Shining a light on the spirit of youth volunteers in peacetime.

They dedicated the best years of their youth to the country, and upon returning to civilian life, they once again pioneered social activities, becoming humble yet noble role models. In recognition of these efforts, for many years, this unit has been a pioneer in receiving Certificates of Commendation from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Former Youth Volunteers Association and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province.

Upholding tradition

On the road branching off from National Highway 48 towards Dien Doai commune, Mr. Chu Vinh Hiep - Chairman of the Association of Former Soldiersyouth volunteersNghe An province is proud to introduce a road with a very special name: "The Green, Clean, and Beautiful Youth Volunteer Road." Few people know that, over the years, achieving this green, clean, and beautiful state has required the tireless efforts of former youth volunteers from the area.

This road, over 2.5 km long, connects National Highway 48 to Xuan Duong hamlet in Dien Doai commune. Before 2017, it was a source of worry for many residents and children during the rainy season due to its muddy and slippery conditions. In 2017, when Dien Doai commune decided to invest in cement and materials to upgrade the road, nearly 60 former youth volunteers in the area volunteered to undertake the project. After nearly a month of hard work, day and night, the once unpaved road has been transformed. Since its completion, thousands of vehicles have traveled smoothly on this important, well-maintained, and straight concrete road.

In 2022, the former youth volunteers of the commune once again worked together to complete and restore the deteriorated sections after 5 years of use. Along with that, they cleaned and weeded the sides of the road daily to ensure it always met the criteria of being green, clean, and beautiful.

Even in peacetime, the new rural development movement of former youth volunteers remains full of enthusiasm. There are names that were once shining examples during the war, and are now a source of pride for the people, such as Mr. Nguyen Duy Trung (born in 1956).

According to Ms. Ho Thi Lam, Chairwoman of the Veterans Association of Dien Doai commune, during the war, Mr. Trung was the leader of a youth volunteer team building roads. In peacetime, he became a "vigilante," consistently fulfilling his roles as Secretary and Head of Xuan Son hamlet, Dien Doai commune, for the past 28 years.

Most recently, witnessing the dilapidated condition of the road leading to the Xuan Son hamlet's Cultural Center, which lacked paving and negatively impacted the local area's new rural development criteria, he invested 100 million VND from his personal funds to upgrade the entire 60-meter stretch. This is just one of many pioneering contributions and support he has made in the process of building local infrastructure. With his "actions speak louder than words" approach, he has effectively implemented many "skillful community mobilization" projects, becoming a shining example and receiving numerous Certificates of Merit and Commendations from various levels in this movement.

I remember back in 2020, when the commune planned to upgrade the 400-meter-long road connecting the two areas (upper and lower) of Xuan Son hamlet, nearly half of the households disagreed. Understanding the people's feelings and aspirations, he, along with representatives from the local government, went to each household to persuade them. This was no easy task, as everyone was busy working in the fields during the day. Therefore, he could only wait until nightfall to go door-to-door. After much dedication, the road was completed in 2020, contributing to changing the face of the entire rural area.

Deep camaraderie and affection

"If it weren't for our comrades, perhaps my husband and I wouldn't have been able to support each other through life until today," former Youth Volunteer Corps member Nguyen Thi Bao (born in 1951), residing in Xuan Duong hamlet, Dien Doai commune (Dien Chau district), said with emotion when recalling her fellow soldiers and comrades.

She recounted that she and her husband got married in 1972, and then together they joined the Youth Volunteer Force in the districts of Do Luong, Quy Hop, Quy Chau… along Route 7 of the province. In 1975, after completing their service and returning to their hometown amidst the joy of national reunification, they received another blessing when she became pregnant with their first child. In 1976, she gave birth to her first son, and in the following years, they had three more children, a boy and a girl.

However, their joy was short-lived. Before reaching adulthood, their eldest child developed a secondary mental illness, and their second child was diagnosed with a terminal illness that confined them to a wheelchair. Adding to their woes, her husband, Mr. Nguyen Phi Hoe (born in 1951), after years of hard labor, also suffered from heart disease and lost his mobility.

In a dilapidated house on the verge of collapse, six people were in dire straits. Then, in this time of crisis, Ms. Ho Thi Lam, Chairwoman of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers in the commune, mobilized its members to help the family. At the same time, Ms. Lam herself used all of her savings, over 60 million VND, to support the construction of a house for her comrades. Ms. Lam's generosity touched many people, and subsequently, the local former youth volunteers contributed tens of millions of VND, along with 40 million VND in support from the Provincial Association of Former Youth Volunteers, almost providing the necessary materials for the house to begin construction.

At this time, the comrades and fellow soldiers joined forces, working together to dig the foundation, lay each brick, and give Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bao a new house. After more than a month of hard work, the house took shape, embodying the heartfelt affection of these kind and simple former youth volunteers.

Along with the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bao, many other former youth volunteers have received care and support from their comrades. For example, recently, former youth volunteers aged 70 to 83 with difficult circumstances, such as Ms. Nguyen Thi Dao (Bau Xuan hamlet), Ms. Hoang Thi Hai (Hamlet 6), and Ms. Truong Thi Loan (My Thanh hamlet), each received 50 kg of rice from the fundraising rice farming model of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Dien Doai commune.

Since 2017, 56 former youth volunteers from the commune have jointly cultivated over one acre of rice paddies in Xuan Son hamlet. With three branches taking turns cultivating, the rice paddies are always lush and yield outstanding productivity. For example, in the last harvest season, this area yielded over 40 tons of rice, and after deducting all expenses, it added 28 million VND to the fund. The money from this fund is used annually in a transparent and accountable manner to visit and support disadvantaged comrades living in the area, as well as contributing to local movements and initiatives.

Bidding farewell to Dien Doai, the Chairman of the Provincial Association of Former Youth Volunteers, Mr. Chu Vinh Hiep, was visibly moved as he told us that the spirit of the former youth volunteers always shines brightly in Nghe An province, whether in times of war or peace. In 2022 alone, 516 grassroots association officials directly participated in local Party, government, and mass organization work. At the same time, these local associations spearheaded the effort to support social welfare activities, contributing over 13 billion VND.

In everyday life, former youth volunteers continue to uphold their traditions, working diligently in labor and production, becoming exemplary figures in economic development, contributing to social activities, and joining hands to share difficulties with their comrades.