Mother's Memories (Part 3):

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - As we write these lines, only 44 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers remain alive out of a total of over 4,500 in Thanh Hoa province. However, very few of them are still mentally alert – their memories are fragmented, some intact, some faded. But deep within their minds, the image of their husbands and sons, who have sacrificed themselves for the nation and its land, remains. We record these stories, sometimes only quiet memories, pieced together and carefully gathered from accounts, from glances, and even from silence, as an expression of reverence for the Mothers and as a heartfelt tribute to those who have passed away forever.

The home of Heroic Vietnamese Mother Trinh Thi Vu is nestled in a small, peaceful, and rustic alley in Mau Thinh village, Ba Dinh commune. During the historic month of July, the house is always filled with the faint scent of incense smoke. This is understandable, because during these days when the whole country respectfully pays tribute to those who have contributed, the memories of her husband and son flood back in the fragmented recollections of this 103-year-old wife and mother, who for more than half a century has yearned to find and welcome her son home!

Officials from the Culture Department of Ba Dinh commune chat with and encourage Mrs. Trinh Thi Vu, a mother of a fallen soldier.

At over a hundred years old, it was natural that Mother Vu's health had deteriorated, much like the memories of her life. Her hearing was failing, her face was sad, and she spoke and smiled less; she couldn't remember many things clearly. But whenever she mentioned her husband and only son, who had sacrificed their lives for the survival of their homeland, she remembered them vividly. It seemed that these were all the "assets" she had accumulated and kept for herself throughout her arduous life.

Mother Trinh Thi Vu, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, recounts stories about her husband and son through fragmented memories.

Looking up at the altar, which held no portraits but only two certificates of recognition from the nation, the mother recounted: “My husband was a civilian worker on the front lines, and he died when I had just given birth to our second son, who was only about seven months old. The pain was compounded when our second child also fell ill and passed away. But because of Hoi – my eldest son, now my only child – I suppressed my grief and worked hard, hoping to raise him to be a good person.”

Then, at 17, Hoi secretly wrote a letter volunteering to enlist in the army. When he left, I was heartbroken, but he said, "I'm enlisting to protect the country and avenge my father"... My heart ached, but I suppressed my pain to see him off. And since then, Hoi has never returned."

The day my son left, I was heartbroken, but he said, 'I'm enlisting to defend the country and avenge my father'... My heart ached, but I suppressed my pain to see him off. And since then, Hoi has never returned.

The story Vụ's mother told about her husband and son was rambling and disjointed... It was a collection of fragmented memories she could recall after enduring hardships.

Mrs. Vu's husband, Hoang Van Hoi (1922-1952), was a martyr who served as a civilian worker transporting food supplies for the Dien Bien Phu campaign and died in the Quan Hoa district (formerly) of Thanh Hoa province. Following in his father's footsteps, at the age of 17, her only son, Hoang Van Hoi (1950-1969), volunteered to fight and bravely died on the Southern front.

In 2008, in remembrance and gratitude for her immense sacrifices and losses, Mrs. Trinh Thi Vu was awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother by the State.

After her son's death, Mrs. Vu lived alone in her time-worn house, haunted by memories that never faded. She always kept the Certificate of Recognition from the Nation and the death certificates of her husband and son as the most sacred mementos of her life. Understanding her pain and immense loss, Mrs. Vu's younger sister agreed to let her youngest son, Hoang Van Binh (then only 9 years old), live with her, adding more people and voices to the family.

And because of his affection, love, and respect for the woman who silently sacrificed herself for her homeland, that grandson became like a son, loving and caring for Mother Vu with the true sense of a son's duty.

Mr. Hoang Van Binh loved and cared for Mrs. Vu with the full meaning of a son's duty.

Mr. Binh shared: "I love my mother as if she were my own mother, so I've lived with her since I was a child. My mother has suffered many hardships, but she has never lacked care and attention from me, so I vow to dedicate my whole life to loving and caring for her. My wife, children, and grandchildren also respect and care for her as if she were their own mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother."

For Mr. Binh, the early days of living with Mrs. Vu were difficult, because after such great losses, she was no longer mentally stable, and each day was filled with tears. Mr. Binh confided: "After Mr. Hoi passed away, Mrs. Vu seemed to go mad. During the day, she quietly went to work in the fields, but at night she would only hug the mementos of her husband and son and cry. The Lunar New Year holidays of many years after that, when families gathered together, were the days when she was most in pain and depressed. There were years when she hugged the mementos of her husband and son and cried from early morning until New Year's Eve... At that time, I was still young and didn't fully understand this pain, but later I understood that she had bravely overcome her grief, strived to move forward in life, and dedicated that love to caring for me. That's why I love her even more; she is a motivation and an example for me and my children and grandchildren to follow, to contribute our strength to the Fatherland."

I was young then and didn't fully understand the pain, but later I realized that my mother had bravely overcome her grief, strived to move forward in life, and dedicated that love to caring for me. Therefore, I love my mother even more; she is my motivation and an example for me and my children to follow, to contribute our strength to the nation.

Mr. Hoang Van Binh - the nephew who has become like a son to Mrs. Vu.

It is known that for many years after the peace treaty, Trinh Thi Vu's mother, along with her family and relatives, coordinated with agencies, units, and localities to search for the grave of martyr Hoang Van Hoi, but without any information.

“For decades, every year on the anniversary of my brother's death and the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27th), my mother would light incense and call out to him, remembering and longing for him as if he were still present in this family. Many nights she would cry alone. In her dreams, she would ask, ‘Hoi, where are you? If you are spiritually present, please send a dream message so I can welcome you back to our homeland, to our family and relatives,’” Mr. Binh shared.

Mother Trinh Thi Vu, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, still cherishes the hope of finding and bringing the grave of her only son, Martyr Hoang Van Hoi, back to his hometown of Ba Dinh.

During these historic days of July, we learn to slow down, to quiet our hearts and contemplate gratitude and self-sacrifice. How much we cherish the mothers who have distilled suffering into life-giving sustenance, and here – in the story of Mother Vu – we see how beautiful life is when there are people like Mr. Binh who have voluntarily replaced their fathers – dedicating their youth to peace, becoming sons and daughters to these mothers.

This is also the story we will return to in the final part of this series, set in a peaceful mountainous location. What follows will be another story.

Le Hoa

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Lesson 4: My mother is the village teacher, and the villagers call her "Mother Thanh".

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-uc-cua-me-bai-3-17-tuoi-hoi-giau-toi-viet-don-tinh-nguyen-len-duong-nhap-ngu-roi-di-mai-khong-ve-254685.htm