"Meeting" comrades after the war
July has come again, at the Dong Nai Province Martyrs' Cemetery, the thin figure and silver hair of veteran Le Hong Thai (76 years old, residing in Tran Bien ward) stands quietly among the rows of straight graves.
He walked slowly, his eyes following the names of the deceased with affection. Some had been identified, while others remained with the words "unknown".
Stopping at the graves of martyrs who died in the 1968 Tet Offensive at Bien Hoa airport, Mr. Thai was speechless. Here, his close comrade, Martyr Le Xuan Thang, fell.
Every year, in July, he comes here. A wordless meeting, but filled with tears and feelings of the old soldier with his old comrades. The people who shared potatoes with him, together went through the days of bombs and bullets.
Mr. Thai recounted that the 5 months and 17 days and nights of crossing Truong Son, carrying guns, ammunition, rice and the belief in victory were something he could never forget. However, in the spring of 1968, his close comrade in arms fell at the age of 21.
“Every time I think about my teammates, I cry. Every year, I come back here to meet my teammates to tell them about my family, my life and to reminisce about the difficult years,” Mr. Thai choked up.
Choking moment of welcoming martyrs back to their homeland
Also at the Dong Nai Province Martyrs' Cemetery, a farewell ceremony took place in a quiet but emotional atmosphere. The remains of Martyr Hoang Van Huyen, after more than 50 years of resting in the Southern land, have now been brought back to his homeland in Nenh ward, Bac Ninh province.
For the past half century, his grave has been carefully cared for by the government and people of Dong Nai. On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, according to the wishes of his family, the martyr's remains were brought back to his homeland, where he had enlisted.
In the choked moment when receiving the remains of his relative, Mr. Hoang Trung Kien, the martyr's nephew, said that Mr. Huyen was a soldier in the special forces, operating under secret conditions, with almost no information about the place of his death.
It was not until a year ago that a relative in Dong Nai accidentally discovered a martyr’s grave with many matching details. After careful verification, the family confirmed that these were indeed the remains of their relative.
“My family is extremely grateful to the government and people of Dong Nai province for their wholehearted help in bringing my uncle back to his hometown on this meaningful occasion. This is a sacred tribute to the person who sacrificed and the relatives who stayed behind,” Mr. Kien choked up.
Martyr Huyen's return is not only an extension of an unfinished journey, but also reminds today's generation of the silent but great sacrifices to achieve today's peace .
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Chairman of the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs in Dong Nai province, said that recently the association has organized many charitable activities such as visiting cemeteries, visiting and giving gifts to families of policy beneficiaries and relatives of martyrs.
"In particular, we coordinate with the authorities to conduct DNA testing to compare the remains with relatives, in order to identify the martyrs whose information is missing. In Long Khanh alone, more than 60 graves have had their full names and hometowns added thanks to the verification work," Mr. Cuong shared.
According to Mr. Cuong, the journey will continue with the graves of martyrs who died in the province but still lack information. The Association will accompany relatives to complete the records and add information on the tombstones so that the soldiers of the past can return with the right name and the right homeland.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/co-nhung-cuoc-tri-an-khong-loi-nhung-la-ca-mot-doi-khac-ghi-2425899.html
Comment (0)