New home warm gratitude

During holidays, in Bai So village, Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong), walking along the alleys and houses, everywhere you see red flags with yellow stars flying, and meet happy faces looking forward to the great national holiday.

Standing in front of his newly built house with a bright smile, Mr. Dinh Xuan Thang showed off the "double joy" of his family and himself: "With the State's support of 60 million VND, along with the money my son sent home from working abroad for the past 5 years, my grandfather and I were able to build a solid house as we wished."

Mr. Thang’s newly built house is located right on the edge of the road connecting National Highway 7A to Bai So village. Mr. Dinh Van Thang was born in 1954, after returning home from the battlefield in the South to start a family. Four children were born one after another, the couple worked hard to raise their children, but until now, he is 76 years old and still cannot build a new house.

The house he and his wife lived in for more than half their lives was dilapidated, and every time the rainy season came, it shook as if it was about to collapse. Every time it rained, he was both afraid and wished that one day he would have enough money to build a new house.

“5 years ago, thanks to the support of policies, thanks to the local government's guidance and guarantee for me to borrow money from the bank to take care of my son Dinh Xuan Hai's export labor to Japan. For 5 years, my son has worked hard, in addition to paying off the bank loan, he has also saved a little money to send home every month. Combined with the beginning of 2025, with the State's additional support of 60 million VND, I discussed with my son to build a new house. Now that the house is completed, I have fulfilled my wish and can rest assured to support my children in business and work,” Mr. Dinh Xuan Thang emotionally shared.

Not far from Mr. Dinh Xuan Thang's house, also a veteran who fought in the Saigon battlefield, Mr. Nguyen Huu Lac also shared the joy when his old house was renovated to be cleaner and more solid thanks to the support of 40 million VND from the State budget to support the construction and repair of houses for people with revolutionary contributions.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Lac is 90 years old this year. He lives with his children and grandchildren in an old house that was built more than half a century ago. Although the State supported him to build a house, he only asked to repair it because he wanted to preserve the memories, to preserve the house that had been attached to his parents, as well as the house where he and his wife and children had lived peacefully for nearly a century.

“The house is still solid, but the walls, floors and some of the wood on the ceiling are damaged by termites, so I want to renovate it and preserve my house as a souvenir. As for my children and grandchildren, they already have their own houses, so my wife and I are very happy living in this house. Now, with the State’s support of 40 million VND, and with the children’s contributions, the house is now very solid,” Mr. Lac happily expressed.

Double joy

Supported with house building and repair, veterans and people with revolutionary contributions in Tuong Duong district such as Mr. Dinh Xuan Thang, Mr. Nguyen Huu Lac, Vi Van Oanh... on the days when the whole country joyfully welcomed the parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of national reunification, the joy seemed to be doubled.

“I am very touched that the later generations have never forgotten history, forgotten the sacrifices and contributions of their ancestors. Through the information shared by the press and social networks, watching the parade and seeing the excitement of the people of the whole country, I remember the old days of fighting. And I feel happy and lucky to be able to return, enjoy the preferential treatment and care of the State and my children,” Mr. Dinh Xuan Thang expressed.

Disabled soldier Dinh Xuan Thang recalled that when he was only 18 years old, he applied to join the army. That was in 1973, he became a soldier of Regiment 731, Division 331, Military Region 5. He said: During his 8 years in the army, he went through many marches from Nghe An to Saigon. After 3 months of training, he and more than 400 comrades were transported by military vehicles to the assembly point in Quang Binh and began a long journey through the Truong Son mountains and forests along the liaison route to participate in the liberation of Saigon. His unit fought while traveling, drank spring water, slept in the mountains and forests, "traveled without traces and cooked without smoke" for more than a month before they could reach the assembly point.

In April 1975, Mr. Thang's unit was ordered to participate in the Campaign to liberate Xuan Loc town, Central Highlands. Not long after the liberation of Xuan Loc, there was also the moment of excitement when the news of victory and the liberation of Saigon broke out. After April 1975, his unit was ordered to stay in Kon Tum town, both to help maintain the government and to help the people produce and build. And then, he and his comrades of Regiment 731 participated in the fight in Cambodia and the 1979 Border Campaign. In 1981, he was wounded in the head and transferred to the rear base, then he was discharged and returned to his hometown.

Also a direct fighter to liberate Saigon, in 1973, Mr. Nguyen Huu Lac went to the South to fight under the General Mobilization Order with the workers of Nghe An Mining Village.

“That year, with 300 comrades, we marched from Quang Binh to the South. We traveled for more than a month, there were days of rain in the forest, we had to wade through streams with mud up to our stomachs, we ate rice balls mixed with mud, with rainwater... It was so difficult, but no one was discouraged, determined to fight until victory. We will never forget the comrades who sacrificed and fell on the battlefield,” Mr. Lac emotionally recounted.

Ms. Kha Thi Hien - Chairman of Tam Quang Commune People's Committee said that in this "campaign" to build new houses and repair houses for poor households and households with difficult housing conditions, the whole Tam Quang commune has 39 houses and by early May 2025 they have been completed and put into use. Of the 39 houses, 4 were newly built and 35 were repaired for poor households and families with especially difficult housing conditions; 3 households of war invalids and people with meritorious services to the revolution have been supported to build new houses and repair houses./.