Bringing martyrs back to their mothers through photos

Mother Ho Thi Que with her daughter's portrait - Photo: TEAM LEE

Waiting anxiously for your photo

The level 4 house of Mrs. Ho Thi Que, residing in Cua Viet commune, Quang Tri province, has deteriorated. However, when her youngest son built a new house next door and intended to demolish the old place, Mrs. Que did not agree. For many years, she has been waiting for her eldest daughter. She was afraid that when the old house was demolished, her daughter would return and not find her mother. Mrs. Que's daughter is martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa, who died in 1972.

Hearing that story, some people thought that Mrs. Que was senile. This year, she turned 89. Forgetfulness and letting her mind dwell on the past are common in the elderly. Only relatives understand that Mrs. Que knew clearly that her daughter had sacrificed herself. When she was healthy, she used to use a cane to visit her daughter's grave many times. What Mrs. Que had been waiting for for so many years was her daughter's portrait.

Talking about his mother's feelings, Mr. Nguyen Van Loc, Mrs. Que's son, said: My parents had 8 children. Martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa was the eldest sister in the family. She was born in 1954, at the time the Geneva Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam was signed. The name Hoa was chosen by her parents from the two words " peace ".

Since childhood, Mr. Loc's older sister worked as a servant for wealthy families. Despite her difficult life, her love for her homeland and country still boiled inside her. In 1972, after Quang Tri was liberated, the enemy's counterattacks to retake the area were still fierce.

Despite being evacuated, Ms. Hoa still decided to return to Gio Hai commune (now Cua Viet commune) to join the local militia and guerrillas. On November 10, 1972, during a B52 bombing raid, she breathed her last.

After Hoa passed away, Mr. Loc's family was even more heartbroken because they had no portrait to worship. Thanks to an old photo sent by a relative living far away, the whole family was able to feel a little better. However, over time, the photo faded and blurred. Every time they burned incense and looked at the photo, everyone felt uneasy. Therefore, Mr. Loc's son had the photo restored.

However, the new portrait is not enough to warm the hearts of the living. “My mother said that the portrait does not resemble her daughter in real life. Therefore, for many years, she has been waiting for the new portrait, as if waiting for her first daughter to return. Since she was young, my sister left home and suffered a lot. When she died, she could not be with her relatives. That is what makes my mother even more heartbroken,” Mr. Loc said emotionally.

Warm mother's heart

On a peaceful afternoon in late June 2025, Mrs. Ho Thi Que’s family welcomed a group of visitors from the capital. When they visited the family, they brought a carefully wrapped photo. As they unwrapped each piece of cloth, seeing the face of martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa, Mrs. Que was overwhelmed with emotion. She exclaimed: “I found you.” Witnessing that scene, everyone’s eyes turned red.

Bringing martyrs back to their mothers through photos

Team Lee and friends bring the portrait of martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa back to her family - Photo: TEAM LEE

Mr. Le Quyet Thang, the team leader, said that Team Lee currently has 17 members, specializing in supporting the restoration of martyrs' portraits. Since its establishment, the group has restored more than 7,000 photos of those who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

This year, towards the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, the group coordinated with Trieu Phong District Youth Union (June 2025) to restore the portraits of martyrs from Quang Tri. This is the incense the group lit in the land that suffered much pain and loss during the war.

That time in Quang Tri, in addition to the list sent by Trieu Phong District Youth Union, Team Lee also arranged time and work to fulfill the wishes of some other martyrs' relatives, including mother Ho Thi Que.

Mr. Thang said that when he heard the story of the old and weak mother anxiously waiting for her daughter's portrait, he was very moved. However, he also knew that this was not an easy task. With his experience, Mr. Thang understood that the image of female martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa was deeply imprinted in the mother's mind.

Therefore, even if just one line is different from reality, she will feel strange. Meanwhile, the photo sent out is blurred. “I received the restoration of this photo. One night, the photo was almost complete, just waiting to be printed, but the next morning, I had to do it again... It took nearly a week to complete the photo,” Thang confided.

With all their heart and soul, Mr. Thang and the members of Team Lee were very happy to bring encouragement to Que's mother and her family members. After shedding tears of nostalgia, Mrs. Que said that the family is always proud of their martyr son.

In the past, she and her husband were loyal to the revolution. Therefore, neither of them ever tried to stop their daughter from following that path. Thinking about her daughter leaving for the country in the future, Mrs. Que's heartache somewhat subsided. "I believe that my grandchildren will also follow the family tradition, following the Party and the revolution," Mrs. Que said.

In addition to the story revolving around the mother and daughter of martyr Nguyen Thi Hoa, the trip to Quang Tri to present 62 portraits to the families of martyrs by Team Lee and other members of the delegation also left many other memories.

It is a touching story about 62 children who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland; about the silent dedication of families with meritorious services; about the spirit of continuing the revolutionary path in today's young generation...

Through gratitude activities, those stories are naturally opened up, becoming meaningful traditional education lessons.

As Ms. Truong Thi Thanh Nhan, former Deputy Secretary of Trieu Phong District Youth Union, now Deputy Chief of Office of Trieu Phong Commune People's Council and People's Committee - who accompanied Team Lee throughout the journey in Quang Tri said: "Gratitude is not far away. Sometimes, just a portrait, a handshake... is enough to warm people's hearts".

Quang Hiep

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/dua-liet-si-ve-voi-me-qua-anh-196339.htm