Overcoming difficulties to develop the economy.
Having enlisted in 1971 and directly participated in the resistance war against the US, Mr. Tran Hoang Son, residing in Pham Dinh Nong hamlet, Thanh Hung commune, suffered a 61% disability. After liberation, he continued working in the locality and has held the position of Party branch secretary and hamlet head from 2010 to the present. At the age of 71, he still diligently works, developing a model of garden-pond-livestock farming, rice fields combined with agricultural services to stabilize his family's economy.
Recalling his early days in business, he said that back then, everything was exchanged for rice, just enough to feed his seven children. Thanks to his hard work, he accumulated some capital and boldly invested in water pumps, rice threshing machines, and plows to cultivate his own land and do extra work. From a 1-hectare plot of mixed land, he transformed it into an orchard, a fish pond, and combined it with livestock farming.
Through diligent saving over many years, Mr. Son bought an additional 5.2 hectares of rice paddies, expanding his production model. To date, his 6.2 hectares of land generate an income of approximately 1.8 billion VND per year, including: over 500 million VND from plowing services, over 200 million VND from pig and chicken farming, over 800 million VND from rice production, and the remainder from fruit trees and fish farming. In 2024, he renovated his orchard, planting 300 Indonesian red-fleshed jackfruit trees to further enhance economic efficiency.
According to Nguyen Minh The, Chairman of the Veterans Association of Thanh Hung commune, the commune currently has 438 members, with no members left in poverty. "The success of members like Mr. Son creates a ripple effect, encouraging many others to boldly adopt new techniques and change their production mindset," Mr. The said.
Not only is he a successful businessman, but from 2010 to the present, Mr. Son has annually provided over 1.5 tons of rice and 400 notebooks to disadvantaged households and students. He has received numerous commendations from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Association and the People's Committee of Kien Giang province, serving as a shining example of a soldier in peacetime.
The heart of a soldier in peacetime
In Vinh Xuong border commune, following the veterans visiting households that received solidarity houses and houses built with the support of fellow soldiers, we stopped in front of the new house of Mr. Hua Van Thai (54 years old), residing in Hamlet 2. According to his account, his previous temporary house was dilapidated, and he had recently suffered a stroke. His and his wife's lives depended on the meager salary of his son who worked far away. In 2025, thanks to the connections of the commune's Veterans Association, he received 50 million VND to build a house built with the support of fellow soldiers. On the day he moved into his new house, he emotionally said: "Having a decent place to live, I can rest assured and focus on recovering from my illness. I'm so happy! "
Mr. Thai's story is just one of hundreds of cases supported by the generosity of former soldiers, most notably veteran Doan Van Ho (66 years old), residing in Hamlet 3, Vinh Xuong Commune. Having been discharged from the army in 1984 and enduring many hardships to make a living, Mr. Ho joined the volunteer work in 2000. Whenever there were needy households or dilapidated infrastructure in the area, he would mobilize the people to contribute. "I was once poor, so I understand and want to help alleviate the suffering of the people," Mr. Ho confided.
Transparency in his fundraising efforts has earned Mr. Ho great prestige. To date, he has helped build over 200 houses, costing more than 14 billion VND. In 2025 alone, he facilitated the construction of 40 houses (40-50 million VND/house), 9 concrete bridges costing over 13 billion VND, and provided over 10 tons of rice annually, along with many other necessities, notebooks, and pens, to disadvantaged households and poor students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also helped build 8 border checkpoints to support law enforcement agencies…
For his enduring contributions to social welfare and rural development, Mr. Ho was awarded the Third-Class Labor Medal, two commendations from the Prime Minister, and numerous commendations from ministries, departments, and the province.
Joining hands for our homeland
The Provincial Veterans Association currently has over 34,000 members, operating in 102 grassroots associations and 1,838 branches. The stories of Mr. Tran Hoang Son and Mr. Doan Van Ho are just two typical highlights among thousands of quiet yet persistent daily activities of veterans throughout the province.
Representatives of the Provincial Veterans Association and Vinh Xuong commune visited and encouraged members facing difficult circumstances.
Over the past period, veterans' associations at all levels in the province have implemented many effective emulation movements, yielding impressive results. Currently, veteran members own 157 businesses, 53 cooperatives, and 157 production groups, creating jobs for more than 2,500 workers. The province has completed the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses for veterans, with a total of 109 houses newly built and repaired, costing over 9.2 billion VND. Veterans have also participated in repairing 220 bridges, upgrading more than 230km of roads, donating land, contributing tens of thousands of man-days, and maintaining hundreds of environmental protection models, contributing to creating bright, green, clean, and beautiful roads in many localities.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/cuu-chien-binh-cong-hien-thoi-binh-a477166.html
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