Over half a century of waiting
One afternoon in mid-July, we, along with the leaders of Ea Wer commune, visited the home of Mr. Dao Van Chu (born in 1958, in Hamlet 4), a relative who worships the martyr Dao Van Phuong. In his spacious, single-story house, we listened as Mr. Chu (the martyr's nephew) recounted the journey of searching for and bringing his uncle's remains back to the family.
According to Mr. Chủ's account, Mr. Đào Văn Học and Mrs. Ngô Thị Bén, residing in Tiên Minh commune, Tiên Lãng district, Hải Phòng city (formerly), had three children. Martyr Đào Văn Phượng (born in 1946) was their youngest son. In April 1964, Phượng enlisted in the army and participated in the resistance war against the US when he was just 18 years old.
In 1965, Mr. Chu's eldest brother, Dao Van Chi (his father), moved with his wife and children to Lao Cai province to clear land and start a new life . In 1985, Mr. Chi's entire family moved back to Tan Hoa commune, Buon Don district (formerly) to settle down.
Mr. Chủ recalled: “My grandfather told me that after three months of training, my youngest uncle was allowed to visit his family once and then disappeared without a trace. It wasn't until 1977 that his relatives received news that he had been killed in action.”
According to the death certificate, Sergeant Dao Van Phuong (unit C17/E24/B3) died on October 17, 1967, on the Southern front and was buried at the "frontline cemetery." Since receiving the death certificate, family members have been anxiously awaiting information from higher authorities, hoping to find his remains and bring them home for ancestral worship. Even before passing away, Mr. Hoc and Mr. Chi did not forget to instruct their children and grandchildren: "Try your best to find and bring our remains back to our hometown."
Since then, Mr. Chủ has been searching for information about his uncle, but the only clue he has is that the remains of martyr Phượng were buried in the Trường Sơn road area, although the exact location is unknown.
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| Mr. Dao Van Chu with the Certificate of Recognition from the Fatherland for the fallen soldier Dao Van Phuong. |
After years of seemingly hopeless searching, good news finally arrived for Mr. Chủ's family. In August 2024, he received news that the remains of martyr Đào Văn Phượng had been found by the Military Command of Tu Mơ Rông District, Kon Tum Province (formerly) and reburied in the local martyrs' cemetery. The location where the martyr Phượng's grave was found is in a cultivated area in Long Năng village, Đắk Sao commune, Tu Mơ Rông district, bordering Trà My district, Quảng Nam Province (formerly).
According to Mr. Sam Van Chien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ea Wer commune, on August 27, 2024, the district sent a working group along with representatives of the family to receive the remains of martyr Dao Van Phuong at the Tu Mo Rong District Martyrs' Cemetery and solemnly organized a memorial service and burial ceremony for the martyr's remains at the former Buon Don District Martyrs' Cemetery.
“I’m so happy! Thanks to the active cooperation of local authorities and functional forces in the search, after more than half a century of waiting, my family has been able to welcome my uncle home. Finally, we have kept our promise to my grandfather and father…,” Mr. Chủ said, his voice choked with emotion.
A piece of advice, a journey.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (residing in Hamlet 1B, Ea M'Droh Commune), the nephew of Martyr Nguyen Vui, could not hide his emotion as he recounted the journey of bringing his uncle's remains back to the family.
Martyr Nguyen Vui (born 1930), from Tam Nghia commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province (formerly), enlisted in 1946 and served in the Left Bank Military Region as a Company Commander. He died in 1974, just one year before the country's reunification. Since then, Hung's family has not known where his uncle is buried.
After 1975, Hung's father, the only remaining younger brother of martyr Nguyen Vui, left his hometown of Quang Nam and moved to Dak Lak to start a new life due to difficult circumstances. Despite the hardships, he never rested in his search for his brother's whereabouts.
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (from Ea M'Droh commune) visited the grave of his uncle, martyr Nguyen Vui. |
In 2020, Hung's father passed away due to a serious illness. Before closing his eyes, he only managed to say, "If you can, please bring me home..." For Hung, this was not just a dying wish, but a sacred mission he carried with him, a continuation of the affection and duty of a grandson in the family.
And then the "miracle" happened. In April 2022, information from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of the former Hai Duong province indicated that the remains of martyr Nguyen Vui were being buried in the locality. All the information matched, from his combat unit, enlistment date, year of death, to his hometown.
After verifying the information, Mr. Hung submitted a request to relevant departments, agencies, and local authorities for assistance in bringing his uncle's remains back for burial at the former Cu M'gar District Martyrs' Cemetery, near where his family currently lives.
The day the martyr Nguyen Vui was brought home was a sacred and deeply moving occasion. On that same day, Hung was presented with the Liberation Fighter Medal awarded by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in 1975 and the Certificate of Recognition from the Fatherland awarded by the Prime Minister in 2006. For decades, his uncle had never personally received these prestigious awards.
Mr. Hung shared that his family expresses their deepest gratitude to the departments, agencies, and local authorities of the two provinces of Hai Duong (formerly) and Dak Lak for their dedicated support in fulfilling his father's last wish and the family's long-held hope. Thanks to their efforts, after many years of searching, martyr Nguyen Vui has been reunited with his loved ones, a reunion filled with indescribable emotion.
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202507/nhung-cuoc-doan-tudac-biet-b410bd2/
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