(VOVworld) - Quang Tri was a place where thousands of soldiers laid down their lives during the war. There are nearly 65,000 martyrs’ graves in the province’s 72 cemeteries. On today’s Personality of the Week, we’ll meet Ho Xuan Thanh, who has been a cemetery caretaker for 30 years in Hai Thuong commune, Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province.

There are nearly 2,000 martyrs’ graves in the martyr’s cemetery in Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province. Cemetery caretaker Ho Xuan Thanh can remember the name, date of death, home town and location of each martyr’s grave. Thanh recalls that one day, in a dream, he saw his comrade ask for drinking water.  He got up and brought a bottle of water to the memorial of his comrade. Since then, he has made a habit of bringing a bottle of drinking water whenever he goes to the cemetery: "I’m a war veteran. I work here to pay a debt of gratitude to my comrades: Drinking water, remember the source".

Having taken part in many battles and having managed to escape death many times, Thanh says, he is luckier than many of his comrades in remaining alive. Many years after fighting in Cambodia, the image of fallen comrades has not faded from Thanh’s mind. After coming back from the war, Thanh did not choose an easy job. He decided to work as a cemetery caretaker in Hai Thuong commune. His daily work is to clean the joss-stick bowls, and tend the trees and martyrs’ graves at the cemetery. Whenever martyrs’ relatives come to visit those who desire to bring the martyrs’ remains back to their homeland are enthusiastically helped by Thanh. Tran Thi Yen is Thanh’s wife: "I do my best to help him with his work. I also help him look after the trees at the cemetery".

Thanh dedicates his monthly stipend of 150,000 VND to improving martyrs’ graves. He can’t hold back his tears when he thinks of his comrades who sacrificed their youth and their lives but died unknown. Thanh’s greatest wish is to identify the fallen martyrs here so their remains can be brought back to their homeland. According to Le Ngoc Anh Chairman of Hai Thuong commune’s People’s Committee, the Party and State should have a preferential policy for cemetery caretakers: "The State should support caretakers to assure their daily lives so they can be secured in their work".

The war ended nearly 40 years ago, but thousands of martyrs’ remains are still unidentified in Quang Tri province. For Thanh, and other cemetery caretakers those who sacrificed themselves for national independence should never be forgotten.