Sowing the seeds of kindness

As a historical researcher at the Vietnam Institute of Defense History and Strategy (Ministry of National Defense), the more he understands the glorious past, the more Lieutenant Colonel, Doctor Tran Huu Huy appreciates the value of today's peaceful life. That is why for many years, royalties from research projects, in-depth articles and a part of his monthly salary have been converted into scholarships for students and support for families with meritorious services.

That volunteer journey is his way of living fully with the philosophy of "remembering the source of the water you drink", sowing seeds of kindness for life.

Tears of gratitude

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tran Huu Huy awarded a scholarship to Dang Vu Ha Phuong, a student of Grade 11 History, Nguyen Trai High School for the Gifted ( Hai Phong city) in September 2025.

In a small house in Bai Hao village, Chi Lang commune, Lang Son province, Leo Tuan Khanh, an 11th grade student at Dong Bang High School, carefully keeps the envelope containing the monthly support money that his "second father" has just sent. Suffering from thalassemia since birth, every time Khanh receives a blood transfusion, his poor family has to run around. Understanding and sympathizing with Khanh's family's situation, for over 7 years, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy has supported Khanh with 300,000 VND each month to cover the cost of medicine, helping him continue to go to school.

“If Uncle Huy hadn’t encouraged me so promptly over the years, I would have dropped out of school a long time ago. I always consider Uncle Huy as my second father,” Leo Tuan Khanh said emotionally.

Also in Chi Lang commune, the story of Hoang Kim Tuyen, a 5th grade student in Quan Bau village - Dong Ngau, makes anyone who hears it feel sympathy. Her father died before she was born, her mother was in poor health, and then unfortunately passed away in a traffic accident in early 2025. Since then, Tuyen has lived with her elderly grandmother. Facing the risk of Hoang Kim Tuyen being dropped out of school, from 2023 until now, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy has supported her with 300,000 VND per month so that she can continue to go to school and pursue her dream of studying like her peers.

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy's journey of sowing seeds of humanity spans many provinces and cities, from Lang Son, Hai Phong, Hanoi to Quang Tri, Vinh Long... "Every year, I report to the unit commander and leaders of local Party committees and authorities to receive support and care for 8 to 10 policy cases, mainly families of martyrs in difficult circumstances," Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy shared.

One of the families that Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy has taken care of is the family of martyr Lang Van Chuong in Rung Cam Cham Non village, Tan Thanh commune, Lang Son province. The family has three members who are unmarried and have limited cognitive health. Despite the attention of the local government, their life is still very difficult. From 2020 to now, he has supported the family with 300,000 VND per month. Although the amount is not much, it is a great source of encouragement and contributes to helping the family improve their lives. Or the case of Mrs. Vo Thi Mung, wife of martyr Huynh Van Thang, in Chanh Hoi B hamlet, Hung Hoa commune, Vinh Long province, from 2022 to now, Lieutenant Colonel Huy has received care support of 500,000 VND per month...

In addition to direct support, every year Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy also awards dozens of scholarships to excellent students and poor students who overcome difficulties at many schools in the provinces of Lang Son, Hanoi, Hai Phong... In 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy visited and presented gifts to 11 families of war invalids, martyrs, and people with revolutionary contributions; presented 6 scholarships and many gifts to students in difficult circumstances with serious illnesses in Long Bien district (old). In particular, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (1954-2024), Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy connected with the government of Phuc Loi ward (Hanoi) to build 5 gratitude houses and many gifts for policy families in Dien Bien province.

Persistently doing charity work

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tran Huu Huy presented gifts and annual care support money to Mrs. Vo Thi Mung (wife of martyr Huynh Van Thang) in Chanh Hoi B hamlet (now Hung Hoa commune, Vinh Long province).

Few people know that the acts of Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy originated from his poor childhood. Born into a farming family in My Trach village, Binh Minh commune (now Duong An commune), Hai Phong city), he experienced hard days in the fields to fulfill his dream of studying, so he sympathized with the unfortunate fates. During his childhood, his father - a veteran who went through the Southern battlefield and protected the Northern border - often told him stories about his comrades' sacrifices, about the fierceness and loss of war, which gradually permeated his mind, and then became a deep awareness: Today's peace must be exchanged for the blood and bones of many generations.

All of these things have fueled in him the will to study and the desire to become a historical torchbearer. Graduating from the Faculty of History Education, Hanoi National University, he donned a soldier's uniform, became an officer of the Vietnam People's Army, and worked at the Institute of Military History (now the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and History of National Defense). The more he researched the past, the more he was tormented by the losses, sympathizing with families of policy beneficiaries and those with difficult lives.

Since 2018, Mr. Tran Huu Huy has started another journey: dedicating all royalties, research and teaching fees and a part of his salary to charity work. “Working in the armed forces does not pay much, but every penny I send is filled with love. The words that were meant to convey historical knowledge have now turned into drops of love, shared with families of policy beneficiaries and unfortunate lives. That is also the motivation for me to work hard, a reminder for myself to try harder, to excellently complete the assigned tasks, and to have more conditions to help people around me,” Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy confided.

What is special about this Uncle Ho soldier is that this volunteer work has become a way of life, a persistent journey. There are families that he has supported regularly for many years, there are children that he has accompanied from primary school to adulthood. Working in the capital Hanoi, but every year, he still arranges time, regularly travels hundreds of kilometers to visit families with preferential policies, difficult circumstances that he always shares, because he believes that being able to directly visit, encourage, and eat a meal with a family with preferential policies, even a simple, frugal but warm and affectionate meal is also a joy and happiness.

“There were moments that moved me to the point of choking up. It was an old mother with tears in her eyes holding my hand and calling out the name of her beloved son who had sacrificed his life; it was the innocent sad eyes of a poor student following my every step as we parted; it was the look filled with many memories of the war of an old wounded soldier... All of that urged me to try harder to do more good things,” Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy shared.

Residing in residential group 7, Phuc Loi ward, Huy's family is always loved by the people around. He often gives gifts to disadvantaged students, coordinates with schools to organize talks, instills in the younger generation pride in the nation's history and the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers.

Former Secretary of the Party Committee of Phuc Loi Ward, Chu Thi Hue, affirmed: "The actions of Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy have profound humanistic significance, contributing to educating the younger generation to live a good and compassionate life." From a historical researcher, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy has chosen a different way of writing - writing with action and love. If his research works clarify the glorious past, his quiet volunteer work contributes to creating a humane present. In recognition of those good deeds, in 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy was honored to be awarded the title "Good person, good deeds" by the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee.

In addition to the recognition of authorities and organizations, for Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huu Huy, the greatest reward is the joy in the eyes of poor students when they go to school, the tears of gratitude from martyrs' relatives, and the simple but warm and meaningful meals in remote rural areas.

“History is not only in books, but also in grateful hearts and acts of gratitude. I just hope that the small things I do will spread, so that more and more people will live more compassionately and share more,” Lieutenant Colonel Huy shared.

Through his acts of love, Lieutenant Colonel, Doctor Tran Huu Huy has turned dry pages of history into pages of life full of emotion. And he himself, with his enduring kindness, has written a vivid lesson about compassion in everyday life that anyone can learn from to live a more beautiful and meaningful life.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/geo-nhung-hat-mam-nhan-ai-722584.html