The rice grain of compassion from the veteran.

(Baonghean) - For the past two years, every year around Tet (Lunar New Year), veteran Nguyen Van Than in Binh Ngo hamlet, Thanh Giang commune, Thanh Chuong district, has been using his monthly savings to buy rice as gifts for needy families in the hamlet, hoping to share some of their hardships.

I went to Binh Ngo hamlet, Thanh Giang commune (Thanh Chuong district) to meet Mr. Nguyen Van Than (73 years old), a typical example of a veteran in the district. The hamlet is small, yet there are three people named Than. When I mentioned Mr. Than's charitable work, people pointed me to his house with a long row of shady trees in front.

The former captain, now in his seventies, has a gentle yet strong demeanor. His house bears the distinct mark of a soldier who has been a Party member for nearly 50 years. The red flag with a yellow star, the flag with the sickle, and portraits of President Ho Chi Minh, Karl Marx, and Lenin are displayed in prominent positions in his living room. Mr. Than fondly recalls his youth.

After finishing junior high school, young Nguyen Van Than enthusiastically volunteered for military service, even though he wasn't eligible for compulsory military service as he was the only son in his family. He enlisted in the 325th Division (Military Region IV), 101st Regiment. In February 1960, he was deployed by the military region to fight in Laos, becoming part of the first conscripted soldiers from Nghe An to fight on Route 9 in Southern Laos, opening the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In April 1961, during the Battle of Tha Khong Fort, Mr. Than was severely wounded by the pressure of the bombs. To this day, a shrapnel fragment remains embedded in his elbow because surgery would be very dangerous. Due to his injury, he was discharged from the army in June 1961, returned to Vietnam, and studied at a Maritime College in Hai Phong. Thanks to his dedication and training, Mr. Nguyen Van Than was admitted to the Party in 1965. After graduating, he was assigned to the Nghe An Department of Transportation.

From 1965 to 1967, the US launched intense bombing raids. Enemy torpedoes were scattered across the sea and rivers, especially around bridges; American ships and planes closely monitored the area. Before returning to his hometown for duty, Mr. Than was given a living memorial service in Do Son (Hai Phong). In Nghe An, he worked as a captain transporting aid supplies from the sea to the mainland, from Nghe An to Quang Binh, and connecting pontoon bridges to keep traffic flowing. This dangerous work was carried out secretly at night. In peacetime, he continued to excel as a captain in various agencies within the Nghe An Department of Transportation, and retired in 1985.

Mr. Nguyen Van Than.

Locally, Mr. Nguyen Van Than actively participates in community activities. Through the "Studying and Following the Moral Example of Ho Chi Minh" campaign, he feels even more responsible to the community. He said: "Uncle Ho had many admirable qualities, but I think the most essential aspect of his morality was his love for humanity, loving others as oneself, helping those in need, and supporting those in greater need."

Besides that, there are the virtues of thrift, honesty, and integrity. I'm a practical person, so every month I save a little money, and at the end of the year I buy rice. Through the neighborhood's Fatherland Front, I send gifts to needy families to warm their hearts during Tet (Lunar New Year). My neighborhood currently has 19 poor households and over 20 near-poor households, with the most difficult cases being the elderly living alone.” His intention to do charity was encouraged by his family, and his children also believe that “the more you do for charity, the better.” At the end of 2011, he donated 200 kg of rice to families, and in 2012, it was 400 kg. He said: “I feel happy because I have done something useful for society. Helping each other in times of difficulty shows the value of life.”

In addition, Mr. Than also mobilized his family, neighbors, and especially members of the Veterans Association to help disadvantaged families and families who suffered losses in the war, both materially and spiritually, and to assist them with house construction. Previously, he served as the president of the Retirement Association, the Senior Citizens Association, and the Veterans Association, but for the past 10 years, due to his advanced age, he has retired. As a member, he remains actively involved in social movements and activities.

Within his family, he instilled in his children and grandchildren harmony, love, honesty, and self-respect. His family was a model family, diligently implementing the policies of the commune and the Party branch in the village. His four children are now grown, married, and have stable jobs. In 2011, his granddaughter, Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (then in the 4th grade at Thanh Giang Primary School), found a bag containing 20 million dong and returned it to the commune's People's Committee to the owner. Mr. Nguyen Van Than firmly believed: "Life is full of complexities, but I must always maintain the moral qualities of a Party member and a soldier of Uncle Ho until the very last moment."

Nguyen Trang