Working through the night to "revive" the portraits of fallen soldiers.
On the morning of May 5th, Khuat Van Hoang (born in 2003) returned to Hanoi after a trip to deliver photos of fallen soldiers to families in Con Dao. The trip was arduous but left him with unforgettable emotions.
The tears and smiles of the martyrs' relatives when they received a clear portrait of their deceased loved one warmed Hoang's heart.
Khuat Van Hoang
Over the past four years, Hoang has made many such trips. Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Phu Yen , Quang Tri... all bear the footprints of this young man with his meaningful work – restoring and returning portraits of fallen soldiers to their families.
For him, it's not just a job, but also a connection between the past and the present in his own unique way.
Hoang's journey of gratitude began in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic was still at its peak. At that time, he was studying graphic design.
During the social distancing period, when everyone had to stay home, Hoang took on the job of making memorial photos for families who had lost loved ones. Among them, there was one particularly special "request."
"It was a request from the family of a fallen soldier. They messaged me asking me to restore an old, damaged photograph; the image was faded and blurry. They had asked many places before, but no one would take on the job, and they couldn't do it because the photo was too old."
A touching moment when Hoang handed over the portrait to the family of the fallen soldier.
"I found this work so meaningful that I stayed up all night restoring the portrait. This work became the starting point for my challenging and meaningful journey later on," Hoang recounted.
After sending the completed photo back to his family, Hoang immediately received a thank-you call. Over the phone, he heard many people crying. They were moved to finally see their loved ones in person through a photograph after so many years.
Those tears made Hoang realize that restoring the portraits of the fallen soldiers was something he had to do and could do as quickly as possible to live up to his ancestors' advice: "When you drink water, remember the source."
Recreating memories
Hoang joined the Skyline group and, together with the group, restored more than 7,000 photographs. He himself restored more than 1,000 photos of fallen soldiers.
For the past four years, Hoang has become accustomed to hurried meals and sleepless nights. He has no days off; during the day, he balances his personal work so that after dinner, he can devote all his energy to restoring the portrait.
"Many times, by the time I take my eyes off the computer, it's already morning. Some days, I only sleep 2-3 hours because so many people ask me to restore photos. Of course, I don't want to say 'no' to any relatives of fallen soldiers," Hoang said.
Hoang presented a portrait to the family of martyr Dang Thi Kim.
Each time Hoàng successfully restored a photograph, he felt happy because he had fulfilled the wish of the fallen soldier's family after so many years of waiting.
For the past four years, this young man from Hanoi has traveled throughout the country to personally deliver photographs to families. In each region and each home, he has had unforgettable experiences.
The most recent memory, and the one that moved Hoang deeply, was when he presented a photograph of martyr Dang Thi Kim (commonly known as Dang Thi Oanh, from Nam Dinh ), who was murdered by the enemy at the age of 19 while pregnant with her husband's child.
The great sacrifice of the fallen soldier deeply moved Hoang when he heard the family's story. He felt even more heartbroken knowing that the family didn't even have a complete photograph of the soldier to honor them.
"The younger brother of the fallen soldier Kim confided in me that for years he had been taking the old photograph everywhere, asking for its restoration, but no one dared to do it because they were afraid they couldn't do it."
"When I received the old photograph of the fallen soldier, I couldn't control my emotions when I saw a scratch on the soldier's neck in the picture. I knew I had to complete this task," Hoang recounted.
Upon receiving the clear, reconstructed photograph, the martyr's relatives embraced Hoang, weeping uncontrollably. He himself was overwhelmed with emotion. The complete photograph was something they had been waiting for for decades, and now they finally had it.
“There are also moments that haunt me and leave me with endless regrets. One such project was a tribute in Hai Duong province, where I was tasked with restoring a photograph for a family of a fallen soldier. The elderly mother had been waiting for her son's photo for so many years.”
When I arrived to deliver the photos, I found the atmosphere in the house somber and quiet. Upon inquiring, I learned that the woman had passed away three days earlier and hadn't had the chance to see a complete picture of her child.
Hoang clearly understands the meaningful work he is doing.
"At that moment, I was speechless, blaming myself for not working faster so that the mother could see her child before she passed away. After that day, I always prioritized taking photos for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers across the country, in any circumstances," Hoang confided.
Currently, in addition to restoring photos of fallen soldiers, Hoang also works as a graphic designer. His parents were initially worried about him staying up late, but when they learned that their son was doing meaningful work, they enthusiastically supported him.
Sometimes, because he was so busy with photography, Hoang didn't eat meals with his parents for long periods, even though they lived in the same house. His parents only said one thing: "Keep trying, son!" That sentence has been Hoang's motivation to this day.
"Over the years, I've been overwhelmed with emotion many times witnessing moments where the living are reunited with the deceased through photographs. I know how meaningful this work is," Hoang said.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dung-anh-cho-nu-liet-si-hy-sinh-nam-19-tuoi-chang-trai-ha-noi-vo-oa-cam-xuc-2398545.html
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