“Peace is never taken for granted”

As the child of a family whose parents were cadres from the South, I have heard stories about the day I went to the North, my father tearfully raised two fingers and promised my grandmother that he would return in 2 years, and my mother left my grandmother to her younger brother with the same promise to meet again in 2 years. But then the dream of peace was broken, 2 years became more than 20 long, distant years. So that every New Year's Eve in the North, my parents tearfully looked towards the South, missing and worrying about whether they would ever see their loved ones again. So that on April 30, 1975, when the whole country burst into tears of joy when the day of returning to their beloved homeland, the South, was very close.

In my family, like many other Vietnamese families, the war has left a deep impression on every emotion, from the sadness of separation, the pain of loss, and to this day, the longing to find someone. “Searching for each other across the length of the country/Searching for each other between two fronts of battle/Searching for each other, never to return/The sacred souls of the mountains and rivers are carved into monuments” (1). An uncle of mine has forever remained somewhere on the battlefield, and those who have been waiting for the day he “returns” to his homeland have gradually stopped waiting…

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These days, not only in my family, but in all three regions of the country, are filled with memories and joy intertwined. For Hanoians , the day of national reunification is not only a big holiday, but also a moment to relive the spirit of quiet, profound and proud patriotism. A veteran who directly participated in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, sadly shared: “When we heard the news of liberation, we cried without saying a word. The country was united, a dream that an entire generation lived and died for.”

Hue - the ancient capital welcomed the day of reunification with the sound of temple bells, the flower lantern releasing ceremony on the Perfume River and the gentle folk songs that soothed people's hearts. "That day, Hue seemed to explode. People poured into the streets, holding red flags, tears streaming down their faces. Peace came after so many years of suffering division and loss", this memory cannot be forgotten in the hearts of every Hue citizen.

Nowhere can we feel the atmosphere of April 30th as clearly as in the city named after Uncle Ho, which was the end of the historic campaign and the beginning of a new era. “Spring in the glorious city of Ho Chi Minh/Oh, how much happiness I have been waiting for for so many years/But the joy seems to come unexpectedly/The day goes by like a dream/Even though I am old, I am still naive/Oh, we are walking among the flowers/Or are we walking among the flags” (2).

Every year in April, main streets such as Le Duan, Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi… are filled with red flags, lights, and music from loudspeakers, as an unforgettable reminder. The celebration is not a formality, but a vivid slice of a collective memory, as shared by a young citizen of the city: “For me, April 30 is both a holiday and a day of gratitude, a day for the whole family to gather, watch documentaries about the war, and tell my children about my grandfather who was a Saigon commando.”

It can be said that whether in Hanoi, Hue, or Ho Chi Minh City - whether it is the warrior generation, the peace generation or the digital citizen - April 30 is still an indispensable day in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Because it is the pride of a nation that has overcome war, the gratitude to those who have fallen, the awakening to appreciate more the peace of today. And it is a silent promise that: the next generation will continue to be worthy. "April 30 is not just a historical event. It is an emotion. It is flesh and blood. It is the reunion of a nation that was once divided", a historian from Hue once shared.

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I learned to read very early before I went to school. My reading teacher was my mother. The first comic book I read by myself, which I still remember to this day, was called: “The Prisoner Who Beats the Rice Mill”. When I was young, I was so scared when I saw the picture depicting the jailer using a whip to beat the skinny prisoners until their flesh and blood were splattered, and I often skipped those pages. But my mother strictly required me to read the whole book. One morning, she gave me a whip for disobeying her.

At night, mother and son lay whispering to each other on the porch covered in moonlight, mother stroked my hair: "Did it hurt when I hit you this morning? Do you know why I hit you?" Of course, as a child, how could I understand the deep thoughts of adults, other than the fact that I was disobedient? "Mom hit you because that story was very good, I wanted you to read it all, without skipping any page, so that gradually you would understand the merits of heroes, so that we could have a peaceful life today. You should know that filial piety is the way of being human, but just being filial to your parents is not enough. Being filial to your country, to your roots, that is the Vietnamese way of life." At that time, because I was too young, I could not understand everything my mother said. I only know that, after that, I memorized the comic book and was no longer afraid of the images in it.

When I grew up, I learned about the history of the country, learned more about President Ton Duc Thang, about the rice mill in the hell on earth Con Dao, and when I had the opportunity to set foot on Con Dao, I understood the words my mother told me years ago under the moonlight. In Con Dao, on the mossy walls, green shoots continue to sprout, affirming the desire for freedom and the everlasting strength of the Vietnamese people.

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Peace is never taken for granted. Today, when the world still has lands engulfed in war, every Vietnamese person understands more clearly that peace is a sacred value that needs to be preserved with wisdom, compassion and solidarity.

Vietnamese people love peace and are always ready to sacrifice to protect that peace. April 30 is an occasion not only to remember the past, but also a strong reminder that: peace is not a gift given, but an achievement to be preserved; an opportunity to illuminate the future - a future where every living person knows how to cherish history, preserve national independence and join hands to develop a strong country. Peace is the dream of the dead. The responsibility of the living is to keep it and make it more beautiful.

50 years ago, the first train of freedom, of national reunification from the mainland to Con Dao was liberated, asking what Con Dao needed. That Con Dao needed a picture of Uncle Ho. In 2025, ask the young citizens of Con Dao, Phu Quoc, Truong Sa, Ly Son... what they wanted most. Wishing to visit Uncle Ho's mausoleum once, to stand and salute the national flag fluttering in the windy Ba Dinh Square once. Filial piety - the family's duty that my mother taught and that of the Vietnamese people is like that!

(1) Lyrics of the song "Far Away" by musician Duc Trinh.

(2) Lyrics of the song "Spring in Ho Chi Minh City" by musician Xuan Hong.

Spring Flower

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/hoa-binh-khong-bao-gio-la-dieu-hien-nhien-post546650.html