My parents' love story

Telling stories of peace - Photo 1.

My parents when they had their first child

It was 1974, my father worked in logistics for the unit. Every week, there was a soldier who received more than a dozen letters. That soldier participated in the "Find Friends Around the World" section of many newspapers, so the letters poured in a lot. That day, my father jokingly said to the postman: "Let me take a look."

In the stack of letters, my father found a letter with blue ink that resembled the handwriting of an acquaintance living in Can Tho. The envelope had the sender's name Van Thu, and was also postmarked Can Tho. My father put the letter in his pocket and told the postman, "I'm blocking this letter. There are too many letters for him to see, and it's okay."

The letter was very coincidental.

He opened the letter and read it. It was just a few lines to connect with friends from all over the world. He realized that she was not an acquaintance but a strange girl. He wrote back, stating that he was not the soldier the girl wanted to meet, but a supply sergeant named Hoai Minh.

From then on, my father received weekly letters from a girl named Anh Thu - Van Thu's real name. The initial awkwardness gradually faded away. The girl said her real name, her father died early, she was the second oldest and her siblings were still young. She was exactly 10 years younger than my father, and was studying high school in Can Tho .

The reason she sent that letter was because one day her mother went to work and brought home a women's magazine. She opened the newspaper and saw an advertisement in the "Looking for friends around the world" section about a soldier named Nguyen Vu Bien Thuy. She was inspired to write a letter to tease him. My father accidentally saw that letter and blocked it as if fate had intentionally brought it together. From there, a love story began.

Light in the corner of the forest

My father was stationed in a rubber forest bordering Cambodia. During the rainy season, the whole forest was dark and damp. The cold dew on the night shift was nothing compared to the cold in the soldier’s heart because of his longing for his family and friends. My father thought of the little girl he had just met by chance.

The more we wrote and chatted, the more my father realized that there were so many similarities between him and Anh Thu, from family background to interests in literature and painting. My father gave his real name, also told me about the circumstances of losing his mother at a young age, his father remarried, and that he was the second oldest brother in a family with many younger brothers and sisters with the same names as Anh Thu's relatives.

Dad gave Anh Thu a Petrus Ky school student card with a picture of a young, silly face on the card.

In response to her father's photo, Anh Thu sent a small fingertip-sized letter, only a face cut out from a class photo. The girl in the photo had slate-colored hair framing her bright face, and a large mole on her chin.

Since having the tiny picture of Anh Thu, my father painted the picture into large and small portraits and hung them all over his private room in the base.

In every portrait my father had a black dot on his chin. That mole was like a destiny mark for him to find his lover in this world. In the corner of the forest, a light was lit and burned forever.

Telling stories of peace - Photo 2.

Golden wedding, 50th wedding anniversary of parents

The end of the day and rebirth

During the time we knew each other, Anh Thu traveled a long distance twice to visit my father at the base. My father also had a few times on leave to go to Saigon and Can Tho to meet and hang out with Anh Thu.

Every time we met and said goodbye, my father was afraid from the bottom of his heart - afraid that if he died or was injured, crippled, or amputated... he would hurt that girl. That was the fear my father experienced the first time he truly loved someone.

By mid-April 1975, everyone in the South knew the war was coming to an end. My father had only two concerns: the safety of his family members and the worry about Anh Thu - the girl he wanted to spend his life with.

My father told himself, "At all costs, I must survive this war to return to Can Tho to find you."

On April 29, my uncle was the pilot who brought the helicopter to pick up the family who were scheduled to evacuate to the US. Later, when my father heard about this story, he felt lucky that he did not return to Saigon as my grandfather had told him to.

If he had come back, Dad would have listened to Grandpa and flown away with his aunt and uncle. The love story between Dad and Anh Thu would have ended and I certainly wouldn't be here to tell this story.

On May 2, 1975, after two days of walking from Lai Khe and then taking a bus from Binh Duong , my father arrived in Saigon. The whole city was filled with flags and slogans. After a few days of settling down, my father immediately returned to Can Tho to visit Anh Thu's family.

Fortunately, Anh Thu's family was still safe in Can Tho. In June 1975, my father welcomed Anh Thu and my mother into his home to continue their new life together.

In the post-war years, my parents went to the new economic zone of Moc Hoa (Long An) and then to the new economic zone of Binh Chanh. Later, the whole family returned to Can Tho.

By the time my parents decided to take their children to Con Dao in the summer of 1984, life had gradually stabilized. My parents were able to find work that suited their talents. My four children grew up, received a proper education, and always respected my parents.

Looking back on his life, my father often confided: "I am very happy to have returned from the war intact, fulfilling my wish to find my little lover to pair up with and walk hand in hand through life together."

Thank you readers for submitting your entries to the Peace Storytelling contest.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of peace, the Peace Storytelling writing contest (organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper, accompanied by Vietnam Rubber Group) allows readers to send in touching, unforgettable stories of each family, each person as well as thoughts about the reunification day of April 30, 1975, about 50 years of peace.

The contest is open to all Vietnamese people at home and abroad, without age or occupation limits.

Peace Stories accepts articles of up to 1,200 words in Vietnamese, with accompanying photos and videos, and sent to hoabinh@tuoitre.com.vn. Articles are only accepted via email, not by post to avoid loss.

Quality entries will be selected to be published on Tuoi Tre products, receive royalties, and the entries that pass the preliminary round will be printed into a book (no royalties paid - no sale). The entries must not have participated in any other writing contest and must not have been published on media or social networks.

Authors are responsible for the copyright of the articles, photos and videos submitted to the contest. We do not accept illustrative photos and videos taken from social networks without copyright. Authors must provide their address, phone number, email, account number, and citizen identification number so that the organizing committee can contact them and send them royalties or prizes.

Saigon, April 30 and Mom - Photo 2.

As of March 26, the Peace Storytelling writing contest has received 170 entries from readers.

Award Ceremony and Book Launch of Peace Stories

The jury, consisting of famous journalists, cultural figures and representatives of Tuoi Tre newspaper, will review and award the entries that have passed the preliminary round and choose to award the best entries.

The award ceremony, book launch of Peace Stories and the special issue of Tuoi Tre newspaper 30-4 are scheduled to be held at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street at the end of April 2025. The decision of the organizing committee is final.