Quietly the caretaker

Quietly working as a page manager

Caretaker Le Tho Hung takes care of martyrs' graves at Trieu Son Martyrs' Cemetery.

30 years of caring for martyrs' graves

Rain or shine, whenever we come to Dong Tam International Martyrs Cemetery (Thiet Ong commune), we always see the image of caretaker Pham Van Nguyen diligently sweeping and taking care of each martyr's grave. Having been involved in this silent work for 30 years, Mr. Nguyen remembers each name, hometown of the martyrs as well as the location and number of each grave.

Leading us to visit the martyrs' graves on the clean concrete road, Mr. Nguyen said that the cemetery is currently the resting place of more than 2,000 martyrs from 32 provinces and cities across the country, including 16 martyrs' graves from Laos. His daily job is to take care of and protect each martyrs' grave and welcome delegations and relatives of martyrs' families to visit the cemetery.

Mr. Nguyen shared: “In 1995, I decided to take up this job not only to make a living but also to express my gratitude to those who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Every day, personally cleaning and weeding the graves, sweeping leaves, pruning trees..., it is a great pride for me to be chosen to be the caretaker.”

During 30 years of taking care of the "sleep" of the heroic martyrs, Mr. Nguyen has witnessed many emotional "meetings" between the martyrs' relatives and the martyrs. The meeting in 2022 is one of the memories he will always remember. That day, at noon, when he heard the sound of a car entering the cemetery, he guessed that the relatives were coming to find the martyrs' graves, so he immediately invited everyone into the guest house to have a drink. Through the introduction, it was known that the group of guests came from Thai Binh . After the family asked about the martyrs' information and hometown, Mr. Nguyen immediately replied that there was a martyrs' grave and clearly indicated the location and location of the grave.

In the moment of bursting happiness after many years of searching, the martyr's relatives hugged him and expressed their gratitude when they knew that their loved one's grave was always diligently and thoughtfully taken care of by Mr. Nguyen, Ms. Ha Thi Thuy and Mr. Le Van Xe. Every time he witnessed such a meeting, Mr. Nguyen could not help but be moved and emotional, and said that it was the greatest joy that the caretaker's job had brought.

"Following his father's footsteps" as a caretaker

In July, coming to Trieu Son Martyrs' Cemetery, in the lingering scent of incense, looking at the clean graves, the neatly trimmed green trees, everyone felt the dedication and heart of the cemetery manager Le Tho Hung. Talking about the opportunity to come to this job, Mr. Hung said that he followed the work of his father, veteran Le Tho Thuan. His father had been attached to the job of cemetery manager for 35 years. Also because the house was near the cemetery, since he was a child, Hung often followed his father here to sweep, clean, and burn incense on the graves of martyrs.

“In 2005, when my father passed away, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Trieu Son district (old) invited me to continue my job as a gardener. At that time, I was 30 years old and the main economic pillar of the family, but as if understanding my mood, my wife always accompanied me, encouraging me to do the job that my father had devoted himself to for many years. And that was also my wish,” Mr. Hung shared.

Mr. Hung also added that Trieu Son Martyrs Cemetery is the resting place of 484 martyrs, of which 93 martyrs have not been identified. The job of managing the cemetery is not hard but requires those who are dedicated to the job to be dedicated and diligent, patient and hard-working. No matter the bright sunshine or the cold rainy days, they must not forget their work, but still silently do their work. Mr. Hung's dedication and responsibility in keeping the cemetery grounds and martyrs' graves clean and beautiful has been recognized and highly appreciated by the delegations and relatives of martyrs.

Talking about her husband's work, Ms. Le Thi Lien said that she and her children are always proud of her husband's job as a caretaker. Whenever she has time, she often comes here to help Mr. Hung take care of the martyrs' graves, trim the trees in the cemetery grounds to keep them neat and clean. "From my father-in-law's generation to my husband's caretaker, I have always seen that the family is always healthy and happy, the children study well, and have stable jobs. Perhaps my heart has been blessed by the martyrs to help my family have the life we have today," Ms. Lien said.

Not only taking care of the martyrs' graves, but also for the martyrs' relatives who come from far away, with their sincere hearts, Mr. Hung's family also invites them to live and eat at home and supports the martyrs' families with paperwork with deep gratitude.

Meeting and talking with the caretakers at the martyrs' cemeteries, we understand more about the silent contributions of those sincere, simple people. The stories of Mr. Pham Van Nguyen, Mr. Le Tho Hung and many other caretakers in the province have overcome their own difficulties to always maintain their enthusiasm and responsibility for the profession over the years. For them, the gratitude does not only take place in July every year, but every day, every action they take shows their deep gratitude to the heroic martyrs. They consider caring for and protecting the martyrs' graves not only a responsibility but also an honor and pride for themselves, contributing to preserving the sacred values of the nation.

Article and photos: Trung Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/lang-tham-nghe-quan-trang-256165.htm