July is considered the month of gratitude, a month for implementing programs of "remembering the source of the water we drink" with many meaningful activities to honor wounded soldiers, martyrs, meritorious individuals, and families of meritorious individuals... Around this time, everyone's soul seems to quiet down, reflecting more on the past, grateful to the generations of ancestors who sacrificed their lives and blood for the independence and freedom of the country, and appreciating peaceful life even more.
One morning in mid-July, I visited the Truông Bồn Historical Site to light incense in remembrance of the 13 young volunteers who fell in the prime of their youth. Beneath the rustling pines, amidst the solemn smoke of incense, I felt a surge of emotion, as if the wind and the vibrant purple of the sim flowers were still whispering stories of the past. Every day, this place welcomes many groups of visitors who come to offer incense and pay their respects. Former comrades still frequently visit their loved ones, embracing the tombstones and choking back sobs. There are former youth volunteers, despite their failing eyesight and slow gait, who still rely on their children and grandchildren to take them here on motorbikes, traveling long distances to confide in their fallen comrades about the joys and sorrows of life... Local people, when the sim fruit on the hill ripens to a deep purple, the pomelos in the garden are sun-kissed, or the persimmons in front of their houses ripen fragrantly... also respectfully bring them to offer to the brothers and sisters who fell for independence and peace today as a token of gratitude.
In July, across our beloved homeland, the cemeteries of fallen soldiers in various localities are bustling with the footsteps of students wearing bright scarves as they weed and light incense for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives. Also during this month of gratitude, flowers bloom on the graves. Moss-covered tombstones are repainted, and the inscriptions on the stone tablets are polished to make them clearer… Even more admirable are the cemetery caretakers who, day after day, silently perform their unnamed duties, keeping the cemeteries green, clean, and beautiful, so that incense continues to burn on the graves on the memorial day.
This July, activities "for the greater good" to honor the families of fallen soldiers are being organized into a widespread movement in localities. These include groups of youth union members taking turns visiting, telling stories, and singing and dancing for the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers to bring joy and ease their grief; and the volunteer work of various organizations to help families of fallen soldiers repair leaky roofs, fix broken electrical wiring, and renovate neglected gardens…
For the past five years, the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union has maintained the warm and touching "Meal of Gratitude" program in July. Depending on their circumstances, each unit organizes at least one meal at the home of a Vietnamese Heroic Mother or a relative of a fallen soldier or meritorious person in their area. During July, the local Youth Union branches send members to buy food and cook meals with the families of fallen soldiers. This meal is special not because of the extra delicious dishes, but because of the added presence and the overflowing emotions. Often, the families of fallen soldiers are small, with wives and mothers whose husbands or sons sacrificed their lives in the war for national liberation, living in loneliness and isolation. A meal is usually just the two of them, with only a bowl and chopsticks on the table… This meal, however, is filled with many members – some picking vegetables, others cooking rice, others braising meat and fish – making the kitchen a lively and bustling place. The meal was served, incense was lit on the altar, and the mother, with tears welling up in her eyes, whispered to her husband and children, her voice choked with emotion, "Today, I'm so happy to have my grandchildren come to cook and eat with me!"
On July nights, at war cemeteries, candles of gratitude are lit on the graves. These candles are a testament to the gratitude and remembrance of the generations of fathers and brothers who fell for the country. The candles burn brightly, symbolizing the enduring tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source," a timeless moral principle for countless Vietnamese people…
Article by: Tue Anh
Illustrative image: Archival material
