Like a miracle

The search lasted for decades, but the flame of hope in the hearts of the fallen soldiers' relatives never died out. Then, in that sacred moment of reaching their loved ones' graves, tears of emotion overflowed. Not only from happiness, but also from the solace for the wounds of war that had lingered for so many years. These are deeply moving stories of undying family bonds, noble sacrifice, and the homecoming of heroes who perished on the battlefield. From here, these heroes can finally rest eternally in the embrace of their motherland.

Nun Thich Nu Dieu Ngo visits the grave of her father, martyr Nguyen Van Set.

Unending pain

In July, amidst thousands of visitors lighting incense at the martyrs' graves at the Tay Ninh Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery, we encountered the image of Buddhist nun Thich Nu Dieu Ngo (from Vinh Long province) sitting quietly beside the grave of martyr Nguyen Van Set, wiping away tears. Nun Dieu Ngo recounted: “When I was five years old, my father left home to join the revolution. Every time he came home, he would buy sticky rice cakes for the whole family and promise that when peace came, he would return home permanently and never leave again. In 1975, after the country was unified, my family and everyone in the neighborhood went to welcome our loved one back, but we couldn't find my father. Later, the family received a death notice stating that he had died in 1968. It was even more heartbreaking that we couldn't find his remains.”

Sharing a similar plight, Ms. Trinh Thi Kim Diep (from Hanoi ) was also deeply moved when visiting the grave of her older brother, martyr Trinh Quoc Tuong. Ms. Diep recounted that her family was struggling financially, with many siblings, and her brother had to drop out of school to work and earn money to help support his parents. After two years of work, he received a conscription notice and was sent to support the South. “He played the flute beautifully, wrote calligraphy well, and was a good student. From a young age, he was very affectionate, giving all his money to his parents to help his siblings. Before receiving the official death notice, the family never gave up hope. In 1975, the family received the death notice; he had died in the flooded fields during the rainy season,” Ms. Diep said.

Miracles in everyday life

For nearly 50 years, Buddhist nun Thich Nu Dieu Ngo traveled far and wide searching for her father's remains. Many advised her to give up because of the years of fruitless searching. But with unwavering faith and perseverance, she finally found the remains of martyr Nguyen Van Set in 2018 at the Long An Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery (formerly). Nun Dieu Ngo said: “Thanks to technology and social media, I found my father's grave. I visit his grave three times a year to light incense and pay my respects. Finding my father's grave has been a long-held wish of my family, especially my mother. As their only daughter, I am even more eager to fulfill my mother's wish.”

Ms. Trinh Thi Kim Diep and her family visited the grave of martyr Trinh Quoc Tuong.

After the country was reunified, Mrs. Trinh Thi Kim Diep's family traveled south countless times, going everywhere hoping to find the remains of martyr Trinh Quoc Tuong and bring them back to their ancestral homeland to rest alongside their loved ones. Many times they went, only to return silently, because they didn't know where the martyr's remains lay among the thousands of graves in the cemeteries.

Ms. Diep added: “Like a miracle, in 1989, my father returned to visit his old battlefield and stopped by the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery to try his luck. There, the Cemetery Management Board informed him that there were two martyrs named Tuong, one of whom was from Hanoi. Seeing this, my father suggested going to check and luckily found his grave. In the past, when my parents were still alive, I often took them to visit the grave. Many times, the family considered bringing him back to his hometown, but thinking that he had comrades, fellow soldiers, and the Cemetery Management Board taking good care of him here, the family only visited and lit incense on holidays and festivals.”

The war is long over, and the pain and loss seemed to have been obscured by the dust of time. However, through the stories of Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Ngo and Mrs. Trinh Thi Kim Diep, we see that although the wounds have healed, the scars remain, lingering with pain. Hopefully, miracles will also come to the families of war veterans and those who have contributed to the search for the graves of fallen soldiers.

Minh Thu

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nhu-mot-phep-mau-a200054.html