3 times the enemy burned down the house, 2 times cried to see the child go

50 years after the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, we returned to the revolutionary base of U Minh Thuong, Kien Giang province, to meet Heroic Vietnamese Mother Vo Thi Xung in Vinh Tien hamlet, Vinh Hoa commune. She had two children who were martyrs during the resistance war against the US and the Southwestern border war. In the house of gratitude built by the local government in 2016, there are many certificates of merit from the Fatherland, medals of war achievements, medals of resistance, and many other certificates of merit from Mother Xung's two children and her three brothers - who were also martyrs. With tears in her eyes, Mother Xung said: "Back then, the war was fierce, my house was bombed and burned down three times, I was very scared but I decided to rebuild the house to live in, because in addition to making a living, I also sheltered and supported revolutionary soldiers".

Heroic Vietnamese Mother Vo Thi Xung pondered before the altar, with the Fatherland recognizing the merits and achievements of her children and siblings.

At the age of 19, Mother Xung got married. The following year, Mother Xung gave birth to her first child, Phan Van Chap, then Phan Van Banh and other younger brothers and sisters. “The children’s father worked as a liaison, while Mother Xung stayed home to farm, grind rice and shelter revolutionaries. When the enemy swept through and searched, dropped bombs, the mother and children ran to the bunker to save their lives and waited for the bombs to pass. Just like that, Mother Xung’s children grew up with the sound of bombs and bullets and the silhouettes of the soldiers in the backyard that they accidentally encountered. Perhaps, that was the fate that later on, Mother Xung’s two children were enlightened and determined to follow the call of their homeland to fight the resistance like their brothers and sisters” - Mother Xung said.

Both of Mother's children followed the revolutionary ideal when they were 16 years old and both ran away because they were afraid of hurting Mother. "The older one ran away the first time, Mother caught him because he was too young at that time and because his uncles had sacrificed for the Fatherland before. But perhaps his ideal was too strong, so Chap escaped with the army the second time "successfully". The day he left, Mother did not know, until his unit in Vinh Thuan reported back, Mother knew he had really run away. Mother could only be silent, secretly hoping that her son would fight bravely, be safe, and return to Mother soon" - Mother Xung recounted with a broken heart.

Since Chap followed his ideal, all information about him disappeared. The pain of missing her son had not yet subsided when, two years later, it was her turn to escape to join the revolution - Mother Xung's longing for her son doubled. Her prayers for peace for her blood relatives also went hand in hand with her wish and hope that her homeland would soon be liberated... However, when Chap turned 20, Mother Xung received the bad news that he had sacrificed his life in a battle in Can Tho. Suppressing her grief, Mother Xung went back and forth to the battlefield to look for her son's body but could not find it.

Returning home with a heavy heart, swallowing her tears, Mother Xung steadfastly fulfilled her responsibility to her young children and to the revolution. Then in the spring of 1975, the South was completely liberated, the country was unified, and it was thought that Mother Xung would be reunited with her brother Bảnh. However, the war at the Southwest border once again forever separated Mother from her remaining flesh and blood. Brother Bảnh sacrificed his life in 1977, at the border of Ha Tien...

Hope you guys try to build your homeland.

The war has long since ended, and Mother Xung's pain has probably subsided somewhat over time, but her longing for her children is still like an undercurrent. At the age of 94, the corners of her eyes are always red every time she looks at the altar with no photos or souvenirs, only the certificates of achievements and recognition from the Party and State for the great sacrifices of her brothers. Mother told us: “I lost 2 children and until now I still have not found their graves; I am in pain but I am not sad because I know that their sacrifices, along with the blood and bones of many people, my compatriots, grandparents, uncles, and other children, contributed to the cause of liberation and national reunification. Moreover, today I still have local authorities and children who regularly care, visit, and encourage me... I was also awarded the title of “Vietnamese Heroic Mother”, which makes me feel comforted. Now I not only have 2 children who have sacrificed, my biological children are still alive, but I have many other children - those are you” - Mother Xung proudly said.

Leaving Mother Xung’s house when the sun was at its zenith, the April sun was fierce and fierce, but Mother Xung still insisted on going to the gate to see us off. She said: “In the past, I was not allowed to send my two children to war, now I am sending you home, hoping that you will join hands and make every effort to preserve independence and build our country to develop more and more.”

We drove along the straight concrete road shaded by trees of the new rural commune of Vinh Hoa, Thai-roofed houses appeared one after another, completely changing the dilapidated appearance of a time of war. This clearly proves that the people of the revolutionary base area are not only heroic in combat but also very good at doing business and developing the family economy. Not only that, the U Minh Thuong authorities at all levels also do a good job of repaying gratitude, caring for families with preferential policies and people with revolutionary contributions. The proof is that every year, the district spends a lot of resources on social security work, taking care of policy families... Mr. Nguyen Thum Em, Deputy Secretary, Chairman of the People's Committee of U Minh Thuong district, said: "Currently, U Minh Thuong has only one living VNAH Mother, Mother Vo Thi Xung. Therefore, the locality pays special attention and care to Mother, mobilizing many units and individuals to take care of Mother until the end of her life. We are also very happy that up to now, the material and spiritual life of Mother and her family, along with other policy families in the area, is much more stable. We will continue to promote care for policy families, educate the younger generation to be determined to follow the example of the previous generation to continue writing the heroic history of the locality, especially in promoting the socio-economic development, making the district increasingly developed".

Article and photos: HIEU THUAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/me-xung-a185977.html