The oath in the soldier's heart

The war has been over for more than half a century, but for the soldiers who fought for independence and freedom for the Fatherland, the heroic memories of wartime still live on as a reminder for today's young generation to be grateful to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed and to cherish the values of peace and independence.

More than 100 portraits made in the first phase were handed to the martyrs' families on the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, July 27 this year.

“War is life and death; green grass, red chest, whoever is still alive must be responsible for the dead”, those are the oaths during the years of arduous fighting with comrades on the battlefield, still ringing in the ears, urging Colonel Pham Quyet Chien - Chairman of the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs of the province, a former soldier of Uncle Ho, now 70 years old, to race against time to find and bring the martyrs back to their homeland.

Receiving me at the small office of the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs of the province, Mr. Chien said: In May 1972, he enlisted in the army. After 2 months of training, his unit joined the Quang Nam - Da Nang battlefield in the final stage of the resistance war against the US. This was an important area, where many campaigns and major battles took place, especially the campaign to liberate Hue - Da Nang. After April 30, the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, he and his comrades continued to participate in protecting the Fatherland's southwestern border, performing international duties in Cambodia and participating in commanding combat units at the northern border.

Colonel Pham Quyet Chien - Chairman of the Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, flips through the newly completed portraits of martyrs to give to the families.

Flipping through old photos and mementos of a glorious, glorious time, of life and death, they come flooding back as if it were yesterday; Mr. Chien's eyes were red, his voice lowered: "Almost half of my comrades who joined the army with me have sacrificed and left some of their blood and bones on the battlefield... I was lucky to return safely and always worried about how to bring them back to their motherland as quickly as possible."

Every time they went to battle, soldiers used to swear: "War is life and death; green grass, red chest, if anyone is still alive, they must be responsible for the dead" is a historical commitment... That simple saying is full of soldierly spirit, but it is an oath that is always kept in the hearts of soldiers. For those reasons, when returning to civilian life, Mr. Chien and his comrades still did not forget the oaths of the past. He volunteered to join the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs in Phu Tho province and became one of the founders, actively campaigning for the establishment of the Association.

From here, he and his comrades in the Association always cherished the wish to put on their backpacks and go to the old battlefields, far away places to find traces of fallen comrades to bring them back to their homeland. Mr. Chien said: "There are comrades who have been dead for 50 years, or nearly 60 years but have not been recognized as martyrs, but until now we have done that". Sayings such as: "Eat home, wear wife's clothes to do charity work", or "Eat home, carry love on your shoulders" are all about him, a dedicated person, a good-hearted volunteer for fallen comrades.

The fragrant incense sticks in memory of comrades, the small gifts full of camaraderie that he and his comrades in the Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs gave to the mothers, wives, and relatives of martyrs every July 27 are the deep gratitude of the living to the deceased for the peace of the Fatherland.

Mr. Chien has directly visited more than 800 cemeteries nationwide to collect, share, and connect information to search for martyrs' remains, helping over 7,500 martyrs' families get information about graves, places of sacrifice, cases of sacrifice, burial places... Genetic and DNA testing for 220 cases; to date, 54 cases have had correct results. Discovered over 900 tombstones of martyrs from Phu Tho with missing or incorrect information, thereby notifying and supporting martyrs' families to supplement and adjust. Provided advice and support to over 2,200 martyrs' families to access policies of the Party and State, search for information and graves of martyrs.

The Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs in coordination with LICOGI 14 Joint Stock Company presented a portrait to Heroic Vietnamese Mother Ha Thi Tinh, Dieu Luong commune (old) whose two children are martyrs.

By understanding the wishes of the families' relatives and the reality that the martyrs' memorial photos are no longer fully preserved over time, the Association has coordinated with Vietnam Goods Supply Company Limited, Van Lang Photo Studio in Viet Tri Ward and LICOGI 14 Joint Stock Company and other benefactors to initially implement the project of restoring more than 100 portraits of heroic martyrs in the province. Thereby preserving the sacred memories of the heroic sons who fell for the Fatherland. There are countless emotional tears of the martyrs' relatives when receiving clear photos that were previously faded, tarnished, and stained with time...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh, from Cao Xa commune (old), now Ban Nguyen commune, currently living in Hanoi - wife of martyr Dang Van Luan (died at the Bien Hoa front) emotionally shared: In her heart, there is not only the longing for her husband, but also deep gratitude for the work of the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs of Phu Tho province, including Mr. Chien, who had the initiative to restore the martyr's portrait. This is a priceless spiritual gift for the family, I am truly touched".

Luckily, he survived and returned to civilian life. Mr. Chien always kept in mind the oath of a soldier before leaving for battle. This was his concern, urging him to spend the rest of his life taking care of the martyrs' relatives as a way to keep his oath.

And in each of those memories, each tear, each scar, each time I stand still in front of a photo of my comrades... is an unforgettable oath - an oath to preserve the peace, independence, and freedom of the Vietnamese people.

Dinh Tu

Source: https://baophutho.vn/loi-the-trong-trai-tim-nguoi-linh-237492.htm