Born in 1952, at the age of twenty, full of enthusiasm, Ngo Van Lien joined the army, carrying with him the desire to unify the country. In 1972, when the war was in its final stages, he sacrificed himself on the southern front, at the age of twenty. His family received a yellowed death certificate but did not know where he was.
The father of Mrs. Ngo Thi Ly (a martyr's nephew) had always dreamed of bringing his younger brother back to his homeland. But poverty, war and time made that wish unfulfilled. When he passed away, the burden of finding his relatives was passed on to his children and grandchildren. Although Mrs. Ly had never met her uncle, she still kept the memory of him through her father's stories, like a flame that never went out.
For decades, Ms. Ly's family quietly went to the South to search, going to all the martyrs' cemeteries, groping in a fragile hope. Each time they returned, they were more disappointed. But then, one day in early May 2025, news from Team K93 (An Giang Provincial Military Command) made everyone burst into tears. During the search in Kirivong District (Takeo Province, Cambodia), soldiers discovered the remains of a martyr and a relic named Ngo Van Lien, from Nghe An. At that moment, in the middle of the Cambodian mountains and forests, cheers of joy burst out, mixed with tears and extreme emotions of the peacetime soldiers - those who had spent many years tirelessly searching for their deceased comrades.
Major Nguyen Van Dung, a member of Team K93, who directly participated in the search, recounted: “It is impossible to describe that joy. After more than half a century, our comrade has found his way home. No longer an anonymous grave in the deep forest, he has a name, a hometown, and relatives to welcome him home.”
However, the journey to bring Mr. Lien back to his homeland was not easy. Verifying his family was another challenge. The martyr's family had moved to Lam Dong , and contact with his hometown was cut off. Fortunately, through a veteran from Nghe An, the K93 soldiers found Mrs. Ly - the niece who was worshiping the martyr.
On July 23, after thousands of kilometers, the remains of martyr Ngo Van Lien returned to rest in his hometown cemetery. The entire Hai Chau commune was silent in the sacred moment. Relatives and people of Hai Chau commune welcomed him like a hero returning after a long sleep in a foreign land.
The story of martyr Lien is also the journey of peacetime soldiers - the soldiers of Team K93. Over the past 25 years, they have traveled thousands of kilometers of forests and mountains, carrying on their shoulders the sacred mission: Searching, gathering, and bringing back martyrs who died on the battlefields of Cambodia and in the country. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Xuyen, Team Leader of Team K93, said: “As long as there is information, we will continue searching. If we do not find them this time, we will continue in the next time. Despite the hardship, we consider this a sacred duty to history, to the families of martyrs, and to the whole nation.”
Martyr Ngo Van Lien has returned with his full name and hometown - a perfect ending to his journey of more than 50 years of wandering. But behind that return are the silent sacrifices of many people - the soldiers carrying guns in the past and the soldiers holding hoes and documents today.
There are still thousands of martyrs whose identities are unknown, whose resting places are unknown. There are still unidentified graves in the mountains and forests, or remains that have never returned to their motherland. Each remains found, each grave with a name engraved on it is a song of gratitude that resonates in the hearts of the living. And that journey - the journey of gratitude will not stop. Because the country will never forget those who have fallen. Because today's generation always remembers the message of history: "We will always remember, always be grateful, and always wait for the day of reunion".
Source: https://baolangson.vn/liet-si-ngo-van-lien-hanh-trinh-tro-ve-sau-hon-50-nam-nam-lai-noi-dat-ban-5054214.html
Comment (0)