Continuing the story in peacetime.

The delegation from Tan Tru commune visited Heroic Vietnamese Mother Nguyen Thi Dai on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs.

Proud to be a Heroic Vietnamese Mother

On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2025), we visited Mother of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers Nguyen Thi Dai (Tan Tru commune, Tay Ninh province). She welcomed us with a gentle smile, as if welcoming her children returning from afar. A few months ago, she had an accident and could no longer walk, so she couldn't come to the gate to greet us as she usually did. This year, Mother Dai is 94 years old and lives with her youngest daughter. Despite her advanced age and frail health, she remembers some things and forgets others, but she still vividly remembers stories about her husband, children, and the revolution.

Dai's mother recounted: "Born and raised in a family with a revolutionary tradition, I understood the cruelty and brutality of the enemy. When my husband left home to join the revolution, I stayed home to manage the household, take care of both sets of parents, and raise my children. When I heard the news of my husband's death, I cried until I had no more tears left, but I had to suppress my grief and send my third son off to answer the sacred call of the Fatherland. Not long after, I received the death notice; my son had been killed in action. This was a tremendous loss."

After the country was reunified, Mother Dai became both father and mother, facing countless difficulties and challenges, but she decided not to remarry and remained single to raise her eight children.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lan (daughter of Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Dai) proudly said: “My mother told me that when my father passed away, she was only two months pregnant with me. When I was little, she sent me to my maternal grandmother's care while she went to work from early morning until late evening. Many times, seeing how hard she worked, my siblings and I advised her to remarry so she would have someone to help her, but she resolutely refused. She was afraid that if she had to share her love with someone else, my siblings and I would be at a disadvantage. Out of love for our mother, my siblings and I are all well-behaved, filial, and strive to become useful members of our family and society.”

Guarding the eternal rest of our comrades.

Ms. Phung Thi My (a disabled veteran, category 4/4, from Vinh Hung commune) has been associated with the martyrs' cemetery for nearly 30 years. For her, this place is more than home, because those buried here are her brothers and comrades, bound by blood and flesh.

Emerging from the resistance war against American imperialism, Mrs. Phung Thi My (a disabled veteran, category 4/4, residing in Vinh Hung commune) understands the value of today's peace and independence, which was bought with the blood of countless outstanding sons and daughters of Vietnam. This is the reason why Mrs. My and her husband have been closely associated with the Vinh Hung - Tan Hung inter-district Martyrs' Cemetery for nearly 30 years.

Mrs. My said: "For me, this place is like family because those buried in the cemetery are my brothers and comrades with whom I fought side by side. My husband and I are from Ben Tre , and during holidays and festivals, we take turns visiting our relatives and sweeping the graves of our ancestors. We've never both come at the same time, because we're afraid there won't be anyone to take care of and offer incense to the fallen heroes."

Every year, the Vinh Hung - Tan Hung inter-district Martyrs' Cemetery is where the remains of heroes and martyrs from Cambodia are gathered and commemorated. Compared to other cemeteries, the work here is much more stressful. Even so, people like Mrs. My still feel happy because the heroes and martyrs who were buried in a foreign land have now returned to their homeland after decades of searching.

To keep the cemetery clean, beautiful, and welcoming, Mrs. My continues to quietly perform many tasks, both named and unnamed, rain or shine, with consistent effort. Seeing the meticulously cared-for graves, the fragrant incense smoke, and the clean, airy grounds, the relatives of the fallen soldiers must surely feel comforted!

Despite the ferocity, brutality, and suffering of the war, upon returning to peacetime, Mother of Vietnamese Heroic Soldiers Nguyen Thi Dai and wounded veteran Phung Thi My remained steadfast on the new front, living with courage, responsibility, and compassion. They transformed their pain into strength, motivation, and action to continue the revolutionary tradition of their families in peacetime, forever serving as shining examples for future generations to follow.

Le Ngoc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/viet-tiep-cau-chuyen-thoi-binh-a199339.html