The pain remains

To his family, martyr Le Hai Duc is always present somewhere - Photo: MN

The story takes us back to the days when the young man Le Hai Duc (born in 1989) was a student majoring in Mathematics at Quang Binh High School for the Gifted (now Vo Nguyen Giap High School for the Gifted) with enthusiasm, passion and great participation in collective activities. Since his death, his former homeroom teacher has often encouraged, visited his family, and mourned the young student.

Mother Phan Thi Hanh (born in 1965) still remembers his tall, strong figure and his concern for everyone around him. The son never hesitated to help others, always took the loss for himself, never letting his parents worry. During his student days and even when he worked far away, every time he had a chance to come home, he enthusiastically participated in local volleyball tournaments.

According to his mother's memory, in everything he thought, considered and made the final decision after consulting his family, especially his father - who was always close to and followed his son on his way to adulthood. Mr. Le Hai Dong (born in 1959), father of martyr Le Hai Duc, shared that after graduating from university, following the call of young volunteer intellectuals, Duc worked at the 337th National Defense Economic Group, stationed in Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province (old).

Despite the hardships and difficulties, he still tried his best to overcome them and complete his assigned tasks. After that, he continued his "military" career as a matter of fate. Those were the years away from home, the number of days he was able to stay with his family, return to his mother, and even later when he got married, could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Hanh's mother said that there were times when he returned home in a matter of hours, because he returned and then immediately went back to his mission. There were phone calls home that were only a few minutes long, just enough to ask about the health of his parents, wife and children, then had to be put aside to follow his assigned mission.

Before he died in the landslide on October 18, 2020 that buried the barracks of the 337th National Defense Economic Group, he only had time to call home to tell his family to be careful of heavy rain and rising water, talk to his daughter for a few sentences, then had to turn off his phone to go on duty.

The pain remains

Martyr Pham Van Thai's mother always remembers her son - Photo: MN

Hanh’s mother is also the daughter of a martyr. Her father passed away when she was less than 3 years old. Now, when Le Hai Duc died and remained in his beloved homeland of Quang Tri , his daughter also lost her father when she was not yet 3 years old. The pain kept piling up on the pain for her. During the 5 years he was away, his picture was still hung solemnly on the wall in the living room.

Every day, the whole family still feels his presence as if he is right there. His daughter grew up, experiencing a childhood lacking the love and care of her father, but still talks to him every day through photos, and sees his image through the stories of her grandparents, her aunt, and her mother.

Everyone tried to make up for the great loss of love. Since the day he died, the family meal has never lacked a bowl of rice or a pair of chopsticks, because in the memories of those who remain, he is always present and gives the family strength to overcome loss and pain.

Also remaining in the motherland of Quang Tri during the historic flood in October 2020 was a young man in his twenties from Hai Thanh ward, Dong Hoi city (old), now Dong Hoi ward - sergeant, martyr Pham Van Thai.

In a small house along the Nhat Le River that has just been renovated with the contribution and cooperation of the Provincial Military Command and related units and organizations, mother Nguyen Thi My Binh (born in 1972) quickly wiped away her tears when talking about her little son born in 1999.

Due to his family's financial difficulties and his parents' poor health, Pham Van Thai dropped out of school early to work to help support his family. His mother said that he started his career with a flock of chickens at home, but his income was not much, so he worked hard at many jobs, from hard welding to joining a lion dance troupe during the Mid-Autumn Festival or when there was an event. He gave all his salary to his parents and his sick elder sister, keeping only a little for himself.

In 2019, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, he put aside his unfinished dream of working abroad to take care of his family and joined the army. Stationed far from home at the 337th National Defense Economic Group, he took advantage of his days off to return to his family.

Mom said, he did not let her cook but cooked every dish for his parents and sister. In phone calls from far away, he always told his parents: "Do less, I will do everything when I come back. Mom and Dad are in poor health, need to rest". The wish did not come true, only a few months before he left the army and returned to celebrate Tet with his mother, he sacrificed himself on the fateful day of October 18, 2020.

A few hours earlier, he had managed to call his mother, but the corrugated iron roof was bent by the heavy rain in his hometown, preventing his mother from hearing his voice clearly. Now he had passed away at the most beautiful age of his life. His mother cried and said: “It seems like you haven’t had a girlfriend yet!”

After their sacrifice, the grief was shared by local Party committees, authorities, the army, agencies, units, organizations, people, and comrades across the country. In addition to regular visits and encouragement, the Military Commands of Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces (old) decided to recruit relatives of martyrs who sacrificed their lives in peacetime. The Military Command of Quang Binh province (old) coordinated to support the repair of houses for the family of martyr Pham Van Thai... It was the timely care, encouragement, and sharing that helped the families ease their pain and gain confidence on the journey without their fallen heroes.

In Gio Linh commune, the 82-year-old mother of Lieutenant Colonel and martyr Bui Phi Cong, Deputy Head of Logistics of Military Region 4, still misses her son. Mother Dinh Thi Hong Thuan emotionally shared that in a large family with economic difficulties, Cong was the most hardworking child in the family. He was gentle and a very good student.

Mom still remembers the year he passed the university entrance exam to two schools, but she advised him to study military because the family was poor, afraid that they would not have enough money to support him. Just like that, the son of Gio Linh hometown worked hard and became famous, bringing pride to his mother and family. Due to work conditions, he rarely had time to visit home, only being able to stop by during his leave. The phone calls to ask about his son helped Mom ease her longing for him.

Receiving the news that her son and his teammates had died while performing a search, rescue, and disaster relief mission at Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant on October 13, 2020, his mother still could not believe it was true. She always hoped that he would just work away from home and occasionally come back to visit her like before. She lost her father when she was 7 years old, and her children have also been without a father all their lives...

The passing of peacetime martyrs leaves behind great pain and loss for those left behind. For mothers, their sons are still working far from home, always present with their relatives and families, accompanying the steps of their homeland and country. Because, they are not only their mothers’ children, but also the children of the entire Vietnamese nation.

Mai Nhan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nhung-noi-dau-o-lai-196337.htm