To live is to continue to contribute.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Despite being wounded from a fierce battlefield, former soldier Nguyen Viet Lam still did not falter in the face of difficulties in peacetime. Over 60 years old, he still works diligently in acacia fields, goat pens, fish ponds... maintaining the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers with an iron will and extraordinary determination. From two empty hands after returning home, the wounded soldier built a career in the middle of the forest land of Dong Xuan village, Mau Lam commune, making many people admire...

Disabled soldier Nguyen Viet Lam takes care of his breeding goats.

In Mau Lam commune, when mentioning disabled soldier Nguyen Viet Lam, everyone knows him as a resilient soldier on the battlefield, an exemplary farmer in peacetime. He participated in a campaign to help Laos in the early 1980s. During a raid, he was seriously injured, one lung was completely damaged, and his health was seriously impaired. The disability rate was assessed at 61%.

In 1981, after returning from the battlefield, he married Nguyen Thi Thao - a woman from the same hometown who had been with him through the difficult years. There was no wedding gift of a gold ring or a lavish party, the only assets at that time were an old backpack, a makeshift wooden house and a strong trust in each other.

“In those days, every time the weather changed, my lungs ached, my body trembled as if I had malaria, I just lay flat on the bed. But then I thought of my wife and children, I did not allow myself to collapse,” Mr. Lam said, his eyes unable to hide his emotion when recalling the days of hunger and lack of clothes.

A great opportunity came to Mr. Lam when the policy of land and forest allocation was implemented. In 1988, he boldly received 11.9 hectares of forest land for reclamation. Without capital, he "knocked on the door" of the bank to ask for preferential loans under the policy for war invalids. At one point, to invest in expanding production, he had to borrow up to 3 red books from relatives and friends to mortgage for bank loans. Some people shook their heads in dismay: "With an illness, how can you afford to borrow so much money?"

At first, he planted pineapples, which are easy to grow but depend on the market, have unstable prices, and unstable output, making pineapples not as expected. He switched to growing sugarcane, and finally chose acacia as the main crop because it requires little care and provides a steady income. He calculated: "Acacia can be harvested after 5-7 years, each hectare brings in hundreds of millions of dong. After deducting expenses, the profit is several tens of millions each season. Farming requires perseverance, making a profit is enough."

To date, his entire 11.9ha area is covered with acacia trees. Every few years, a crop of acacia is harvested, providing a stable income. “It’s like a long-term savings book, if you take care of it properly, you will have money coming in and out,” he laughed, his voice sincere and rustic.

Not only stopping at planting forests, Mr. Lam also invests in livestock farming to take advantage of by-products and create short-term income. Currently, his family maintains 30 breeding goats, selling dozens of breeding goats and meat goats each year; raising 24 commercial cows and calves along with many free-range pigs and chickens...

Instead of leaving the land fallow, he reclaimed 4 more fields to meet the family's rice needs. In addition, he dug 5 ponds to raise grass, tilapia, and silver carp, and combined them with growing grass to feed livestock and poultry. At the age of about to enter "thất thập cổ lai hy", he is still healthy and strong, taking the fields as his daily companion. For him, working is the best way to maintain his spirit and health.

“Being a war invalid doesn’t mean you can only live on benefits. I always think that as long as I can still work, I can’t sit still and bother my children and grandchildren,” war invalid Nguyen Viet Lam confided.

Not only is he the breadwinner of the family, he is also a steadfast companion of the local farmers' movement. He held the position of Head of the Village Farmers' Association for 20 consecutive years. During this time, he was the first person to implement the garden - pond - barn model in the village, the first person to plant acacia trees on a large scale. He did not keep his business secrets to himself but was always willing to share with the people about forest planting techniques, how to choose breeds, and prevent diseases for livestock...

Mr. Lam and his wife have four children, all grown up, which is their pride and greatest reward after many years of hard work.

“In the past, my husband and I just wanted our children to finish school and not have to work for others, and that was enough to make us happy. Now that they show their gratitude by being successful and filial, I am satisfied,” said Mr. Lam.

From a soldier returning home with a wound on his body, Mr. Lam has made a “revival” in the middle of the forest, contributing to building a rich and beautiful homeland. Because more than anyone, he understands: Life is to continue to contribute, whether in war or peacetime.

Article and photos: Tran Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/song-la-de-tiep-tuc-cong-hien-256166.htm