Martyrs' relics return

Mr. Vo Tat Rot in Dai Hao village, Trieu Dai commune, Trieu Phong district, nephew of martyr Vo Gia, reviews the returned relics and memorabilia - Photo: D.V

The Department of Social Policy has just organized the handover of relics and memorabilia including military records, degrees, certificates, and certificates of merit to the relatives of three martyrs from Trieu Phong and Hai Lang districts. The martyrs with relics and memorabilia include: martyr Vo Da, born in 1925, died in 1950; martyr Nguyen Dang Ngai, born in 1928, died in 1953 and martyr Nguyen Dat, born in 1915, died in 1952.

Meticulously flipping through each page of the collection of relics and memorabilia of his brother, martyr Nguyen Dang Ngai, of the National Guard, Mr. Nguyen Dang Tan, 82 years old, in Lam Thuy village, Hai Hung commune, Hai Lang district, was moved to tears. He attentively reviewed the certificates of merit, handwritten notes, and black and white portraits, including his brother.

Mr. Tan said: “Mr. Ngai joined the army at the age of 21 and participated in many battles in Quang Tri . After that, he and his unit went to the North. When he joined the army, I was still young and didn’t know much, I only heard stories from my parents and relatives,” Mr. Tan shared.

Since receiving the news of Ngai's death, Mr. Tan's family has been searching for his remains for decades, but has always been unsuccessful. About 15 years ago, when the family went to Dien Bien cemetery to search, they discovered his name on the National Monument. His first name was correct but his last name and middle name were incorrect. The family contacted the authorities to verify and found out that it was indeed their brother.

“My brother’s body and his comrades’ bodies have dissolved into the land of Dien Bien, lying in the same grave so they cannot be exhumed and brought back to their homeland. Since we learned that he was lying here, every year on holidays, my family often visits and burns incense to remember him,” Mr. Tan said with red eyes. When he turned to the last pages, Mr. Tan choked up and squinted at the tiny black and white photos.

Those photos were taken more than half a century ago, in the photos are soldiers participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, including Mr. Tan's brother. "In the coming days, my son will restore and enlarge these photos to hang in the house as a souvenir. The family will also try to ask for more information from contemporaries and other acquaintances to accurately identify Mr. Ngai in the photo," Mr. Tan confided.

Although she only received a sash of the Third Class Soldier Medal of martyr Nguyen Dat, who died in 1952, belonging to the 95th Regiment that remained after the war, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tan (69 years old), Kim Giao village, Hai Duong commune, Hai Lang district, the martyr's niece, was still very happy. On the day she received the souvenir, Mrs. Tan's whole family burst into happiness. However, when looking for her uncle's portrait, it was not there, so she was a bit disappointed.

“My uncle died 75 years ago, when he was still single, so we don’t have any photos of him. For many years, my family has only had a certificate of merit from the Fatherland placed on the altar as a portrait, so we feel very sorry for him,” Ms. Tan shared. Ms. Tan said that her son is currently taking the relics and mementos to Da Nang to be laminated, framed, and then brought back to hang in the house. His grave is near home, so every holiday and Tet, the whole family visits the grave and lights incense for him. On this occasion, she took us to the grave of her martyr uncle, and was moved to light incense in memory.

Mrs. Tan said: “My family is very proud of my uncle’s sacrifice, contributing to the independence and peace we have today. Although we do not have his photo as we wished, the relics and mementos we received are a comfort to our family. They are the spiritual values ​​that help children and grandchildren be proud of their loved ones.”

At the same time as the families of Mrs. Tan and Mr. Tan in Hai Lang district, the family of Mr. Vo Tat Rot (65 years old) in Dai Hao village, Trieu Dai commune, Trieu Phong district also received the mementos and relics of martyr Vo Gia, who died in 1950 and belonged to the National Guard unit. Mr. Rot called martyr Vo Gia his uncle. Looking back at the sharp handwriting of his uncle in his biography, Mr. Rot felt very proud and respectful.

Mr. Rot's uncle had participated in many battles in Quang Tri, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and had studied at many military schools. Mr. Rot said that he could not hold back his tears when he first received his uncle's mementos and relics. Especially when he personally turned each page of the notebook, his uncle seemed to have predicted his own sacrifice.

“He wrote about his memories of the battles he participated in on the battlefields. His handwriting was very beautiful and sharp,” Mr. Rot shared. What was even more joyful was that Mr. Rot’s family received a black and white portrait of his uncle, measuring 2x3 cm. “The photo is like a precious gift, preserving the image of Uncle Gia. Our family is hiring workers to restore and enlarge the photo to make the place of worship for him more solemn and cozy,” Mr. Rot added happily.

German Vietnamese

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/di-vat-liet-si-tro-ve-193277.htm