Over 30 years of shouldering the responsibilities of the village.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - “Where there is poverty and hunger, call for volunteers/ Carrying water cans and rice bowls, wading across the fields/ Where there is the front line, call for our help/ With guns and flags in hand, we will advance!” These were the concluding words in the presentation by Bui Duc Thuan (born in 1956), Party Secretary and Head of the Front Committee of Dong Thinh village, Hoang Loc commune, at the Hoang Loc Commune Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term. He borrowed these words from four lines of poetry by the poet To Huu, as a heartfelt message that touched the hearts of many.

Mr. Bui Duc Thuan (right), Party Secretary and Head of the Front Committee of Dong Thinh village, Hoang Loc commune, happily chats with the villagers. Photo: Viet Huong

Deeply moved by the insightful presentation of an elderly party member with many years of party membership at the congress, I sought out and met Mr. Thuan at the Dong Thinh village cultural center. His appearance was simple, his face marked with deep wrinkles, but when he spoke, his eyes were firm and lively, his voice warm, slow, and full of persuasive power.

Mr. Thuan spent 14 years in the military. In 1989, he retired due to disability, but his love and sense of responsibility towards his homeland continued to drive him. In 1992, with the trust of the people, he began his work as village head. Since then, this "relationship" has lasted over 30 years, through positions such as village head, village Party branch secretary, and head of the village's Fatherland Front committee. In every role, whether during difficult times or the current period of development, he has always been dedicated, responsible, and wholeheartedly committed to the common good. For him, it's not just the duty of a Party member, but also a debt of gratitude to the land that gave birth to and nurtured him.

Sitting and chatting with us, Mr. Thuan humbly admitted to being "old and having limited knowledge," but through the stories he recounted, we could clearly see the sharp intellect and sense of responsibility of a Party member who understands every aspect of life, every path, and every step of development of his homeland.

"Party members say they must be close to the people, and to be close, they must listen and know what the people are thinking and needing. Having been involved in village work for over 30 years, the most valuable thing to me is the trust and responsibility entrusted to me by the people. And to achieve that, I must be exemplary, honest, and straightforward. I must keep my word, and when I do something, I must see it through to the end," Mr. Thuan said.

He believed that building a strong community depended on the strength of the people. If the people trust, even the most difficult tasks can be accomplished; if the people lose faith, even the smallest things cannot be done. With this mindset, the village Party branch and Front Committee leveraged state support resources while simultaneously fostering unity among the people. They mobilized children living away from home and philanthropists to contribute to building a cultural center, roads, sports fields, renovating the village pond, constructing a drainage system, and planting new coconut trees...

Thanks to the collective efforts of the people, in 2022 Dong Thinh village successfully completed the construction of a model new rural village. Behind this achievement is the contribution of many people, and also a significant contribution from him. However, he never takes credit for himself.

Hoang Loc is a rural area rich in revolutionary traditions, culture, and a love of learning, and has long been a source of pride for its people. The commune boasts 13 classified historical and cultural relics, including 3 national-level and 10 provincial-level relics. However, Mr. Thuan believes that preserving relics is not just about restoring walls and structures, but more importantly, about preserving memories, educating about traditions, and connecting generations. As the head of the Party branch and the Fatherland Front Committee, he has coordinated with various organizations to conduct traditional education activities linked to historical sites, combining Party branch and group activities with "back to the roots" activities, building green, clean, and beautiful roads, integrating them with the new rural landscape, and preserving the relic sites' grounds. Village regulations and customs have been adjusted to conform with the law and the new situation, aiming to build a civilized lifestyle and preserve the traditional customs and values ​​of the homeland.

In his story, he frequently mentioned his concerns and desires to modernize the commune's public address system, to ensure smooth and efficient public administration services so that people are not inconvenienced, and to definitively resolve the issue of temporary and makeshift markets, ensuring traffic safety. He and the Party branch nurtured plans and projects to maintain and improve the quality of the criteria for model new rural villages, seeking sources of stimulus so that the Party branch could once again mobilize people to contribute to paving more village roads with asphalt, making transportation more uniform, clean, beautiful, and sustainable.

Mr. Thuan's story is not just the story of an individual, but a vivid lesson about the dedication, understanding, and responsibility of a grassroots official – the "glue" that binds the people together, creating the intrinsic strength to build and develop the homeland.

Viet Huong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hon-30-nam-ganh-viec-thon-lang-260918.htm