Beneath the wrinkles of the brow lies a time of fire and glory.

In the warm early days of spring, the "Returning Home to Listen to Mother's Stories" journey of the youth of Ca Mau continues, carrying with it gratitude and untold stories of a time of war and sacrifice. More than just a visit, this is also a bridge connecting young people, allowing them to reflect on the silent sacrifices of the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers.

• With all our hearts and boundless gratitude to the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers.
• Paying tribute to the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, those who contributed to the revolution.
• Paying tribute to the heroic Vietnamese mothers and wounded and sick soldiers.

Blood was shed, but our spirit remained unwavering.

In her small house in Phu Thanh hamlet (Luong The Tran commune), Mother Le Thi Tuy, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, often sits silently, gazing down at her hands, which are covered in scars. At her advanced age, her memory is no longer sharp about everyday matters, but the beatings she received, and especially the story of the ten nails piercing her fingertips from torture inflicted by the enemy years ago, remain as vivid as if it happened yesterday.

Mother Tùy joined the resistance at a very young age, the most beautiful age for a woman. The war took away everything she had: her husband and children were sacrificed one after another. The pain of loss did not break her, but on the contrary, it fueled her hatred, transforming this gentle woman into a steadfast liaison soldier. She accepted every task, hoisting the revolutionary flag, carrying out mass mobilization work, propaganda..., regardless of the dangers lurking.

During the days she was captured, the enemy used every brutal method to torture my mother. The most barbaric act was forcing her to hammer nails through all ten of her fingertips. Each hammer blow was an agonizing pain, and blood gushed out, soaking her hands.

Youth union members and young people listened to the teachings of Mother of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers Le Thi Tuy: "If we betray our comrades, we will live, but our conscience will die."

My mother's voice trembled as she recounted, "Every day they forced me to hammer buttons into all ten of my fingertips. It was incredibly painful, but I told myself I had to grit my teeth and endure it, I couldn't let them look down on me."

Throughout those days of physical torment, my mother did not shed a single tear. She did not cry out of fear or pain; she held back those tears as a testament to her unwavering steadfastness in the face of the enemy.

When asked why she could be so courageous, my mother smiled gently and said, "To be a revolutionary means to accept sacrifice. If I betray my comrades, I will live, but my conscience will die."

Memories remain within the pages of the scrapbook.

At 90 years old, Mother of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers Doan Thi Cuong (Tri Phai commune) has dimmed eyesight, but her memories of loved ones have never faded. For her, the most precious thing is the old commemorative notebook of the heroic 307th Battalion.

My mother's hands trembled as she turned the pages, faded with time, pausing for a long time at the name of Martyr Nguyen Van Vinh. That was her husband, who died in 1965, when she was pregnant with their fifth child.

Mother of a Vietnamese Heroic Soldier, Đoàn Thị Cưỡng, shared about the heroic deeds of Martyr Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh (her husband) when she looked at his biography in the commemorative book of Battalion 307.

Before her grief had subsided and the burden of raising her children had lessened even a single day, in 1972, her eldest son, Nguyen Thanh Dan, tragically lost his life on the battlefield at the age of 17.

"Those were very difficult days, but in revolution, there's no fear of sacrifice," my mother's voice choked up as she recalled the days when she was raising young children while acting as a "human shield," protecting fellow soldiers right in the heart of enemy territory.

In today's peaceful life, Mother Cuong's story is not only a source of pride for the family but also a burning flame passed down to the younger generation. Looking at the young people gathered around her porch, Mother Cuong smiles gently. Because she knows that the sacrifices of her husband, son, and countless others have borne sweet fruit, making the spring blossom brightly on this land today.

"Living treasures" in everyday life

Each "Returning Home to Listen to Mother's Stories" trip brings a vibrant atmosphere to the homes of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. Participating in the trip, members of the Ca Mau Newspaper and Radio & Television Youth Union, along with local Youth Union branches and sponsors, visit, chat with, and especially capture the memories of the mothers through stories, images, and documentary footage.

"Sitting beside her, holding her frail hand, we deeply understood the silent sacrifices that books can hardly describe," said Nguyen Thuy Huynh, Secretary of the Tri Phai Commune Youth Union, emotionally.

Visiting the Mothers of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers is maintained as a continuous act of gratitude in the activities of many Youth Union branches.

Unlike typical trips to honor the past, the highlight of the program was the poignant moments when the youth union members gathered around to listen to the mothers tell their stories. These stories of heroic years, of soldiers who went away with no promise of return... became the most vivid lessons in history.

The journey has come to an end, but its impact lingers on. It is a promise from today's youth: not only to express gratitude in words, but also through service, care, and a determination to inherit the revolutionary cause of their forefathers.

Today's peace was built with the blood and tears of countless heroic sons and daughters, and with the compassion and patience of mothers. "Listening to Mother's Stories" is a way for young people to learn to cherish the present and confidently move towards the future.

Trinh Hai

Source: https://baocamau.vn/duoi-nep-chan-chim-la-mot-thoi-hoa-lua-a126927.html