Mr. Le The Thang, from Hamlet 3, Sao Vang Commune (on the left in the photo), hands over a restored photograph to the family of a fallen soldier. Photo: PV
Commands from the heart
During the month of July, the office of Mr. Le The Thang in Hamlet 3, Sao Vang Commune, becomes busier than ever, as relatives of fallen soldiers come to him to have their children's photos restored.
Holding a photograph of a fallen soldier in his hand, Thang recounted: "I've been involved in photography for many years. Once, I heard my father and his comrades tell the story of the 81 days and nights of fighting to defend the Quang Tri Citadel , about the countless soldiers who bravely sacrificed themselves, creating an immortal epic of patriotism and the indomitable will of our nation. That story touched my heart, urging me to do something to alleviate the pain of the families of the fallen soldiers. After some research, I decided to offer my services as a free restoration service for photographs of fallen soldiers."
"When they learned about my work, many relatives of fallen soldiers in the local area brought photos of their children to me for restoration. Some photos were small, like postage stamps, and faded; others lacked original images, only being sketches drawn with pencils... therefore, the photo restoration process was quite difficult," Thang shared.
However, understanding the trust and expectations of the families of fallen soldiers, for them, these photos not only recreate appearances but also restore memories. Therefore, he told himself that he had to be meticulous and careful with every detail, every line on the face, every strand of hair... to ensure accuracy.
Not stopping there, he also sought out the families of fallen soldiers, listened to and felt the stories of their lives and sacrifices, and created portraits of them using photo editing technology, helping to alleviate the pain of those left behind.
Each photograph tells a touching and proud story.
That summer, a woman named LTH from Sao Vang commune brought a photograph of her deceased brother to Thang's house and earnestly asked him to restore the photo for her brother, who had died long ago. Holding the photograph in her hands, the woman's eyes welled up with tears as she recounted the years of the resistance war, and the family's enduring grief over the loss of her brother: "My brother was a soldier operating behind enemy lines. The enemy discovered him, beheaded him, and hung his head at the edge of the village. Afterwards, his wife had to find every way possible to retrieve his body and head for burial. Knowing he had died long ago, even though we had searched tirelessly and our mother's tears had dried up, it took decades for the family to reconnect with his children and obtain this tattered photograph, its face no longer clearly visible. Now, finding my brother, even if only through this old photograph, we still believe it is the most sacred memento he gave to our family."
"Hearing that heart-wrenching story, and receiving the photo of my younger brother from Mrs. LTH, I told myself I had to dedicate all my efforts to restoring the photo to its original state. And, after many attempts, I finally completed the photo to give to the family of the fallen soldier. After the photo was restored, a few years later, Mrs. LTH's family received the remains of the fallen soldier, filled with joy mixed with tears," Thang slowly shared.
Decades have passed since they received the death certificate, but the family of LNM in Hoang Phu commune, whose brother was a fallen soldier, still hasn't received a complete photograph of him to place on their altar. This is also the only wish the family hasn't been able to fulfill to bring peace to their deceased mother. Fortunately, through a chance encounter, they contacted Mr. Thang to ask him to restore the old, faded photograph. "After hearing the call, I didn't hesitate to agree immediately and started restoring the photo. The old, stained photograph was almost unrecognizable, but it was the only memento the family still kept. Their words of gratitude were choked with tears. They said that looking at the photo was like seeing their fallen brother... when he was still alive." At this point, Mr. Thang couldn't hold back his tears either...
Thus, over the years, Mr. Thang has contributed to "reviving" the portraits of hundreds of heroic martyrs, "bringing them back" to their families in their youthful forms. The warm and respectful reception from the martyrs' relatives has also motivated him to continue his journey of gratitude, fulfilling the national tradition of "remembering the source when drinking water" and "repaying kindness."
Nguyen Dat - Son Linh
(Academy of Journalism and Communication)
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nguoi-hoi-sinh-chan-dung-cac-anh-hung-liet-si-255989.htm
