“At this age, my only wish is to find the remains of my two children and bring them back to my homeland” - Heroic Vietnamese Mother Nguyen Thi Toan - with a kind face, a scarf neatly tying her white hair, blinking her eyes as if trying to suppress the emotions that were about to overflow in her memories.
Being close to the age of “being in the human world”, the story of mother’s life has followed the ferry of time drifting forever into the memory. However, the longing for her two children who sacrificed their lives and whose remains have not been found, still lingers for more than half a century, with hope and then disappointment.
Heroic Vietnamese Mother Nguyen Thi Toan lights incense at the altar of her two fallen sons.
Toan's mother has 9 children, 7 sons and 2 daughters - all born and raised in Thanh Phu village, Dong Thanh commune - where she has lived her whole life waiting for her children. Her first son, Trinh Van Tuan, born in 1951, joined the army in 1968; only 1 year later, he died. Then, her second son, Trinh Van Tu, born in 1954, joined the army in 1970; in 1974, he was a special forces soldier mobilized to Cambodia to work and died, his location and burial place are unknown.
Toan's mother was sad, tears blurred her sunken eyes: "Both of them joined the army at the age of 18, joined the special forces and died together. They left when they were young, I don't have any pictures, and when they died, their remains were not found."
We avoided looking into our mother's eyes. On the altar placed solemnly in the middle of the house were two certificates of merit from the Fatherland to be used as memorial photos.
Every year on the anniversary of her children's death or the 1st or 15th day of the lunar month, Toan's mother burns incense and stands in front of the altar to pray, hoping to soon welcome her children back to their hometown.
Heroic Vietnamese Mother Nguyen Thi Toan.
Mom said: "Both of my children are gentle, obedient, and responsible. When they joined the army, they both didn't have lovers, they just wanted to protect the Fatherland." Then she said sadly: "My husband also went to work on the front line in Laos, then he came back to work in the food warehouse...".
Both of my children are gentle, obedient, and responsible. When they joined the army, they did not have lovers, they only wanted to protect the Fatherland. My husband also served as a civilian laborer on the front line in Laos. During the years my husband was away from home, I was the only one who raised my children.”
During the years when her husband was away fighting the resistance war, there was not a single letter or news. She silently shouldered the burden of missing her husband and children and worked hard to raise her children. She only hoped that when the country was at peace and the country was unified, the whole family would be reunited.
In 1990, Toan's mother's husband became seriously ill and passed away. He could no longer wait with his mother to bring his children back to their homeland. After her husband passed away, she wrapped up her grief to worship her husband and wait for her children.
Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Toan with her son and daughter-in-law.
Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa, Toan's mother's fifth daughter-in-law, who also takes care of her mother's meals and sleep every day, shared: "My mother always misses and hopes to find the remains of her brothers. My family has tried every way to find them, going to martyrs' cemeteries, sending messages to find comrades... but the wish has not yet come true. Most recently, the provincial police have come to take DNA samples to find the remains of the martyrs. I hope that we will soon find the remains of our brothers so that my mother can rest in peace."
“My mother is gentle and kind, loved and respected by her children, grandchildren, and neighbors. Authorities at all levels often visit and encourage her on holidays and Tet. In recent years, her health has deteriorated a lot, and she can no longer hear clearly. My family always takes turns taking care of her and encouraging her, so that she can enjoy her children and grandchildren in her old age,” Ms. Hoa shared more.
Portrait of Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Toan painted by artist Dang Ai Viet.
The war has long gone, but the pain, loss and sacrifice of the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers are immeasurable. Paying tribute to the Mothers is also to forever remember the heroic martyrs - those who have shaped the country so that today's and future generations can continue to write the story of peace.
Linh Huong
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Lesson 3: "At 17, Hoi secretly wrote a volunteer application to join the army... and then left and never returned."
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-uc-cua-me-bai-2-me-chang-co-buc-anh-nao-chung-no-hy-sinh-cung-chua-tim-duoc-hai-cot-254686.htm
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