Wounded soldier Nguyen Viet Lam takes care of his breeding goat herd.
In Mau Lam commune, when mentioning war invalid Nguyen Viet Lam, everyone knows him as a resilient soldier on the battlefield and an exemplary farmer in peacetime. He participated in a campaign to assist Laos in the early 1980s. In an ambush, he was seriously wounded, one lung completely damaged, and his health deteriorated significantly. His disability rating was assessed at 61%.
In 1981, after returning from the battlefield, he married Nguyen Thi Thao, a woman from his hometown who had been with him through difficult times. There were no wedding gifts of gold rings or lavish parties; their only possessions at the time were an old backpack, a makeshift wooden house, and unwavering faith in each other.
“Back then, whenever the weather changed, my lungs ached, and I shivered like I had malaria. I could only lie in bed. But then, thinking of my wife and young children, I didn’t allow myself to give up,” Mr. Lam recounted, his eyes betraying his emotion as he recalled those days of hunger and poverty.
A great opportunity arose for Mr. Lam when the policy of allocating land and forests was implemented. In 1988, he boldly accepted 11.9 hectares of forest land to reclaim and cultivate. Lacking capital, he approached banks for preferential loans under the policy for war invalids. At one point, to invest in expanding production, he had to borrow three land ownership certificates from relatives and friends to mortgage and secure bank loans. Some people shook their heads in dismay: "With his illness, how can he possibly manage such heavy debt!"
Initially, he planted pineapples, a crop that was easy to grow but dependent on the market, with fluctuating prices and unstable output, resulting in unsatisfactory pineapple yields. He switched to sugarcane, and finally chose acacia trees as his main crop because they required little care and provided a steady income. He calculated: "Acacia trees can be harvested after 5-7 years, yielding hundreds of millions of dong per hectare. After deducting expenses, there's still a profit of tens of millions of dong per harvest. Farming requires patience; as long as there's profit, that's all that matters."
To date, all 11.9 hectares of his land are covered with acacia trees. Every few years, a crop of acacia is harvested, providing a stable income. "It's like a long-term savings account; if you take care of it properly, you'll have money coming in and going out," he said with a genuine, simple smile.
Not content with just reforestation, Mr. Lam also invested in livestock farming to utilize by-products and generate short-term income. Currently, his family maintains a herd of 30 breeding goats, selling several dozen offspring and meat goats each year; they also raise 24 commercial cows and calves, along with many free-range pigs and chickens...
Instead of leaving the land fallow, he cleared an additional 4 sao (approximately 0.4 hectares) of rice paddies to meet his family's rice needs. In addition, he dug 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of ponds to raise grass carp, tilapia, and catfish, combined with growing grass for feed for his livestock and poultry. At an age approaching seventy, he remains healthy and robust, spending his days working in the fields. For him, labor is the best way to maintain his spirit and health.
"Being a war invalid doesn't mean you have to live on benefits. I always think that as long as I can still work, I can't sit still, I can't be a burden to my children and grandchildren," war invalid Nguyen Viet Lam confided.
Not only was he the pillar of his family, but he was also a steadfast supporter of the local farmers' movement. He served as the head of the village's Farmers' Association for 20 consecutive years. During this time, he was the first to implement the integrated garden-pond-livestock model in the village, and the first to plant acacia trees on a large scale. He didn't keep his business secrets to himself, but was always willing to share his knowledge with the villagers about forest planting techniques, seed selection, and disease prevention for livestock.
Mr. and Mrs. Lam have four children, all of whom are grown up. This is their greatest pride and reward after so many years of hard work and dedication.
"In the past, my wife and I only hoped our children would get a good education and not have to work as laborers. Now that they have repaid us with success and filial piety, I am content," Mr. Lam said.
Returning home wounded as a soldier, Mr. Lam has brought about a "rebirth" in the heart of the forest, contributing to the development of a prosperous and beautiful homeland. More than anyone else, he understands that life is about continuing to contribute, whether in war or peacetime.
Text and photos: Tran Giang
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/song-la-de-tiep-tuc-cong-hien-256166.htm
