invitation of the Vietnam War Veterans Association, he and his family were very happy touring Hanoi where he did not visit much during his one-month treatment there for his heart injury. Issa Bissenov was excited to visit Ha Long Bay, a beauty spot of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage and felt honoured and moved to be welcomed by State President Truong Tan Sang. Written by My Hanh Translated by Mai Huong