War veteran Dao Thien Sinh has sent some 40,000 letters to families of martyrs, informing them of their kin’s grave locations. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Thefamily of martyr Luong Khanh in Nha Trang city couldn’t hold back the tearswhen they received a letter from a stranger informing them of the location ofKhanh’s grave.
The martyr had been dead for yearsbut the family couldn’t afford to search for his body.
The informant was veteran Dao ThienSinh in Vinh Khanh district of the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
Since 1976, Sinh has sent about40,000 letters to martyrs’ families and relatives, supplying them withinformation he learned from trips to cemeteries nationwide.
“Since we heard about my elderbrother’s death, every day my mother longed for a letter which might inform usof the place he was buried,” Sinh recalled.
Understanding the mother’s pain andmartyrs families’ thirst for news, Sinh decided to start travelling tocemeteries.
At 20, Sinh fought in the Quang Tribattle field until Liberation Day on April 30, 1975. Four years later, here-enlisted to fight in Cambodia. Returning from both battlefields, he began anormal job.
Using his free time, first hetravelled to cemeteries close to Khanh Hoa province to search for hisbrother’s grave where he also found many unmarked graves. Then he startedcollecting information engraved on the graves and began writing letters tomartyrs’ families.
“My father-in-law is lying downhere. It’s such a feeling of warmth knowing my father-in-law can finally restin peace,” said Tran Huyen Tran, the daughter-in-law of martyr Luong Khanh, asshe visited Khanh’s grave.
“He died when my husband was onlythree. Years later, my mother-in-law lost hope in finding his grave due to thefamily’s economic hardships," said Tran, a resident of Nha Trang city.
“I and my husband burst into tearsupon receiving Sinh’s letter informing us that our father was buried in acemetery in Tay Ninh province and then Sinh and my father-in-law’s comradeshelped bring him home,” Tram added, saying that the father enlisted in 1976 anddied two years later in Cambodia.
“It was sad that my mother-in-lawwas not alive to witness this miracle.”
Over the past decades, Sinh has gonefar and wide to more than 200 martyrs’ cemeteries including those for unknownsoldiers from the central province of Quang Tri to provinces in thesoutheastern region.
Visiting any cemetery, Sinh noteddown every name, age, birthplace and any information available on martyrs,searched for more information and decoded them before writing letters to themartyrs’ families.
The trips took place day or night;sometimes he even slept in cemeteries.
“I do this out of love for my fallencomrades. I always feel something ‘pushing’ in my mind and my heart,” theveteran said.
Sinh has also helped carry themartyrs’ remains home. “It is an indescribable joy to bring them home, seeingthem rest in peace. I’m determined to do this job as long as my health allows,”said Sinh.
Sinh’s mission hasn’t goneunnoticed. He has received support from local post offices with more than10,000 commune-based post offices delivering the letters to martyrs’ familiesfor free. Many other veterans have also helped him with funds to buy envelopesand papers.
“My whole family is grateful for Sinhas he let us know the location of my elder brother’s grave, martyr Bui Van Phuocwho died in Cambodia aged 22,” said Bui Van Duoc, at his brother’s grave in KhanhHoa province’s Ninh Hoa township.
Deputy head of Khanh Hoa province’sWar Veterans’ Association, Ngo Mau Chien, said “Sinh is a person dedicatedto work related to veterans, especially writing letters about martyrs’ graves.”
Due to his efforts, Sinh has beengranted numerous certificates of merit by the Vietnam War Veterans’ Associationand Khanh Hoa province’s War Veterans’ Association.
Living relatives of the martyrs callSinh “a perfect connector”.
And Sinh will continue his journeyas he is uncomfortable with so many Vietnamese martyrs’ resting place stillunknown to their families.-VNA
VNA
