Nestled in a small stilt house on a sun-drenched hillside, sat a frail old woman with a distant gaze. Her eyes held a wealth of emotions, the profound depth and unwavering determination of a life filled with hardship.
Mother of Vietnam Heroine Bui Thi Long and her daughter-in-law.
The next mother in the series of stories we want to tell is Heroic Vietnamese Mother Bui Thi Long. Meeting her, we were delighted to find she still quite lucid and agile. Her memories, her longing, and her pride were still evident in her stories, sometimes witty, sometimes poignant and heartfelt.
Mother of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers Bui Thi Long, born in 1932, is of the Muong ethnic group. Growing up amidst the flames of war, when the enemy arrived, young Bui Thi Long, undeterred by difficulties and hardships, enthusiastically joined the guerrilla forces, fighting and serving in combat to protect her locality.
After the reunification of the country, my mother continued her work in the locality as the Chairwoman of the Women's Association and the Secretary of the Party Committee of the commune. After retirement, she continued to participate in local associations and organizations. She always upheld the exemplary and pioneering spirit of a Party member; resolutely led and directed the Party committee, government, and people in carrying out tasks; actively mobilized people to participate in forest protection, economic development, preserving the national culture, and building a prosperous village and commune. My mother is a role model for a life of "excellence in public affairs and competence in household matters."
There was also someone who composed a song about a mother – a woman who participated in capturing American soldiers on Nua Mountain and carried rice to feed the troops: "There was Mrs. Long from Bai Bo, Phuong Nghi, who had no rice to eat but carried rice for the soldiers."
"My mother was very active and enthusiastic, loved by her colleagues and villagers. Her image and contributions during her term as Party Secretary are recorded in the history of the commune's Party Committee. Someone even composed a song about her – the woman who participated in capturing American soldiers on Nua Mountain and carried rice to feed the troops: 'There was Mrs. Long from Bai Bo, Phuong Nghi, who didn't even have enough to eat but carried rice for the soldiers.' When we were children, we saw many certificates of merit, awards, and medals that my mother had. She herself fought and made heroic contributions. To this day, she has the honor of having been a Party member for 70 years," said her third son, Quach Van Son.
My mother married a soldier of the Ho Chi Minh Army who had fought bravely in the two wars of resistance against France and the United States – Mr. Quach Van Kin. They met in Nam Dinh (before the merger of the provinces) while on duty, and together they weathered the war and built socialism in the North until the country achieved peace and reform. They had six sons. My mother was both enthusiastic in her work and a strong support system, allowing my father to focus on fighting to protect the country and successfully completing his duties at the Nhu Xuan District Party Committee (later divided into Nhu Thanh and Nhu Xuan districts). For my mother, that was a simple happiness, like that of many other women.
With warm embraces, she transported us into her memories. Mother Bui Thi Long, a Heroic Vietnamese Mother, recounted: “That year, when I went to Hanoi , people asked, ‘Are you from the lowlands or the highlands?’ I replied, ‘I’m from the highlands.’” That was the trip she took from Mau Lam commune (then part of Nhu Thanh district) to participate in the “National Meeting of Heroic Vietnamese Mothers in 2020” program.
Continuing the story, the mother recounted: "I don't have any daughters, only six sons. Two of them have already sacrificed their lives. One was guarding the border, the other was stationed on an island." At this point, she paused and looked at the corner of the house where photographs and mementos of her beloved sons were kept.
I have no daughters, only six sons. Two of them have already died. One is guarding the border, the other is stationed on an island.
In 1982, my mother's second son – Quách Văn Minh (born in 1963) – enlisted in the army and joined the Cambodian battlefield at the young age of 18. He had no girlfriend and had never left his village so far away. He set off with the aspiration to uphold his family's patriotic tradition. However, during that fierce Southwest border war, in October 1985, he never returned to his mother's embrace.
On the day she received the terrible news, Long's mother, who was in the middle of her work at the commune office, suppressed her grief and returned home to receive her son's death certificate.
Continuing the story from Long's mother, her third son, Quách Văn Sơn, recounted: "Minh was tall, kind, and very loving towards his parents and siblings. In the past, when the family was struggling, he dropped out of school so I could continue my education. On the day he enlisted, he sent letters home asking about everyone, and he didn't forget to tell our parents to encourage me to go to school."
“He sent home many letters, but the family couldn't keep them. It's such a pity! Once, he told us he was sent to study, the training lasted 6 months, and upon graduation he was promoted to lieutenant and became a platoon leader. When he wrote the letter, he had already studied for 3 months, and he promised to try his best to achieve his goals, ideals, and the wishes of his parents. In another letter, he promised his parents that after his discharge he would return to get married so his mother could have a daughter-in-law, but then he stayed with his comrades and his ideals at the Hớn Quản Martyrs' Cemetery (Bình Phước, now Đồng Nai province). When we found him, my family visited him three times,” Sơn recalled.
Time gradually eased the pain, and Long's mother quietly continued to work hard to care for her children. But one spring morning in 1996, in peacetime, Long's mother received news that her fourth son had died while participating in the construction and defense of Me Island.
This time, my mother didn't cry, nor did she utter a single complaint. Her eyes were like stone. Her chest tightened, her heartbeat felt as if someone were squeezing it. The old mother stood silently in the courtyard, the vast mountains and forests suddenly swaying. She bowed her head numbly, but reminded herself to remain strong to be a support for her daughter-in-law, who was about to give birth and had just received the news of her husband's death.
The old mother stood silently in the courtyard, the vast mountains and forests suddenly swaying. She bowed her head, numb with grief, but reminded herself to remain strong to be a pillar of support for her daughter-in-law, who was about to give birth and had just received the news of her husband's death.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dinh, the wife of Mr. Quach Van Quang, choked back tears as she recounted: “I can never forget that time. We got married in 1992, and later we had our first son. When he went to Me Island on duty, I was pregnant with our second child. More than a week before receiving his death notice, I received a letter from him telling me not to go chopping firewood or gathering bananas in the forest, but to wait for him to come back so he could get firewood… But then… At that moment, I just wanted to follow him. But thinking of my children and my mother, I had to persevere. Now, he has been brought back and buried in the martyrs' cemetery of the commune.”
Hearing this, Long's mother's eyes suddenly dimmed. Her thin, trembling hands gently touched the old, faded envelope. Then she softly embraced the worn-out soldier's uniform as if searching for the image of her own flesh and blood. Her wrinkled fingers traced each thread, each fold of the past. Each time she touched the memento, her heart came alive again, reliving a time when she waited for letters, waited for the day her son would return to her arms. Long's mother smiled and softly said, "He went for the country. I'm heartbroken, but so proud."
My son went to fight for his country. I am heartbroken, but also very proud.
In 2015, Long's mother was awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother by the State, a well-deserved recognition for her silent but noble sacrifices.
Thuy Linh
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Lesson 6:
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-uc-cua-me-bai-5-khi-moi-nguoi-hoi-ba-mien-xuoi-hay-mien-nguoc-toi-dap-toi-nguoc-nhe-254716.htm
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