The story of kindness of the heroine from Quang Nam province.

In later years, when her life became more stable, People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet devoted more time to charitable activities. She participated in cooking meals for poor patients, visiting the families of martyrs and Vietnamese Heroic Mothers.

Heroine Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet - Photo: Duy Hoang

On a weekend morning, in a quiet alley in Da Nang , a woman with graying hair placed a teapot on the table. A thin, clear stream of steam rose from it. She is Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet (born in 1952), a Heroine of the People's Armed Forces and former Director of the People's Procuracy of Hai Chau District (formerly Da Nang City).

She sat silently for a moment, then smiled and slowly said, "The war is long over, but there are some things that can never be forgotten in a lifetime."

Choosing to dedicate my life to volunteer work, quietly but persistently.

With peace restored, Ms. Minh Nguyet returned to her normal life. But "normal life" after the war was not easy. "From carrying a gun to becoming an official, then a wife, a mother, everything had to be relearned." She worked in the prosecution sector, then as a notary. For her, work in peacetime required just as much discipline and integrity as in the military.

In 2008, after retiring, Ms. Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet established Bao Nguyet Notary Office in Da Nang City - the first private notary office in the city.

Speaking about volunteering, she said, "I'm lucky to be alive. I'll help whoever I can."

Alongside its professional activities, the office actively participates in social work in Da Nang, the former Quang Nam province , and many remote areas; the total amount of support provided to the poor and vulnerable has exceeded 1 billion VND.

After more than 15 years of activity, Ms. Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet has been honored with many titles such as "New Factor of the Ho Chi Minh Era", "Cultural Entrepreneur of the Ho Chi Minh Era" awarded by the Central Propaganda Department, and the Saint Giong Cup "Glory of Vietnam" 2015...

In particular, with a spirit of gratitude towards her comrades and homeland, she regularly carries out activities to show her appreciation and repay kindness...

Throughout her life, Ms. Minh Nguyet has proven one thing: not only in times of war, but also in times of peace, women with courageous spirits demonstrate their abilities in different ways. She chose to dedicate her life to charitable work, quietly but persistently.

"You don't need to do anything big, just don't be indifferent."

Few people know that this woman was once a female guerrilla commander on Mount Chua (Que Son, former Quang Nam, now Da Nang City), and faced life and death situations when she was only 14 or 15 years old.

She recounted that when she joined the revolution, everything came naturally. "My hometown was being raided, my relatives were arrested and killed, I just knew I had to stand up." In her memory, Mount Chua is not a beautiful landscape, but rather dense forests, slippery slopes, where bombs could fall at any moment. At an age when many of her friends were still young, Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet was already the deputy head of the village militia, commanding the guerrillas, handling everything from deploying forces to protecting the villagers.

There were battles she recounted with remarkable calmness. "Only after the fighting was over did we realize we were still alive. At that point, there was no time to be afraid." This calmness wasn't due to indifference, but because fear had no place then. War forced young women like Minh Nguyet to mature early, to hide their tears to maintain the morale of their comrades. "If we wavered, the men behind us would panic," she said.

Ms. Nguyen Vu Minh Nguyet recalled the nights sleeping in the forest, the cold rain soaking through, and the constant hunger. "Sometimes the whole team only had a handful of boiled cassava to share. After eating, we'd leave again," she recounted. Some comrades passed away forever, only managing to call out to each other once.

"Losing someone is incredibly painful, but I don't allow myself to give up. I'll cry for later," the heroine confided.

When asked what helped her get through the most difficult years, the heroine, at her advanced age, paused for a few seconds before saying, "It was faith. Believing that I hadn't lived in vain."

That belief stayed with her throughout her life. In every small thing, she always reminded her children and grandchildren to live kindly and to remember those who had sacrificed. "You don't need to do anything grand, just don't be indifferent."

Mr. Do Duy Hoang, former Secretary of the Son Vien Commune Youth Union (Nong Son District, former Quang Nam Province) - who had close ties with Ms. Nguyet personally in gratitude and charity work - expressed that stories about the heroic woman Minh Nguyet are often told on special occasions, with flowers and applause. "But when sitting opposite her in everyday life, I realized something different. She didn't like being praised. She often talked more about her comrades, about those whose names are no longer known."

"If we're going to call someone a hero, we should call all those who have fallen," said Ms. Minh Nguyet.

This short story, told on a weekend morning in Da Nang, offers a glimpse into the life of a heroine who lived a steadfast and compassionate life. Perhaps that is the deepest meaning of the word "courage": not only bravery in moments of life and death, but also unwavering commitment to living a decent, quiet life.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-tu-te-cua-nu-anh-hung-xu-quang-20260112094528313.htm