The last wish of a fallen soldier's wife.

(Baonghean.vn) - Despite being in her seventies and the wife of a fallen soldier, she still...Bui Thi Thang, residing in Minh Thanh hamlet, Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district.He still lives alone in a makeshift house. Having a proper home to shelter him from the rain and sun remains a distant dream.

Ms. Bui Thi Thang currentlyin Minh Thanh hamlet, Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district,She is the wife of martyr Nguyen Phi Bong, who died in 1968. Mr. Bong and Mrs. Thang married in 1959, and by 1968, they had four daughters, the eldest born in 1963 and the youngest in 1968.

Like many other young people, heeding the call of the Party, Mr. Bong bid farewell to his young wife and child to join the resistance against the Americans. Due to his traditional occupation of fishing at sea, Mr. Bong and several comrades were assigned the task of transporting weapons and fighting the enemy at sea (also known as long-distance combat).

Mr. Nguyen Phi Cong was awarded the Third Class Resistance Medal for his courageous combat achievements. Photo: Nguyen Hai

During a weapons transport mission at sea in 1968, Mr. Bong's ship was spotted by the enemy, who pursued them fiercely. To protect their weapons, Mr. Bong and his comrades fought bravely and sacrificed their lives. That battle was described by his former comrade, Mr. Bui Si Hau (currently living in Minh Thanh hamlet, Quynh Long commune), as a suicide mission, where the soldiers, when attacked and surrounded by the enemy, used explosives strapped to their bodies to charge into enemy ships.

Mr. Bong and his comrades fought bravely and sacrificed themselves, but they also caused one of the enemy ship's weapons compartments to explode, killing 10 enemy soldiers.

Upon receiving the news of her husband's death, Mrs. Thang was devastated, but suppressing her grief, she continued to work diligently, raising four young children alone. A few years after her husband's death, tragically, her youngest daughter also passed away suddenly. Grief piled upon grief, but she had to persevere, working hard to raise and care for her children.

Her daughters got married one after another, but their own family lives were also too difficult, and they couldn't offer much help. Therefore, even though Mrs. Thang is now 81 years old, she still lives alone in a dilapidated, makeshift house.

Mr. Bui Si Hau, a fellow soldier of Mr. Bong and a neighbor, came to visit and encourage the family. Photo: Nguyen Hai

The house my grandparents built nearly 60 years ago is now dilapidated and on the verge of collapsing. In recent years, my grandmother has been frequently ill.Just stay in place. MEverything was left to Thien, the eldest daughter, who lived closest to her.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thien, the eldest daughter of martyr Nguyen Phi Bong, lives closest to Mrs. Thang and frequently takes care of her whenever she is sick. Photo: Nguyen Hai

It is known that two years ago, to support her family, the Minh Thanh hamlet committee proposed a plan, and the Quynh Long commune conducted a survey, based on which a dossier was prepared. The commune encouraged the family to rebuild their house, and then the commune, together with the district, would study and apply policies to provide further support. However, due to the lack of funding for house construction and the regulation that families are only entitled to partial support of about 30-40 million VND, with upfront funding required, followed by support from the commune and district, the family has not yet agreed to proceed with the application for house construction because they lack the financial means.

According to a survey conducted in the neighborhood, rebuilding the house would cost Mrs. Thang's family approximately 100 million VND. Currently, Mrs. Thang only receives a monthly allowance of 1.3 million VND as a widow of a fallen soldier. Her children can only help with medication and healthcare each month; they are unable to afford to help their mother rebuild the house.

The house, built in the 1960s, belonging to the family of Mrs. Bui Thi Thang - the wife of martyr Nguyen Phi Bong - has deteriorated and is now nestled among the surrounding houses. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Mr. Tran Van Vien, Deputy Head of Minh Thanh Hamlet, said: "As the wife of a fallen soldier, despite her difficult family circumstances, when she was healthy, Mrs. Thang actively participated in social and community activities and cared for her neighbors, so she was loved and respected by everyone. Therefore, the local community also hopes for her to be recognized."The government and philanthropists provided support to help Ms. Thang and her family fulfill their wish to repair and upgrade their house, providing them with shelter from the rain and sun in their old age.

Nguyen Hai