The return on New Year's Day and the nearly 60-year longing
On the morning of the 1st day of the 2026 New Year, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Cuc returned to her hometown of Quang Tri from Dong Nai. That trip brought a special piece of good news: her mother, Mrs. Mai Thi Con, was officially recognized as a martyr and is preparing to receive the "Fatherland Remembers Merit" Certificate.
The decision was signed on December 12, 2025, right before the New Year, closing the nearly 60-year journey of the family's longing. The meeting between Ms. Cuc, a Lao Dong Newspaper reporter stationed in Quang Tri, and those who had supported the dossier took place simply and quickly, but everyone clearly felt the emotion.
According to the file, Ms. Mai Thi Con participated in the revolution from 1954, was a worker at Quyet Thang Farm, and also a self-defense soldier. On February 18, 1967, while on combat duty combined with production in Vinh Linh, she sacrificed herself due to coordinate bombs collapsing the bunker. After the war, the family was granted some benefits under the death certificate, but the martyr recognition file still has legal obstacles.
Since 2017, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc has returned to her hometown many times to file a dossier requesting confirmation of martyr status for her mother but has not been resolved. Only when Lao Dong Newspaper reflected and compared the new legal regulations and clarified historical bases, the dossier was considered fully.
From the articles, the Department of Home Affairs of Quang Tri province reviewed and worked with relevant units, finding many important documents from 1967, with sufficient basis to advise the Provincial People's Committee to propose the Ministry of Home Affairs to submit to the Prime Minister for issuance of the "Fatherland Remembers Merit" Certificate.
After nearly 60 years, my mother was recognized as a martyr. The family is extremely grateful to Lao Dong Newspaper and functional agencies for persistently accompanying her," Ms. Cuc shared. For her family, it is the most sacred New Year gift.
Tet comes early for silent people in schools
The joy of the beginning of the year also spread to school library staff in Quang Tri. Before the New Year 2026, 38 qualified officials were considered for promotion to professional titles.
Among these is Ms. Tong Thi Minh Hang, library staff of Dong Ha High School. After more than 19 years of working, despite achieving many achievements, her income is still only more than 8 million VND per month because she has not been promoted. "When I received the promotion information, I was really happy because my rights were guaranteed," Ms. Hang shared.
Similarly, Ms. Le Thi Kim Ha, library staff of Nguyen Hue High School, also could not hide her excitement. After many times of making dossiers without results, the articles of Lao Dong Newspaper clearly reflected the inadequacies, helping functional agencies get involved and remove obstacles.
For those who do silent work behind the podium, the promotion decision not only improves income but is also recognition and motivation for them to stick with the profession for a long time. "This year's Tet came early for us," Ms. Kim Ha said.
When rights are returned to the right place
The atmosphere at the beginning of the year has also become warmer for three female workers at a private kindergarten in Quang Tri, when after many years of being owed insurance, their legitimate rights have been resolved.
After the articles reflecting Lao Dong Newspaper, the enterprise paid nearly 25 million VND of social insurance money to finalize the books for three female workers, paving the way for the full settlement of benefits according to regulations. For Ms. Truong Thi Phuong Lan, that is the joy after four years of waiting for maternity benefits.
I am very happy to be about to receive benefits. Thank you to Lao Dong Newspaper, Quang Tri Provincial Labor Federation and the Social Insurance agency for accompanying and helping us regain our legitimate rights," Ms. Lan shared.
Stories that take place in the last days of the old year, the beginning of the new year are not big, noisy things. Those are specific results, associated with each person, each fate. But when placed next to each other, they create a very different Tet picture: Tet of fairness, of revived belief.
There, Lao Dong Newspaper not only reflects the matter, but persistently accompanies people and workers until their rights are resolved. Each article does not stop at information, but becomes a bridge between practice and policy, between vulnerable people and competent authorities.
Amidst the spreading spring atmosphere, those results become bright colors, contributing to a more complete Tet, Tet of faith awakened from kind, specific and persistent things.
