The veteran lights the way with his determination.

Overcoming the darkness with the resilience of a soldier.

In a small house in Dai Hue commune (Nghe An province), war invalid Nguyen Dang Khoa (born in 1942, a 1/4-level war invalid) slowly walks among familiar objects. More than half a century without sight, this veteran still maintains the optimism, composure, and unwavering will of a soldier who never surrendered to fate.

In 1965, young Nguyen Dang Khoa enlisted in the army, serving in Unit 559. Amidst the Truong Son mountain range, he and his comrades were tasked with building roads and transporting weapons and supplies to support the battlefields in the South. On routes constantly battered by bombs and bullets, the young soldiers faced malaria, shortages, and imminent danger.

In late 1968, during a mission, his unit was bombed by enemy aircraft. Mr. Khoa was seriously wounded and was taken by his comrades to Treatment Team 1 for emergency care. When he regained consciousness, his head had been completely bandaged.

“Seven days later, when the bandages were removed, all I saw was a yellow halo. That halo gradually shrank each day until it disappeared completely,” Mr. Khoa recalled.

The war permanently took his eyesight when he was very young. From a soldier accustomed to traversing forests and climbing hills, he had to relearn the simplest tasks: walking, finding things, taking care of himself, and navigating space using his ears, hands, and memory.

In the early days after returning to his hometown, he was sad and felt ashamed. But the resilience forged in the military did not allow him to give up. He memorized every path, every location of objects, and persistently practiced doing everything so as not to become a burden to his family.

Mrs. Tran Thi Tram, Mr. Khoa's wife, said: "He always told himself that as long as he had the strength, he had to do something useful. Many times, when his health wasn't good, his family advised him to rest, but he always said that contributing to his homeland was a joy."

President Ho Chi Minh's teaching, "Disabled but not useless," became a guiding principle that helped him overcome adversity.

"I lost my eyesight, but I cannot lose my will. As long as I can still do something useful, I must try my best," Mr. Khoa confided.

Not isolating himself in the shadows, in 1973, he joined the cultural and information work in Nam Linh commune, formerly Nam Dan district. Unable to read, he would ask others to read to him, then memorize the content, organizing his work using his listening skills and memory.

For 20 years, he actively promoted policies and encouraged people to participate in labor and production emulation, while also organizing cultural and artistic activities for the community. His dedication and approachability made this visually impaired war veteran a familiar face at local community gatherings.

War took away his eyesight, but it could not extinguish his desire to live a meaningful life. With the resilience of a soldier, Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa found a different path for himself to continue walking, contributing, and illuminating his own life.

Opening free classes to preserve the sound of traditional music in the countryside.

After retiring from his job, war veteran Nguyen Dang Khoa did not choose a life of leisure. With a desire to help the children of his hometown, in 2003 he opened a free math class right in his small house.

It was a special class. The teacher couldn't see the books, the handwriting, or the students' eyes. Each lesson, he listened as the students read the problems, presented their solutions, and then analyzed each step in turn. He memorized the mathematical formulas; the students' mistakes were identified through each solution.

The class initially had only a few students from the neighborhood. Gradually, the story of the blind veteran who was dedicated to teaching spread among parents. The small house became increasingly lively with the sounds of reading out questions, lecturing, and conversations between teacher and students.

Over the course of 10 years, Mr. Khoa organized 11 classes, providing free tutoring to hundreds of students. Many of them made significant progress and achieved good results in their studies. Each step in his students' growth became a source of joy and motivation for him to persevere in teaching.

Besides imparting knowledge, the former soldier also told the students about the history of his homeland and the arduous years of struggle of the nation. Through each story, he hoped that the students would learn to cherish peace, live responsibly, and not back down in the face of difficulties.

In September 2007, Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa was awarded a Teacher's Card by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Education and Training. Recalling that moment, he is still moved: "On the day I received the Teacher's Card, I cried. I used to think that the war had stolen my dream of becoming a teacher. I never expected that at the age of 65, I would be called a teacher again."

Besides teaching, music was also a great passion in his life. Having been involved with the Lang Sen Singing Festival for over three decades, he always considered it a source of happiness and pride to sing songs about President Ho Chi Minh.

Unable to read sheet music, he listened, memorized each melody, and diligently practiced. Through perseverance, he learned to play many instruments such as the violin, organ, and mandolin… Every note he played was the result of months of hard work and an unwavering love for life.

During local cultural and artistic events, whenever requested by the villagers, he would bring his guitar and perform. The sound of the guitar from the hands of this former soldier gradually became a familiar sound in the countryside.

Mr. Van Liem, a neighbor, said that Mr. Khoa was a multi-talented, responsible person who was always enthusiastic about community work. Even though he could no longer see, he was still willing to play music for the villagers. Therefore, everyone affectionately called him "the village artist."

At over 80 years old, his health is not what it used to be, but Mr. Khoa still maintains his love for music and his desire to live a meaningful life. Having lived in darkness for more than half a century, this war veteran has persistently taught, preserved music, and illuminated the world with his resilience, compassion, and love for his homeland.