Visiting the home of veteran couple Nguyen Tan Phuoc (72 years old) in residential area 1, Tran Hung Dao ward ( Quang Ngai city), we were impressed by a portrait of them from their youth, taken in 1972. Mr. Phuoc recalled, "This picture was taken when I was 19 years old, having been involved in the revolution for over a year. Following my family's revolutionary tradition, in 1971, I volunteered to join the local guerrilla team in Binh Chau commune (Binh Son district). More than a year later, I was assigned to work in the district security committee, and in 1973 I took up a position in the Provincial Police."
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| Former soldier couple Nguyen Tan Phuoc and Nguyen Thi Than, residing in residential area 1, Tran Hung Dao ward (Quang Ngai city), look at their portrait taken in 1972. |
Continuing her husband's story, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Than (69 years old), originally from Tinh Son commune (Son Tinh district), recounted, "This portrait of me was also taken in 1972. At that time, I was only 16 years old, working as a liaison officer in Son Ha district. My whole family participated in the resistance, so at the age of 14, I joined the Youth Volunteer Force. In 1972, I was assigned to work as a liaison officer and guide in mountainous districts such as Son Ha and Ba To. During those years, I hardly ever visited home, mainly staying at liaison stations to perform my duties."
During the arduous years of the resistance war, facing numerous dangers, both Mr. Phuoc and Mrs. Than upheld a high sense of responsibility and excellently fulfilled their assigned tasks. Recounting their fateful meeting 51 years ago, Mr. Phuoc and his wife are still deeply moved. “We first met in 1974. At that time, I was on duty escorting prisoners of war, while she was delivering mail. While resting with my comrades in the mountainous area of Ba Dien commune (Ba To district), I accidentally met her, who was also stopping there. We exchanged greetings for a couple of minutes before continuing our duties. However, the impression from that first meeting is unforgettable for both of us. She was very lovely, quick-witted, and also very courageous,” Mr. Phuoc said.
After that first meeting, just a few weeks later, Mr. Phuoc and Mrs. Than accidentally met again on a business trip. At that time, Mr. Phuoc promised to visit Mrs. Than at the liaison station where she worked. “True to his promise, in the last days of 1974, he came to visit me with a friend. And we made a promise to wait until the South was liberated and the country was unified before we would get married,” Mrs. Than confided.
After the liberation, being young, Mr. Phuoc and Mrs. Than put aside their personal matters to continue their studies and improve their skills. Due to the distance between them, they only communicated their feelings through letters. In March 1979, Mr. Phuoc was deployed to serve in the international arena in Cambodia, while Mrs. Than worked at the Son Tinh District Post Office . In 1980, during a leave of absence to return home, Mr. Phuoc and Mrs. Than held their wedding after more than six years of dating and waiting for each other.
Having been comrades and fellow soldiers during the resistance war, more than half a century later, the love story of veteran couple Pham Minh Thu (73 years old) and Nguyen Thi Mau (72 years old), residing in Binh Bac village, Tinh Binh commune (Son Tinh district), is not only a beautiful memory of a time of war and fire, but also a vivid testament to a generation that lived wholeheartedly for revolutionary ideals and knew how to sacrifice for each other and for the country. Mr. Thu and Mrs. Mau first met during a work trip through Tinh Minh commune in 1973. At that time, he was a soldier in Company 284 of Son Tinh district, while she worked in military affairs in Son Tinh district. Their love blossomed during those fleeting encounters on work trips, and it grew stronger through handwritten letters filled with loving words.
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| For over half a century, the veteran couple Pham Minh Thu and Nguyen Thi Mau, residing in Binh Bac village, Tinh Binh commune (Son Tinh district), have been happily together. |
During the war, with no idea when peace would return, out of compassion for their circumstances, Mr. Thu's family and Ms. Mau's workplace agreed to organize a wedding so that Mr. Thu and Ms. Mau could become husband and wife. "My father was a martyr, killed in 1971, my mother died of illness in 1961, and my three younger brothers also passed away when they were young. When I joined the revolutionary movement and met him, I had no relatives left; I was all alone. Mr. Thu was the eldest son in his family, so we received support from our relatives, colleagues, and unit to get married," Ms. Mau recalled.
Mr. and Mrs. Thu's wedding was a simple and hurried ceremony held in the early morning of November 26, 1974, lasting only a few hours. Around 9 a.m. that day, upon receiving an urgent intelligence report, Mr. Thu returned to his company's fighting position. Amidst the smoke and fire of war, they continued to encourage and support each other, overcoming countless difficulties together to fight for national independence.
Married in 1980, Mr. Nguyen Tan Phuoc served in the Cambodian battlefield and only returned in 1986. During his more than six years of service, Mr. Phuoc only returned home twice, so his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Than, worked hard while caring for their two young daughters. Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mau raised five children, single-handedly managing the household while her husband worked at the District Military Command. “With the spirit of a soldier of Uncle Ho, women like my wife are not only brave and courageous during the war, but also resilient, hardworking, and self-sacrificing for their husbands and children, caring for the family even in peacetime. Because of the nature of my work, I couldn't be close to my wife and children to care for them day and night, so it's thanks to my wife's understanding and care that our children have grown up to be the adults they are today,” Mr. Phuoc said emotionally.
Their children have grown up and have stable lives of their own, while Mr. Phuoc and Mrs. Thu remain together day and night. They not only live happily and set a good example for their children and grandchildren to follow, but are also leading Party members in local movements and activities. More than half a century has passed, and they remain together simply and steadfastly. They not only endured war and fought for revolutionary ideals together, but also nurtured their happiness in peacetime, continuing to contribute to the development of their homeland and country.
Text and photos: HIEN THU
Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/xa-hoi/doi-song/202504/chuyen-tinh-nguoi-linh-74f086b/
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