A reconstructed photograph created by the "Gratitude to the Fatherland" group.
The recipient of the photograph was Mr. Vu Duy Phan (born in 1940), the head of the Vu family branch in Tay Do commune. During the most intense years of the war against the US, both brothers volunteered to join the army. The younger brother, martyr Vu Duy Thoan, was a truck driver on the Truong Son trail. On July 3, 1968, while transporting weapons, his truck was hit by enemy bombs. The young soldier bravely sacrificed his life in the driver's cab at a young age. Meanwhile, veteran Vu Duy Phan was a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gunner and medic in the 380th Division. In 1968, a tragic milestone struck the family when two death notices arrived simultaneously. Due to lost communication during the fierce Tet Offensive, the local authorities issued death notices for both brothers. However, in reality, Mr. Phan was captured by the enemy and imprisoned in Phu Quoc prison. Throughout his five years of imprisonment, enduring all kinds of brutal torture, he maintained his communist spirit until his release in 1973. The first thing he did upon returning home was to find his younger sibling. He carried his sibling's remains from Nghe An back to his hometown, never letting go for a moment. And the photograph that the "Gratitude to the Fatherland" group (Tay Do commune) restored and presented to him is a copy of a precious documentary film.
The story of Mr. Phan's family is just one of thousands of photographs that the "Gratitude to the Fatherland" group has created and continues to create. It began with a very simple start when group leader Hoang Tung Linh accepted a request to restore a photograph of a fallen soldier for a family in the village. The photograph was old, faded, with only a few faint lines remaining. Linh patiently sat for hours at his computer, meticulously examining every small detail to restore the face of a twenty-year-old. When he handed over the photograph and saw the elderly mother burst into tears, he understood that this work was not simply about technique, but about "recreating the face of the past" for the return of a son to the family.
From that first experience, Linh shared it with a few like-minded friends. Initially, they simply thought of helping whoever they could, but the number of families seeking their help increased. Seeing the meaningfulness of their work, the five young people decided to form a group, naming it "Gratitude to the Fatherland" as a reminder of their shared purpose. In just under two years of completely free operation, the group has restored and donated more than 1,000 portraits of fallen soldiers across the country. To achieve these complete "returns," the group members have to spend countless hours working tirelessly in front of computer screens. This process relies not only on AI technology or modern graphic techniques, but also requires meticulous research. Each photograph is the result of many hours of discussion about the identity and careful comparison of uniforms and ranks from different stages of combat, aiming to recreate the most authentic face of the soldier.
Not content with simply restoring portraits as requested, the group proactively sought out historical sites to bring the faces of fallen soldiers back to the places where they lived and fought. One such special photograph is that of martyr Pham Van Hinh, head of the reconnaissance team of the Ngoc Trao guerrilla unit. Having died in 1941, he was one of the first outstanding sons to fall for the revolutionary movement in Thanh Hoa province. Nearly a century later, the group restored the portrait of this soldier completely and respectfully, then presented it to his family and Pham Van Hinh Secondary School. It is not just a photograph brought back to life, but an embodiment of history, a reminder of a time of bloodshed and war that has passed.
Witnessing the dedication of Linh and his colleagues, veterans like Mr. Phan could not hide their emotions. The way the younger generation in peacetime cherishes every piece of old memory is the most vivid proof that the spirit of "drinking water, remembering the source" continues to flow, connecting generations in a strong spiritual bond.
Each photograph from the "Gratitude to the Fatherland" group is not just the result of technology, but a bridge connecting the past with the present. When youthful faces are clearly restored after decades, it is also the moment when a deeply moving "homecoming" is completed.
Driven by gratitude, young people have used technology to recreate the images of those who have fallen. This act represents a continuation of responsibility between generations, preserving the spiritual values of our ancestors from being buried by time. These portraits now become part of our memory, reminding us of a difficult but incredibly heroic period in our nation's history.
Text and photos: Minh Quyen
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-lai-guong-mat-qua-khu-285051.htm
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