Deep gratitude

Veterans in the province visit Vietnamese Heroic Mother Tran Thi Bay in Village 7, Bom Bo Commune. Photo: Duy Hien

From the intersection of Bom Bo market to Bay's mother's house is nearly 8 kilometers of road, some asphalt, some concrete. The driver of the 7-seat car is a veteran with good driving skills. He carefully avoided the "potholes" on the road because most of the car was filled with elderly veterans. Also visiting VNAH Mother Tran Thi Bay this time was journalist Pham Quang, who works at Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio and Television. Up to now, in the programs to visit, give gifts to VNAH Mothers and collect, exhume remains and martyrs' graves organized by veterans of the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs of Binh Phuoc Province (formerly), journalist Pham Quang has always been present to report on the activities of gratitude to martyrs. I have known journalist Pham Quang for a long time, he has a simple and gentle personality and has many articles and reports with touching and humane content...

Every July 27, the whole nation is filled with gratitude for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their youth for the independence and unification of the country. All the gratitude and incense offerings are still not enough to repay the tens of thousands of unnamed graves.

At 9:30, our group arrived at the house of Heroic Vietnamese Mother Tran Thi Bay. The members of the Executive Committee of the Veterans Association of Bom Bo commune were present at Mother Bay's house early to welcome the group. The rain had just passed, so the wind still carried a chilly mist, but the house of Heroic Vietnamese Mother Tran Thi Bay was still filled with a warm atmosphere. We surrounded her and asked about her health. Mother Bay was moved to tears: "I'm so happy that you've come. I feel much better..."

The family of Heroic Mother Tran Thi Bay has two generations of Heroic Mothers, Mother Bay and Mother Bay's mother-in-law, Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Hai. The war against America to save the country took away her husband (martyr Tran Van Khai) and Mother Bay's only son (martyr Tran Van Cua).

Three times seeing her children off, twice she cried silently. The brothers did not return, I was alone in silence..., the lyrics in the song Country by musician Pham Minh Tuan, set to Ta Huu Yen's poem, still resonate in each of us. Every soldier in peacetime and even during the war who survived, no one did not shed tears, respectfully bowing before the loss and pain of many heroic Vietnamese mothers who sacrificed their husbands and children - for the independence and unification of the country.

We, the present and future generations, are still working together every day and every hour to alleviate the pain and loss of Mother Bay. Regiment 719 (Army Corps 16) built a house of gratitude for Mother Bay, and at the same time took care of her health and looked after her. Local authorities, organizations and people regularly care for Mother Bay every day. A group of benefactors from Ho Chi Minh City also came to build a clean water well for Mother Bay to use...

Talking about the activities of gratitude to VNAH mothers of local departments, branches and organizations, Chairman of the Veterans Association of Bom Bo Commune, Tran Van Phu, said that even though the Veterans Association of the commune is busy with many jobs, they still organize visits to their mothers every year, at least twice a year. That is on
July 27, War Invalids and Martyrs Day and Lunar New Year. In addition, branches, such as the Veterans Association of Village 7, where my mother's family lives, visit my mother more often, including on the occasion of April 30, National Day September 2...

Head of the Veterans Association of Village 7, Nguyen Ba Toan, said: “We don’t wait for holidays or Tet. Whenever we have time, we visit our mother and ask about her health and how she is eating. Especially during the rainy season, when the weather is unusual, we are afraid that she will not be well at night. I, Mr. Tran Van Phu and Mr. Le Thanh Binh, Vice President of the Veterans Association of the commune, often inform each other about the health of Mother Bay every day.”

It was very touching when veteran and war invalid Vu Dinh Luat, on behalf of the delegation, presented a basket of flowers and gifts (cash contributed by the veterans) to Heroic Mother Tran Thi Bay. Veteran and war invalid Vu Dinh Luat emotionally said: “Even though we are far away, each in a different place, in a different situation, some in Dong Xoai ward, in Dong Phu commune, a few dozen kilometers away, we still take advantage of every moment to visit our mother. This is our responsibility - Uncle Ho's soldiers who regularly care for Heroic Mothers. Mother is the belief, forever immortal in our hearts.
we…”.

Mother Bay smiled with kind eyes: “Today, you came to visit me, I am very happy but you can't come to visit me every day. Because you still have to go to war…”.

We were overwhelmed by what Bay's mother said. In Bay's mind, she always thought that Uncle Ho's soldiers had to go to war to liberate their homeland. In Phu Quy commune, Cai Lay district, Tien Giang province (now Dong Thap province), there were countless children who fell in the fierce resistance war against the US, including Bay's husband and only son. Like many other heroic Vietnamese mothers, she did not cry but silently swallowed her tears. Because she understood that the cause of national liberation and national reunification was noble and glorious above all else.

“Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, my mother deeply understood the words of President Ho Chi Minh from the days of fighting against the French, then against the American invaders. There was a Vietnamese Heroic Mother who gave birth to 7 children, all 7 of whom went to fight against the Americans and sacrificed themselves one by one. Every Lunar New Year, Independence Day, my mother would put on the tray 7 bowls of rice with 7 boiled duck eggs, a plate of salt and pepper and 7 pairs of chopsticks… 7 incense sticks burned up in white clouds like swirling into my mother’s eyes, into my withered heart.

The work of paying tribute to martyrs and paying special attention to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people. Currently, the total number of martyrs in Binh Phuoc province (old) is 10,736. Of which, the number of martyrs with names is 6,073 and the number of martyrs with unknown names is 4,666. In particular, at the provincial martyrs cemetery (Dong Xoai ward), there are 4,760 martyrs (of which 1,397 are martyrs with names, 3,363 are martyrs with unknown names) and at Binh Long martyrs cemetery there are 2,304 martyrs (1,292 are martyrs with names and 1,012 are martyrs with unknown names)...

We lined up to light incense at the altar of the Fatherland to honor the merits of martyr Tran Van Khai, martyr Tran Van Cua and Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Hai. Returning to sit in two rows of chairs, we sang with Mother Bay the song "Liberating the South" and "As if Uncle Ho were here on the day of great victory", Mother Bay's voice mixed with the voices of her children resounding in the house of love. Heroic Mother Tran Thi Bay sang very clearly with a tearful voice, touching the old resistance land - Bom Bo commune.
hero!...

Duy Hien

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202507/sau-nang-nghia-tinh-tri-an-1d532c2/