The story of a daughter who spent more than half a century searching for her father's grave

Painfully looking for relatives

In the last days of July, in the atmosphere of gratitude to those who sacrificed their blood and bones to protect the Fatherland, the small house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lau (90 years old), in Tay Phu commune, Tay Son (Binh Dinh), also regularly welcomes visitors. Mrs. Lau is the wife of martyr Vo Khi (born in 1930), who died in 1961, but it was not until now that the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province found his remains and brought them back to his hometown for burial. "They came to share the joy with my family. Finally, my mother and I have long wished for something. It is even more special that it came on July 27th," said Mrs. Lau's daughter, Mrs. Vo Thi Diep (68 years old).

Mrs. Diep said that not long after her parents got married, her husband had to join the army. Mrs. Diep was born a few months after her father joined the army, so she never got to see him. During those years, Mrs. Lau had to work hard to raise her young children and support her elderly mother-in-law. In 1961, the family received the sad news that Squad Leader Vo Khi had died. At that time, Mrs. Lau was only 29 years old but still decided to stay single to raise her children, worship her husband, and support her mother-in-law. When her only daughter got married in the neighboring village, she still lives alone in that small house.

Mr. Lau was helped by his only daughter to burn incense at the memorial and burial ceremony for martyr Vo Khi held on July 20. Photo: HT

“My father’s death certificate only briefly stated that he died in Thanh Hoa. That’s why for decades, the family has only focused on searching in Thanh Hoa,” Ms. Diep said, adding that recently, her family has searched all the martyrs’ cemeteries in Thanh Hoa province, but to no avail.

“My mother kept saying that we had to find my father’s grave so that he could rest in peace. Every time I heard her say that, my heart ached. The desire to find my father’s grave was always in my heart. Every time I burned incense on the altar on my father’s death anniversary or on July 27, I still did not forget to pray, hoping that my father would be sacred and help me find him and bring him home,” Ms. Diep said in tears.

Because his remains could not be found, the local government built a wind tomb for martyr Vo Khi at the Martyrs Cemetery of Binh Phu Commune (old). Every year, at the beginning of the year, on the anniversary of his death and on War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27), Mrs. Lau and her children still regularly go there to burn incense, even though they know that the ground is still empty.

Nghe An Province's 515 Steering Committee stayed up all night to collect martyrs' remains. Photo: HT

Journey to motherland

Not long ago, Mrs. Diep and her son broke down after receiving a phone call from an officer of the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province. The phone call informed them that the grave of martyr Vo Khi had been found after 61 years of his death.

An officer directly responsible for collecting the martyrs' graves said that a few years ago, the Provincial Military Command sent out a form to each household requesting information about martyrs and their graves. Some time later, the unit received a report from the manager at the Hung Dung Ward People's Cemetery. This person reported that there were some graves of soldiers in the South, but since their burial, no one had burned incense. The authorities immediately arrived to verify the information. After checking, they discovered the grave of martyr Vo Khi, with full information recorded on the tombstone. After many procedures of comparing information, the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province determined that this was the grave of martyr Vo Khi, so they reported it to the authorities of Binh Dinh province and the martyrs' relatives.

Leaders of Tam Ky City attended the memorial service and burial of martyr Nguyen Dinh Trung after receiving the handover from Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province. Photo: HT

At this time, Mrs. Diep and her son just learned that martyr Vo Khi was injured in Thanh Hoa, but was transferred to a hospital in Vinh City for treatment and then died there. After consulting with the family, on the night of July 17 and early morning of July 18, the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province organized the exhumation and then brought martyr Vo Khi's remains back to his hometown in Binh Dinh. At home, the local government also held a memorial service and solemn burial for the martyr. Although she was 90 years old and in poor health, Mrs. Lau still asked her children and grandchildren to help her to the cemetery, her skinny hands holding the coffin containing her husband's remains after nearly 70 years apart. Martyr Vo Khi's remains were then buried right under his windy grave, where his wife and children had been burning incense for decades. "Finally, my wish was fulfilled. Now, even if I die, I have no regrets," Mrs. Lau said, after picking up handfuls of soil and dropping them into her husband's grave.

In a conversation with reporters, Ms. Vo Thi Diep was still moved and continuously thanked the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province for helping her family fulfill their seemingly hopeless wish after more than half a century of searching.

Also on this occasion, the Steering Committee 515 of Nghe An province also exhumed the remains of 3 martyrs who were soldiers from the South who gathered and died in Nghe An province. Most of them were cases whose relatives had been searching for a long time but could not find them. These martyrs include Nguyen Dinh Trung (born in 1928, originally from Tam Xuan commune, Tam Ky, Quang Nam province), enlisted in May 1950, as Deputy Squad Leader, Inter-Zone 5 unit, died on June 22, 1954. Martyr Bien Van Thanh (born in 1934, originally from Hoa My Dong commune, Tay Hoa district, Phu Yen province), enlisted in October 1953, as Wood Factory Worker, Vinh city unit, died on May 28, 1966. Martyr Ly Xenh (born in 1930, originally from Tinh Bac commune, Son Tinh district, Nghia Binh province, now Quang Ngai province), enlisted in 1950; position of Squad Leader of Regiment 108, died on July 27, 1970.

Relatives were moved next to the remains of a martyr found nearly 70 years after his death. Photo: HT

Among them, martyrs Bien Van Thanh and Nguyen Dinh Trung were both found in the Hung Dung ward cemetery. Martyr Ly Xenh was found in a garden of a house in Hung Nguyen town, Hung Nguyen district. All three martyrs died before they had wives or children, and are now worshiped by their grandchildren.

After the exhumation, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 arranged vehicles to bring the martyrs' remains to their hometowns for handover to the localities. There, local authorities held solemn memorial and burial ceremonies.