After nearly 60 years since the soldier fell, that meeting was only reconnected through a portrait reconstituted from memory. That was enough for the children and grandchildren to burst into tears when they first saw clearly the faces of their loved ones whom they had only known through words for their whole lives.
A few days ago, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (Bac Ninh) came to the Skyline martyr photo restoration group with a simple wish: her family wants to have a complete portrait of her uncle - martyr Nguyen Van Thong - to take with her on the journey to find relatives.
That desire seemed small, but her family had been waiting for nearly six decades.
According to Ms. Nga, since martyr Nguyen Van Thong sacrificed, the family no longer keeps any photos of him. The image of the uncle only exists through the memories of those who knew him, through the stories of grandparents, parents and siblings in the family. Over time, memories of the soldier's face also gradually fade.
To complete the portrait, Skyline members must cherish every piece of memory of relatives and comrades. Some remember their eyes, some remember their forehead, some remember their nose bridge or mouth. From those disjointed details, the soldier's face is gradually recreated.
The day the portrait was handed over was also a moment of emotional explosion for the whole family.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga hugged her uncle's portrait tightly, silently bursting into tears. For the first time, she clearly saw the face of her uncle that she had only imagined through words. Beside her, the brothers and sisters of the martyrs also choked up and hugged the portrait. After nearly 60 years of separation, the reunion only took place through a photo, but enough to make the whole family unable to hold back tears. No one said much, only red eyes and trembling hands gently stroked the photo as if wanting to hold back the moment of meeting relatives.
On July 22, Ms. Nga brought a portrait to Tay Ninh on the journey to search for the remains of martyr Nguyen Van Thong. It is not just a photo, but also nearly six decades of longing and hope for the whole family.
That is not the only story that moved the Skyline members.
During the delegation of the restored portrait of martyr Phan Van Ta in Phu Tho, his extended family gathered fully to receive the portrait of his loved one. Many people from all over returned just to be present in that special moment. After 53 years, they were able to look back at the face of their brother and sister through the restored photo.
What made the Skyline members speechless was the story of the watch that had never been handed to a soldier.
According to relatives, during training, martyr Phan Van Ta once asked his family to bring him a wristwatch. However, when his family arrived, his unit had marched in the night. The clock never reached the young soldier's wrist and that was also the last time his family missed the appointment with him.
More than half a century has passed, relatives are still diligently searching for information with the hope that one day they can bring him back to his homeland. Therefore, when holding the newly restored portrait, the brothers and sisters of the martyr could not hide their emotion. Although they could not welcome him back, at least they could look back at their loved ones' faces after more than half a century.
Witnessing those special reunions, Mr. Khuat Van Hoang, Deputy Head of the Skyline martyr photo restoration team, said that every tear of the martyr's relatives makes the members believe that the work they are doing is necessary.
According to Mr. Hoang, the good news is that Skyline's gratitude journey is increasingly receiving the companionship of many organizations, unions and especially young people. Not only contributing to restoring photos, many people also spread stories about martyrs to remind history with gratitude and respect.
We always consider this as a thank you to the past, to those who fell for the Fatherland. The happiest thing is not completing a photo, but witnessing relatives receive the restored portrait in tears. Through that portrait, they can meet their loved ones after decades of only remembering and loving," Mr. Hoang shared.
The restored photos cannot fill the void left by the war. But for many families of martyrs, it is a priceless gift. After decades of waiting, they have a photo to take with them on the journey to find their loved ones and have an additional support to send a longing that has never faded.
