Le Quyet Thang and members of Team Lee give a restored photo to a mother whose child died in the war - Photo: NVCC
The urge of the heart
These days, Le Quyet Thang and his colleagues are racing against time to complete about 100 portraits of martyrs from Quang Tri . Not long ago, via his personal Facebook, Thang received a message from an official of Trieu Phong District Youth Union, sharing his wish that he and members of the group support the relatives of local martyrs. After reading the news, Thang was overwhelmed with emotions. Quang Tri is where his grandfather and uncle will forever rest. To this day, his remains have not been found, leaving his relatives anxiously waiting.
Having a relative who died for the Fatherland, Thang understands very well that the pain from the wounds of war will never stop bleeding in the hearts of the martyrs’ relatives. Even more painful, some families cannot have a photo of their deceased relative to worship and commemorate. Meanwhile, many others worry day and night because the portraits of martyrs at home are fading and becoming worn out over time.
These little-known stories are the motivation that has motivated Thang and his like-minded comrades to volunteer to restore the martyrs’ portraits for many years. From old, faded photos, he has revived each line, created vivid colors, and turned them into sacred mementos, helping thousands of martyrs “reunite” with their families after more than half a century apart.
According to the conversation, Thang said that the fate that brought him to this meaningful job was that in 2022, he received a request to restore the portrait of a martyr who died in the South. The portrait he received was drawn in blood, brought back by the martyr's comrades. What made Thang very sad was that this martyr died just a few days before the country was completely liberated.
“My mind could not leave that photo and that story. I told myself that I had to perfectly restore the martyr’s portrait as a “compensation”, even though it was late, for the soldier who had not yet enjoyed the joy of peace ,” Thang confided.
On the day the photo was completed, seeing the martyr's family tearfully welcoming him as if they were meeting a relative from the past, Thang's emotions rose again. He understood that behind each time-worn photo was a story, pain and unfulfilled dreams. On the S-shaped strip of land today, many families still yearn for a portrait of a martyr. From the bottom of his heart, Thang wanted to contribute to alleviating that longing. Therefore, he built and implemented the project to restore the portraits of martyrs - a journey from the heart.
Uniting for a common mission
Restoring a portrait of a martyr is not easy. In the early days, it took Thang 6-8 hours to complete a photo. He faced many challenges. The biggest challenge was how to make the photo accurate in every line and color, and to depict the spirit of the person who sacrificed...
The portraits restored by Le Quyet Thang and Team Lee moved the martyrs' relatives - Photo: NVCC
There were days when he worked hard on faded, tattered photos from early evening until dawn. However, when he was about to hand them over, he had to stop and ask the martyr’s family for a few more days to get a photo that satisfied him the most. As a result, the young man entered another sleepless night.
Understanding the difficulties in the job, Thang did not allow himself to withdraw his wish. Diligently and persistently, he tried to restore the photos not only with the eyes and skills of a long-time professional, with the support of technology... but also with all his heart.
The good news spread far and wide, thousands of requests from martyrs' relatives were sent to Thang via phone and personal Facebook. Knowing that he could not rely on his own strength alone, his heart was heavy. While not knowing what to do, Thang was very happy when some friends contacted him, offering support. In mid-2022, Team Lee was born. In just one month later, the group restored more than 200 photos to celebrate the 75th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, July 27.
From the initial 6 people, Team Lee now has 17 members. No longer separate pieces, they have become a cohesive group with a common mission of bringing the images of martyrs back to their families. The work brings many meaningful things but also takes a lot of time and effort. Many times, they have to put aside their daily bread to focus on helping the martyrs' relatives. However, no one in the group complains. Every time they are tired and exhausted, looking at the portraits with the eyes and smiles of eighteen or twenty-year-olds, they have more motivation to continue.
Over the past 3 years, Team Lee has restored about 7,000 - 8,000 portraits. Each restored photo is a story that sometimes makes even strong-willed young men cry. Until now, Thang still clearly remembers the time he handed over a portrait of a martyr to a heroic Vietnamese mother. When the photo was opened, the mother seemed stunned, hugging the portrait to her chest as if she was hugging her lost child. That scene made Thang and the members' eyes sting.
Another time, Team Lee accepted an offer to reconstruct a photo of a martyr through the description of a relative because the family no longer had the original photo. Team members had to look back at the images of the martyr's relatives when they were young, then recreate the character through descriptions and stories... On the day the portrait was handed over, seeing the relatives' red eyes filled with emotion, team members were relieved.
Spread the flame of gratitude
By now, the names Le Quyet Thang and Team Lee have become familiar to many martyrs’ relatives. The story of their meaningful work has been spread with all respect. However, Thang still considers his and his team members’ contributions as small.
Every day, while restoring the portraits and listening to the stories, he deeply felt the stature and great sacrifice of the martyrs. He himself understood that the portraits he and his group gave were only enough to ease a small part of the pain in the hearts of the martyrs' relatives. That was also the reason why Thang rarely talked about his contributions.
Le Quyet Thang (3rd from left) with some members of Team Lee - Photo: NVCC
The only thing that Thang can be satisfied with is that he has inspired many other young people. Like him, they were born and raised in peacetime, not fully understanding the pain and loss of war. However, when listening to the stories from the portraits, almost everyone tells themselves to slow down, love and contribute more. They know that they are the bridge between the past and the future. Therefore, each person needs to do something to be worthy of the beautiful life given by their ancestors.
“Although I am not good at speaking, I am always willing to share the stories I hear and see. I think history is not just dry numbers or events, but vivid stories of sacrifice and patriotism. I encounter those stories every day through portraits,” Thang said.
Cherishing and carrying out that wish every day, Thang is very happy that recently many young people have volunteered to restore the portraits of martyrs. Teams and groups that pay tribute to the previous generations with photos are also being born more and more. Together, they have brought comfort and encouragement to many families of martyrs. Learning from Thang, they have spread the story of the noble sacrifice of martyrs and their relatives to those who follow. And so, new journeys begin, filled with respect and gratitude.
Talking about the future, Thang only hopes that he and his team members will be in good health so that the restoration of martyrs' portraits will not be interrupted. With this valuable asset, Thang and his team can continue to travel by bus to the countryside to deliver portraits to martyrs' relatives.
Mentioning the place name Quang Tri with all respect, he hopes to have more opportunities to visit this land, where his relatives and many martyrs whose portraits he restored died so that the Fatherland could blossom with independence and bear the fruit of freedom.
Quang Hiep
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/hoi-sinh-di-anh-7-000-liet-si-mot-hanh-trinh-tu-trai-tim-194109.htm
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