Sounds of Peace

Students of Ly Thuong Kiet High School take souvenir photos.

In the last days of April, the sunlight in my southern hometown is bright yellow. The sunlight seems to pour honey into the flowers, making their colors and scents more vibrant and passionate. The rows of Lagerstroemia trees are gently purple, the rows of Royal Poinciana trees burn with a season of love.

Mothers pick up their children from school after work. The children’s crisp smiles and chirping voices are like a cool, clear breeze. A young man drives a young girl slowly through familiar streets, then whispers to each other. In the corner of the shop, some Grab drivers quickly drink a cup of coffee while waiting for customers, the aroma of coffee and the strong scent of mai chieu thuy spreads. Someone’s small kitchen has begun to smell the aroma of new rice…

The afternoon turned peaceful! I call it the sounds of peace!

Peace is beautiful! A priceless gift! People can live in the best conditions, freely pursuing their passions. In peace, people are free to study, work and express themselves, bringing prosperity and happiness to life. The peace of the country is the life of each individual.

The sound of peace is the joyful cry of the people in the song "The Country is Full of Joy":

“We walk among the golden stars, the forest of fluttering flags

Bustling with passion, footsteps flock here

Hey Saigon!

"I have believed for many years that one day of liberation will come"

(Hoang Ha)

In these historic April days, the entire nation joins in the echoes of the great victory of the South and the reunification of the country. National pride sparkles in the eyes of every Vietnamese.

The sound of peace is the voice of my younger siblings' dreams. The poor student lost his father at an early age, his mother was seriously ill, and he relied on his grandmother who was over seventy years old. His dream of going to school seemed to have ended. But with the desire to use letters as the light of life and the love of kind hearts, he was given the strength to go to school. The little girl with bone cancer, when she got a little better, quickly wrote each stroke on the broken page with the fragrant smell of new paper.

Peace

Mother sings a lullaby of sweet fruit season

I let the kite fly high

Carrying many dreams, let them fly high into the sky.

The sound of peace resonates deeply in the hearts of heroic Vietnamese mothers. A life of silent sacrifice for husband, children, people and country.

"Mother waded across the stream

No fear under the rain of bombs

Mother gently leads the way

Sending the child across the mountains and hills

Mother sinks in the dark

Wind and rain cover my hair, blocking my way…”

(Legend of Mother - late musician Trinh Cong Son)

Now my mother's hair has turned gray, and she carries metal fragments and Agent Orange in her body, traces of a time of bombs and bullets. Every time the weather changes, she gets sharp pains.

The Sound of Peace has the anxious voice of a nephew waiting for news of his uncle who has fallen on the old battlefield and has not yet been able to return to his hometown. The messages he sent me: “My uncle Vu Van Giong, born in 1949; hometown: Vinh Minh Commune, Vinh Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province; unit: Company 13, Battalion 6, Regiment 2, Division 9; rank: Corporal; position: Soldier; died on March 31, 1970 in Ta Xia, Tay Ninh Province; body was buried in the unit cemetery”. Reading it makes me proud, moved with emotion, and choked with words of sympathy!

The Sound of Peace is the determined voice of the next generation to the previous generation - determined to search for and collect the remains of martyrs. A command from the heart... The Sound of Peace is the deep remembrance and gratitude for the great sacrifices of many generations of fathers and brothers who fell to regain freedom for the Fatherland. Every inch of land we stand on is soaked with the blood and bones of our outstanding children.

One good news I learned is that, according to the Tay Ninh Provincial Military Command, in 2024, the total number of documents provided by American veterans was 11 sets of records with a total of 1,646 martyrs' remains. Of which, 9 information was the same as the previously provided documents at 9 locations and there was new information at 2 locations: Trang Ta Xia in Tan Binh Commune, Tan Bien District; Suoi Day Commune and Bo Tuc Bridge, Suoi Ngo Commune, Tan Chau District.

I hope that one day very soon, martyr Vu Van Giong and more than 1 million martyrs who died in the mountains and rivers when they were in their twenties or eighteens will soon return to the arms of their loved ones who are waiting.

The peaceful sound of the country is the crystallization of the glorious past, the striving present and the bright future. It is a symphony of peaceful life, prosperity and development.

The aspiration for a peaceful world is one of the deepest and most enduring dreams of all people. It transcends all national, cultural and religious boundaries and becomes the common voice of hearts longing for a truly free and hopeful life.

The war has receded into the past 50 years. Today's peaceful life is truly precious, worthy of respect and pride. In the sacred atmosphere of these historic April days, once again, I respectfully bow my head, light a stick of incense, and express my gratitude to those who have written golden pages of history for the nation, living devotedly for the Fatherland like a fragrant fresh flower in life.

Mai Thao

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/nhung-thanh-am-hoa-binh-a189319.html