104-Year-Old Mother Reunites with Son's Remains After 45 Years

In Thien Nhan commune, Nghe An province, 104-year-old Tran Thi Chin was reunited with the remains of her son, Le Dinh Van, who died in the war 45 years ago. Van, born in 1957, enlisted in 1976 at the age of 19 and was assigned to border defense duties with Company 10, Battalion 3, Regiment 812, Division 309, on the Southwest border. He died in March 1981 at the age of 24. His remains were initially buried in a unit cemetery in Cambodia before being transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery, where the family continued to visit. Chin, now 104, is bedridden and requires assistance with personal care, but remains mentally sharp and remembers family events clearly. Her husband passed away from illness shortly after Van's death, and she raised their seven children alone, all of whom now have stable lives. Chin remembers the autumn of 1979 when her son, wearing his uniform and carrying a backpack, visited home during a leave. She recalls hugging him, asking about his unit, and encouraging him to complete his mission, never suspecting it would be their last meeting. For years, the family wished to bring Van's remains back to their hometown for burial but lacked the means. "Due to motion sickness, my mother couldn't travel long distances and never got to see her son again," said Le Van Truyen, 74, Van's elder brother. In late August, the family completed the procedures to transfer Van's remains from the Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery to Thien Nhan commune. The coffin was placed at Truyen's home in Nam Cuong hamlet for relatives and local residents to pay their respects before the memorial and burial ceremony. On August 31, when Van's remains arrived at the gate, Chin was brought to the coffin in a wheelchair by her grandchildren. She quietly gazed at the coffin, tears welling up, and touched the red flag with a star with trembling hands, calling out, "Van, my son... it's been decades." Truyen stood beside her, looking at Chin multiple times and weeping. "Our greatest hope was that mother would be strong enough to welcome her son home. Now, her biggest wish has come true," he said. On the afternoon of September 1, at the memorial and burial ceremony organized by Thien Nhan commune, Chin sat silently in her wheelchair, facing the altar with her son's portrait, occasionally wiping away tears. In the autumn of 1979, she saw Van off to rejoin his unit after his last leave. Forty-seven years later, during the same season, she welcomed his remains back home. "My heart is finally at peace now that Van has returned home," Chin said. Le Thi Huong, Vice Chairwoman of the Thien Nhan Commune People's Committee, stated that bringing the remains of fallen soldier Le Dinh Van home on the occasion of Independence Day is a tribute to those who sacrificed for the nation and a comfort to the family after years of waiting.