“Forest men” work on the field

VietNamNet Bridge - For the first time after 40 years, the father and son who are called “forest men” – Ho Van Thanh and Ho Van Lang – went to the field with local people.

VietNamNet Bridge - For the first time after 40 years, the father and son who are called “forest men” – Ho Van Thanh and Ho Van Lang – went to the field with local people in Tra Nga village, Tra Phong commune, Tay Tra district of central province of Quang Ngai.

“Forest men” allocated with land

After nearly a month being taken home by the local government from the forest for healthcare, on Monday morning, September 9, the two men joined villagers to plant acacia trees on the hill.

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Ho Van Lang carries acacia seedlings to the field.

Mr. Ho Van Tri, Thanh’s son, said this year, the district government granted his family with more than 1,350 acacia seedlings.

"Seeing me and my brother (Ho Van Lang) carry seedlings up to the field, my father (Mr. Thanh) also wanted go with us. I walked ahead to dig holes, my father and brother followed me to put the trees in the holes and then fill them up very quickly. This morning we planted more than 700 trees," Tri said cheerfully.

According to Tri, his father and brother started to integrate into the life of the villagers and their forest nostalgia has been eased a lot. "I asked my brother whether he wants to go to the forest or not. He said living in the village is happier," Tri said.

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The break of the “forest men” on the field on Monday morning.

Mr. Truong Ngoc Dong, Chairman of Tra Phong commune, said that Mr. Thanh has been identified as a soldier during the Vietnam War. The local authorities have asked the provincial military commanders to have a support policy for Thanh.

Dong said that a Hanoi-based company donated VND127 million ($6,000) to build a new house for Thanh and his son. The amount of over VND80 million donated by the authorities and organizations is added to a savings book for the father and son who returned from the forest.

Tra Phong commune government is about to allocate cultivation land for Thanh and Thanh to help them stabilize their life in the future.

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