Little-known stories behind the achievements of a young volunteer in Nghe An.

Silent love

In her youth, Ms. Ha Thi Hoa (born in 1973, from Dong Thanh commune, formerly Yen Thanh district) was admired by many for her pretty, gentle, and virtuous appearance. Among many suitors, her heart chose Mr. Vuong Trung Uy – a thin, small, but diligent, affectionate, and filial young man. Their simple, sincere love brought them together under one roof, where they nurtured a simple dream of a loving home.

Their marriage began amidst countless hardships. They built their first house in a remote, isolated place, with no neighbors around. At that time, Mr. Uy was the village's Youth Union Secretary, and later the Deputy Secretary of the commune's Youth Union. With meager income, they juggled village affairs with building houses, kitchens, digging ponds, and constructing livestock pens. Ms. Hoa recalled: "On nights when we were building the house, after putting the children to sleep, my husband and I would go out and light oil lamps to continue working. We lacked everything, but we were a loving and supportive couple, so we were still happy."

Life back then revolved around a multitude of tasks: making tofu, brewing rice wine, raising pigs, and cultivating seven acres of rice paddies. Every day, Hoa would wake up at 2 a.m. to brew rice wine, take the tofu to the market at 5 a.m., and then diligently grind it again at 11 p.m. after helping her children with their homework. For all those years, she never once complained, silently enduring and striving for her husband and children.

Despite their hard work and effort, family meals back then were heartbreakingly meager. “Don’t laugh, but even though we made tofu, we never got to eat a whole piece. Our signature dish was minced pork fat mixed with burnt tofu, stir-fried until salty. We’d let the children eat first, and then mix the rest with the burnt rice at the bottom of the pot for the two of us to share. If we managed to buy some small fish, we’d give the meat to the children, and the heads and tails to the parents…” Ms. Hoa recounted with a smile on her face, but her eyes were red with tears.

In 1998, a life-changing decision came to the entire family: Uy – then the Secretary of the Youth Union in the commune – volunteered to join the Youth Force.youth volunteersIn the former Ky Son district, 200 km from home. At that time, Ms. Hoa was only 26 years old, single-handedly raising three young children: the eldest was 6 years old, and the youngest was only 2 years old.

With her husband gone, she became even busier. She single-handedly worked in the fields, raised pigs, sprouted beans, pickled vegetables, sold goods, and brewed rượu (rice wine) – she did everything herself. Sleeping only 2-3 hours a day, and quietly rummaging around alone in her empty house at night, had become a habit.

He only came home a couple of times a year, staying for just one day before leaving again. Even brief phone calls from the cooperative were enough to bring tears to her eyes, a mixture of joy and sadness. She hid her longing and hardships so her husband could focus on his work. "Dad's on a mission," she always told her children, so they would understand, be good, and know how to wait. "I didn't dare cry, I didn't dare show weakness, because I knew he had a greater mission than our family. I had to shoulder his responsibilities at home so he could complete his journey with peace of mind," Ms. Hoa shared.

Deserved happiness

After many years of quiet dedication, the small family of Mr. Uy and Ms. Hoa has entered a new chapter in their lives. Thanks to their tireless efforts and contributions, Mr. Uy was successively appointed Deputy Team Leader, and then Team Leader of the 9th Youth Volunteer Brigade.

Thanks to his outstanding dedication and contributions, Anh Uy was promoted to Deputy Team Leader and then Team Leader of the 9th Youth Volunteer Team. At home, Hoa saved up some capital and expanded her business. The simple house of the past has now been replaced by a spacious and beautiful home.

What makes Mr. and Mrs. Uy and Hoa most proud is the maturity of their three children. From a young age, the children have been aware of their family's circumstances, so they are very independent and hardworking. By the sixth grade, they already knew how to cook and do laundry so their parents could work with peace of mind; everyone praised them for being well-behaved and filial. "From hardship and deprivation, we learned from our parents that we must be diligent, thrifty, and love hard work. Our parents have become the motivation for us to strive and work hard for a meaningful life with ideals and aspirations," shared Ms. Vuong Anh Hong, their youngest daughter.

Currently, all three children of Mr. Uy and Mrs. Hoa have stable jobs and high levels of education. In particular, two of their children and their spouses are doctors working at prestigious hospitals. For them, this is a well-deserved reward for their long and arduous journey filled with sacrifice.

Looking back on his journey, Lieutenant Uy couldn't help but be moved: "I am fortunate to have my wife's support in taking care of the family and raising the children. Without my understanding wife and my obedient, sensible children, I wouldn't have been able to confidently fulfill my duties and dedicate myself to the country."

The story of Lieutenant Vuong Trung Uy and his wife Ha Thi Hoa is not only a story of a family overcoming hardship, but also a portrait of...patriotismSilently, the story recounts the noble sacrifices of Vietnamese women. They were the unnamed "rear guard," yet they were a solid foundation and an inexhaustible source of motivation for young volunteers like Lieutenant Uy, allowing them to confidently dedicate themselves to the nation. Together, they built not only a home but also a shining example of a traditional Vietnamese family, where love and sacrifice are an endless source of energy, nurturing enduring values. Stories like these will forever be a warm flame, inspiring many generations.