Forever the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers

(Baonghean) - Many sons of the Fatherland have fallen or lost a part of their blood and bones in campaigns that lasted many days and nights, fierce battles for the independence and freedom of the nation. Some people remain forever on the battlefield, becoming a part of the sacred soul of the mountains and rivers, while others are luckier, despite carrying the remaining traces of bombs and bullets, returning to their hometowns to settle down and become good business people. War invalid Nguyen Canh At (born in 1953), currently residing in Hamlet 10, Thanh Hung Commune, Thanh Chuong District, is a typical example.

Sipping his hometown's specialty green tea, Mr. At cleared his throat and reminisced, memories that seemed to have faded with time suddenly became vivid and strangely real. In January 1972, 19-year-old Nguyen Canh At was temporarily exempted from military service because he was the only son in his family. Although he did not participate in combat, the young man was always urged to follow the sacred call of the Fatherland and volunteered to join the frontline labor force to serve on the Quang Tri battlefield.

Mr. At's son followed his father's carpentry profession.

In July 1972, Mr. At was seriously injured by a bomb in the combat zone at Front B5, Quang Tri battlefield and was transferred to the North for treatment at Military Hospital 108 (now Central Military Hospital 108). He was in a coma for 5 months, his family lost contact with him, thinking that he had died. After regaining consciousness, Mr. At was transferred to the 200th Regiment - stationed in the 3 districts of Tan Ky, Nghia Dan and Quy Hop. Only then did he have the opportunity to write a letter to inform his family of the situation. At the end of 1973, he returned to his hometown, with old bomb fragments still embedded in his body. His permanent disability rate was assessed at 71%, classified as a class 2/4 war invalid.

Overcoming difficult circumstances and even the pain of the weather, after much thought and consideration, in 1974, Mr. At decided to try his hand at carpentry and gradually learned to get used to this job that requires dexterity and meticulousness. "With perseverance, iron can be turned into needles" - from a farmer who was still unfamiliar with saws and chisels, with a serious attitude and passion for the job, he became a talented craftsman with sophisticated products. The work gradually became more favorable, the family's life from then on also became better, he had the conditions to buy more machinery to serve the work, hire more workers to promptly meet the needs of customers.

Currently, Mr. At's family's wood workshop provides jobs for 10 carpenters, mainly local people or descendants of the family. Mr. At personally guides, instructs and imparts his accumulated experience of more than 40 years to the new carpenters with inexperienced skills. Gradually, thanks to the help and facilitation of his family, these carpenters not only become familiar with the profession, proficient in the profession but also passionate about the work of creating wooden products to serve society.

Mr. At shared that the salary paid to 10 workers in the workshop is not fixed but depends entirely on each person's skill to encourage them to always try harder with their own labor. Those who are proficient in the profession can receive a salary of 250,000 VND/day, in addition to a lunch allowance. The main projects of the wood workshop are pagodas and houses, with a customer network not only limited to the province but also reaching many other provinces from North to South. The reputation spreads far and wide, thanks to the dedication and strictness of the team of owners and workers, the products bearing the brand name of his wood workshop are not only beautiful in form but also ensure quality, and have a solid position in the market.

Coming to Mr. At's spacious house, besides the initial impression of talented and hard-working carpenters, the gentle echo that lingers in the mind of every visitor is the laughter of children. Currently, Mr. At and his wife have 11 grandchildren, all of whom are well-behaved, good at studying, and respectful of their elders, so the family atmosphere is always warm and harmonious.

Talking about his children and grandchildren with affection but not hiding his pride, he said that his children are now all grown up, have stable jobs, and his two sons have followed their father's career, working hard to develop the wood workshop - his lifelong passion.

Thu Giang