(Baonghean.vn) - For decades, the people of Tan Hop neighborhood (Hung Dung ward, Vinh City) have been familiar with the image of an elderly veteran diligently collecting and cherishing photographs of President Ho Chi Minh. Beyond mere passion, for him it is a deep love and admiration from the bottom of his heart. He is Ta Quang Loc, who is preserving more than 700 photographs of President Ho Chi Minh.
 |
| A veteran returning from the war against the American imperialists with an 81% disability, Mr. Ta Quang Loc (born in 1942) experienced many fierce battles on the Thua Thien front, Hill 935, Coc Bai, Route 9 in Southern Laos… and achieved many outstanding combat accomplishments. He was honored with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces twice. |
 |
| As a soldier of Uncle Ho, Mr. Loc has always been deeply imbued with his ideology. And that love has grown stronger over the years. Since 1992, he has been collecting photographs of Uncle Ho's life and activities. Preserving his photos is also preserving the memories of a youthful time full of aspirations, nurturing the motivation to overcome the pain of illness and live a more meaningful life... |
 |
| After 24 years of collecting and preserving, he now has more than 700 photographs depicting the life and revolutionary activities of President Ho Chi Minh. To acquire this invaluable spiritual treasure, he had to travel extensively from North to South Vietnam whenever he heard that someone possessed a precious photograph of the President. |
 |
| He obtained these two photos after making numerous trips to Hanoi in 1996 to ask a friend for them. For some photos, he had to travel alone to Thanh Hoa or Ho Chi Minh City three or four times, waiting for the owners to return from business trips before persuading them to let him have them. Touched by his dedication, many people donated their valuable photos to him. |
 |
| The photographs were categorized according to different stages of Uncle Ho's revolutionary activities, and then carefully preserved in envelopes to prevent them from deteriorating over time. |
 |
| Whenever he received a new photograph of the Leader, he would ask his grandson to add a caption for classification, because: "Old age and poor eyesight are partly to blame. Another reason is to educate the younger generation to be grateful for and cherish the life and career of the respected leader, as well as the history of our country." |
 |
| The photos are clearly captioned and numbered for easy reference and to help viewers better understand the event depicted in them. |
 |
| There are still photographs whose dates and locations are unclear, so he continues to quietly investigate, because for him, it is a lifelong endeavor. It is an invaluable spiritual asset, but instead of keeping it to himself, he displays it at the community cultural center for everyone to learn about. Because in the old veteran's mind, no matter how life changes, we can never forget the immense sacrifices made by an entire generation of our forefathers to gain independence and freedom for our country. |
Thanh Quynh
