A return after more than 50 years: When a mother's heart never stops missing her child

(PLVN) - For more than half a century, the old mother with white hair still sits on the porch, her eyes looking into the distance, waiting for news of her son. At the age of 104, she still waits, still hopes, still believes that one day her son will return. And then that day comes - but her son is in a different form... The old mother's trembling hands finally hold her son in her arms, choking back tears.

Báo Pháp Luật Việt Nam•04/04/2025

On April 3, in Dai Dong commune, Thanh Chuong district ( Nghe An ), a special ceremony took place - welcoming the remains of martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa back to his hometown for burial. Since hearing the news that her son was brought back from Quang Tri to his hometown, Mrs. Pham Thi Lai (104 years old) - martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa's mother - has been restless waiting for news of her son.

Early in the morning, Mrs. Lai was taken to the end of the alley by her children and grandchildren, sitting in a wheelchair to wait for her son. Her deep, old eyes were filled with tears as martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa was wrapped in the national flag and returned to his hometown. Her voice cried out her son’s name, “Hoa, my son, it’s been decades…”, Mrs. Lai’s voice was lost in sobs, her trembling hands hugged her son’s coffin, as if she wanted to convey the warmth of a mother to her son who had sacrificed himself at the age of 18.

Nguyen Cong Hoa - the son of Mr. Lai joined the army in 1969 when he was just 18 years old, the age when he was growing up and full of enthusiasm. After quick training, Mr. Hoa joined the fight in Division 968 (under Military Region 4).

Chính quyền địa phương làm lễ tiếp nhận hài cốt liệt sĩ về an táng tại nghĩa trang liệt sĩ quê nhà

Local authorities held a ceremony to receive the remains of martyrs for burial at their hometown martyrs' cemetery.

In 1973, Mr. Lai received a death notice for his son, but it did not specify the location of his death or burial.

Having been heartbroken for many years because he could not bring his son back to his hometown to rest in peace, Mrs. Lai and her family members contacted organizations and searched for the remains of martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa but to no avail. At her rare age, Mrs. Lai still worries about her son who is lying somewhere on the battlefield and has not been brought back to his hometown.

In 2022, through information and connections from the Volunteer Group to find martyrs' graves and support the relocation of martyrs' remains in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, Mr. Lai's family learned that at the National Martyrs' Cemetery on Road 9 (Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province) there was a grave with many details matching Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoa.

Bàn tay run run ôm lấy đứa con trai của mình sau nhiều năm xa cách

Shaking hands holding his son after many years apart

Here, the grave named after martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa was gathered from Laos and brought here for burial with the remains of five other martyrs from before 1990. However, comparing with the information stored at the unit, it cannot be confirmed that this is the grave of martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa. The family continues to wait for the most accurate information.

In 2023, Mr. Lai's family contacted the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (now the Department of Home Affairs of Quang Tri province) to carry out DNA testing procedures to verify the martyr's identity.

On February 24, 2025, the Department of Meritorious People, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (formerly) issued a document announcing that the sample of Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung (daughter of Mr. Lai - residing in Dai Dong commune) is related by blood on the mother's line to the sample of martyr Nguyen Cong Hoa's remains.

Người mẹ 104 tuổi vẫn luôn nhớ tên và mong ngóng tin con suốt những năm qua

104-year-old mother still remembers her son's name and waits for news all these years

The whole family of Mrs. Lai was moved when they received the above notice, and every day they were eager to bring the remains of martyr Hoa back to their hometown for burial. Since hearing the news, there has not been a day when Mrs. Lai did not ask her children and grandchildren, “When will Hoa come back?”. For more than half a century, the old lady has been waiting for the day when mother and son will reunite.

It is known that Pham Thi Lai's family has 7 children (3 girls, 4 boys), 2 of whom died when they were young, the couple named the remaining 2 Nguyen Cong Hoa and Nguyen Cong Binh, with the wish that the country would soon have peace.

After more than half a century, the old mother was able to hold her child in her arms, in a hug filled with tears but also full of peace. The journey of waiting throughout her life had ended...

Ngo Toan

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/mot-cuoc-tro-ve-sau-hon-50-nam-khi-long-me-chua-bao-gio-thoi-nho-con-post544509.html