Little-known story about Nghe An veteran who rode motorbike more than 1,000km to watch the April 30 parade

"Seeing dad online, I just found out he rides a motorbike.

to Ho Chi Minh City"

On the morning of April 23, at lane 126 Phan Chu Trinh street (Vinh city), the house of veteran Tran Van Thanh (born in 1950) was bustling with people coming and going. Neighbors were chatting animatedly about Mr. Thanh driving his motorbike to Ho Chi Minh City to watch the parade. “At around 9am on April 17, I was sweeping the yard when I saw Mr. Thanh packing his things and putting the flag on his motorbike, so I ran out and asked: Where are you going, Mr. Thanh? He replied: I am going to watch the parade in Ho Chi Minh City. At that time, I thought he was going with the Veterans Association, but I didn’t expect that he was riding his motorbike alone,” a neighbor right next to Mr. Thanh’s house shared.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Huyen (center of photo) - daughter of veteran Tran Van Thanh with the block and residential group cadres where Mr. Thanh lives. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Continuing the story, Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Bich - Head of To Dan Pho 7 where Mr. Thanh lives, said that Mr. Thanh is an exemplary veteran and has held many important roles in the locality such as: Deputy Head of Block 2 (Doi Cung Ward before the merger), Deputy Head of the Veterans Association of the block, Head of the Elderly Association and Head of the residential group for many years. It was not until 2022, when his wife's health declined, that he temporarily retired to have time to take care of his wife. He is gentle and quiet, so when we heard that he made a bold decision to drive himself thousands of kilometers away, we were very surprised.

Veteran membership card and certificates of merit of Mr. Tran Van Thanh. Photo: Thanh Quynh

“

Not only were the neighbors surprised, but so were we, the family members. When we learned that our father wanted to go to Ho Chi Minh City, we all thought he would go by bus. It was only when we opened our phones and saw our father's pictures all over the internet that our family realized.

Because of my concern for my father’s health, my family members and I advised him to park his motorbike on the side of the road and take a bus to continue. But he confided that on the way he met many people who helped him. His wish was to see the country again after peace , to visit the old battlefields and the places where his comrades had fallen. Hearing this, we did not stop him, but only encouraged him to be careful and take care of his health.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Huyen (born 1981), daughter of veteran Tran Van Thanh

This morning (April 23), when contacting Mr. Thanh directly, he said he had gone to Nha Trang city, and he expected to complete the remaining 400km in the next 3 days.

Journey named Fatherland

On the motorbike with the national flag fluttering, the 75-year-old veteran's biggest luggage is not the tools and supplies needed for daily life on the "thousand-mile journey". It is the love for the Fatherland, national pride, the power of gratitude, the gratitude to the comrades who have forever remained on the battlefield for the independence and freedom of the nation.

Image of veteran Tran Van Thanh riding a motorbike from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City to watch the parade on April 30. Photo: Long Nhat

More than anyone else, Mr. Thanh understands the value of peace as he himself is a veteran who fought at the B5 front (Route 9 - North Quang Tri) during the resistance war against America.

This morning, when talking to reporters, Mr. Thanh said that he made this trip not only to witness the parade to celebrate the liberation of the South, but also to burn incense at the Quang Tri battlefield, to express his gratitude to his comrades who did not return. This journey across Vietnam is also a great wish for him to see his country more clearly after half a century of peace.

Veteran Tran Van Thanh takes a break on a journey of nearly 1,400km. Photo: Provided by the character's family

It is known that he travels about 150km every day. The long journey while being old makes Mr. Thanh unable to avoid times of fatigue. Roads such as Ngang Pass (Ha Tinh - Quang Binh), Hai Van Pass (Hue - Da Nang) are really difficult. He fell off his bike and suffered minor injuries in Phu Yen, but thanks to the timely help of the people, he continued his journey. He shared that he plans to start completing the remaining nearly 400km this afternoon.

Mr. Pham Quoc Huong - Head of Block 2, Quang Trung Ward, Vinh City confirmed that veteran Tran Van Thanh traveled nearly 1,400km to Ho Chi Minh City to watch the parade on the occasion of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day. Clip: Thanh Quynh

At the end of the conversation with veteran Tran Van Thanh, Mr. Pham Quoc Huong - Head of Block 2, Head of the Veterans Association of Block 2, Quang Trung Ward shared that just a few days ago, when the Veterans Association of the block summarized the activities of the first quarter of 2025, everyone knew about Mr. Thanh's wish. However, we did not think that our comrade could ride a motorbike for such a long distance. Following Mr. Thanh's journey, we were extremely moved and proud that he had maintained the spirit and will of a soldier of Uncle Ho even in his old age.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/chuyen-it-biet-ve-cuu-binh-nghe-an-di-xe-may-hon-1-000km-xem-dieu-binh-30-4-10295751.html