Return from the fire, continue writing golden history

Returning from the war, bearing the scars of bombs and bullets and the tragic memories of the time of war, with their strong will and the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, the soldiers of the past devoted all their heart and soul, turning pain into motivation to continue to contribute in peacetime. With extraordinary determination, they not only built their careers but also actively participated in building their homeland, supporting their comrades and continuing to write the "epic" of their unceasing dedication.

Wartime hero, peacetime contribution

After the country was unified, Ms. Pham Thi Lien (born in 1953, residing in Tan Lap commune, Tay Ninh province) and many other veterans returned to civilian life to continue contributing to building their homeland and country.

With the strong will of a soldier, she promoted the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, actively worked and produced, gradually overcame difficulties, rose to become a good businesswoman , and became one of the typical farmers in the locality.

Veteran Pham Thi Lien (residing in Tan Lap commune) talks about the significance of her family's shrine to heroes and martyrs.

Telling us about her time participating in the resistance war, Mrs. Lien's eyes lit up, it was a proud memory, she will never forget. Her family has a revolutionary tradition so she was enlightened very early.

At the age of 11, she was sent to the Central Office of the South to work as a liaison for Central Office leaders such as Pham Hung, Ngo Van Nghia, Cao Dang Chiem, Ngo Quang Nghia, Pham Thai Buong,...

From the cradle of “red seed”, she was sent to school by the unit and trained to become a doctor working at the infirmary of the Information Department at the Central Bureau. At the age of 22, she was transferred to the Eastern battlefield (in 1972) to work as a medical transporter from the battlefield to infirmaries and hospitals.

After the country's reunification, she returned to work at Vi Dan Hospital (now Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City), continuing to contribute to the health of the people. In 1986, she applied to work in Tan Bien district at a state-owned enterprise. After 20 years of service in the army and working in various units, in 1993, she retired, worked on the farm with her husband, and took care of the family.

After nearly 10 years of persistently growing cashews and other crops but with low economic efficiency, she was not discouraged. In 2001, when she learned about the State's preferential loan policy for farming households, she boldly borrowed 150 million VND to start a business with a pig farming model.

Thanks to the medical knowledge accumulated from her time as a military medic, she proactively researched methods of caring for, preventing and treating diseases for livestock. After a short time, she built a livestock model with nearly 1,000 animals, regularly selling them every year, creating a stable source of income and improving her life.

Not stopping there, she boldly implemented many other models such as raising chickens, ducks, fish, quail and some animals that few people raise such as rabbits, snails, etc. At first, she only raised a few dozen of all kinds, to develop her livestock, she invested heavily in incubators to create new breeds. At one point, her quail farm had nearly 8,000 animals.

With a large number of livestock, at that time, her livestock model was considered a "bright spot" in the local livestock sector, many farmers came to buy breeding animals and learn from her experience.

With her achievements, she was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the President, and was an outstanding farmer in the emulation movement of good production, good business and new rural construction in the period 2010-2014. In addition, she was also awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union as an outstanding member in the emulation movement of good production and good business in the period 2012-2017.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the buying and selling of livestock and poultry was stagnant. Due to her old age and the consequences of war injuries, Ms. Lien gradually stopped raising livestock. After the pandemic, she raised ducks, chickens, quail, fish ponds, etc. on a small scale to improve her family's meals.

Mrs. Pham Thi Lien's family has become a welcoming place for veterans to come back to reminisce about the past and remember their comrades.

Also coming from a family with a revolutionary tradition, when he was 17 years old, Mr. Pham Van Tam (a meritorious person - a resistance activist infected with toxic chemicals, residing in Ben Luc commune) participated in secret work at the Ben Luc town Special Forces Team (now Ben Luc commune). Two years later, he was discovered by the enemy, taken to a secret base and separated from his family.

After peace was restored, he was assigned to many different positions and tasks, from Secretary of the Youth Union and Head of Long Phu Medical Station to Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ben Luc District. In 2014, Mr. Tam retired but continued to be trusted to hold the position of Vice Chairman of the District Association for the Promotion of Education. In 2015, he became Head of the Representative Board of the District Association for the Elderly until July 2025 when he retired. In any position, he has always excellently completed all assigned tasks.

Mr. Tam shared: “The price of independence and freedom is very high, it was paid for with the blood and bones of many outstanding children of the homeland. I was luckier than many of my comrades to witness the day the country was unified, the mountains and rivers were reunited, so I have to live responsibly, to be worthy of the sacrifices of my comrades.”

Not only did he excellently complete the tasks assigned by the Party and the State, Mr. Tam also promoted the family's revolutionary tradition, educating his children and grandchildren about good values, solidarity, and the will to overcome difficulties. Those teachings have penetrated deeply into his heart, so that his children and grandchildren can continue the family's glorious tradition.

Mr. Tam's contributions and sacrifices were recognized by the Party and the State with many noble titles and awards such as: Second-class Resistance Medal, Medal for the Advancement of Women, Commemorative Medal for Mass Mobilization Work and many certificates of merit from all levels and sectors. On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2025), Mr. Tam was one of 6 outstanding meritorious people of Tay Ninh participating in the 2025 Meeting of Meritorious People and Historical Witnesses in Hanoi.

Comradeship

50 years after peace was restored, Mrs. Pham Thi Lien still feels pain when talking about her fallen comrades. Rubbing the bump on her thigh, she said: "Here, on my thigh there is still a piece of shrapnel that has not been removed." Then she said, this is the mark of a B52 raid at midnight by the enemy at the Central General Staff Base in Tan Chau in 1972. At that time, she and 5 comrades were doing the work of evacuating the wounded when the bomb hit the shelter and buried them. Her comrades sacrificed, only she was lucky to survive.

Meritorious person Pham Van Tam (4th from right) attends the 2025 Meeting with Meritorious People and Historical Witnesses

Until now, decades have passed, the wound on her head from the bomb explosion still torments her when the weather changes, but her strong hands and agile feet help her not to falter on the journey to find the remains of her comrades. She said: “I used to be a medic, and I buried many martyrs myself. I still remember where they were buried, so when agencies, departments and branches asked me to participate in the work of finding the remains of martyrs, I was always ready to go.”

Since 1995, Ms. Lien has joined the Ministry of Public Security's martyrs' remains search team. From Highway 22 to Ca Tum, Soc Ta Thiet (Tan Chau), she has searched through every area. Up to now, with her help, hundreds of
The martyrs' remains were found and brought to cemeteries for burial.

However, not all martyrs whose remains have been found have their identities identified. That is also something she and her husband have been concerned about for many years. In 2010, Ms. Lien and her husband built a small shrine in front of their house to worship and commemorate heroes and martyrs. Over the past 15 years, Ms. Lien's house has become a familiar place to organize activities to celebrate War Invalids and Martyrs Day. The shrine she built in front of her house has also become a place where former war veterans come to burn incense and remember their fallen comrades.

Not only devoted to their deceased comrades, Mrs. Lien and her husband are also people who live with kindness to everyone around them. Over the years, she has contributed and mobilized for the locality to build more than 10 houses for families with preferential policies, and given gifts to families in difficult circumstances on every holiday and New Year.

At the age of 70, when the weather changed, Mr. Pham Van Tam's whole body ached from the injuries caused by Agent Orange. However, he still diligently participated in the People's Jury at Ben Luc Court (now the District 4 Court, Tay Ninh Province) and in local charity and social activities. For this Uncle Ho soldier, as long as he is healthy, he can contribute.

Mr. Tam added: “When participating in the revolution, we did not expect future generations to repay us, but only for the common goal of gaining independence and freedom for the nation. Yet, today's generation always knows how to appreciate and show gratitude to those who have contributed to the revolution. Gratitude activities are organized regularly, creating a deep and wide spread in social life. In particular, the meeting with people who have contributed to the revolution and outstanding historical witnesses in 2025 is not only a gratitude event but also a connection point between the glorious past and the innovative present. Here, I met my comrades and teammates again in overwhelming happiness.”

During the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, the previous generation wrote heroic pages of history for the nation. And when returning to peacetime, former Uncle Ho soldiers such as Mrs. Pham Thi Lien and Mr. Pham Van Tam engraved in the hearts of the people their silent but great contributions to the cause of building the homeland and the country./.

Linh San - Quynh Nhu - Le Ngoc

Source: https://baolongan.vn/tro-ve-tu-lua-dan-viet-tiep-trang-su-vang-a199435.html