Heroic Mothers of Vietnam

Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Thu (lost nine sons, a son-in-law, and two grandsons to the Vietnam War)

Vietnam War (1954 - 1975) brought immense pain and hardship for the Vietnamese, especially the mothers. Thousands lost their husbands and sons. Bombings and massacres wiped out entire villages, forcing many to flee. Some hid in tunnels; others became refugees seeking safety. Violence was inescapable. Forced to raise their children alone in a shattered land, they lived each day in fear and uncertainty.

Women fleeing their homes in search of safety

My Lai Massacre of 1968 killed over 500 women, children, and elderly. And many women were raped; the mothers who bore children from the sexual assault experienced lasting emotional trauma.

The haunting image captures the fear of Vietnamese women and children during the My Lai Massacre (16 March 1968)

Even after the war ended in 1975, the suffering continued. Agent Orange, a mixture of herbicides used during the war by the US military to defoliate the forests and destroy crops, caused infertility, miscarriages, birth defects (children were born with severe disabilities/deformities), and deadly illnesses, such as cancer, that haunt even present generations.

Victims of Agent Orange, a herbicide mixture used to defoliate forests and destroy crops

Also, people faced poverty, government restrictions, and discrimination, especially against those linked to South Vietnam. Many were forced to place their children in orphanages, to say nothing of Amerasian children, born to US soldiers, who were often abandoned or ostracized.

Jimmy Miller, one of many children born to American soldiers and Vietnamese women during the Vietnam War

Yet, despite the unimaginable devastation, the Vietnamese mothers rebuilt their families, nurtured their children, and helped heal the nation torn by war—a testament to their resilience and unwavering strength.

A Vietnamese mother holding her child, a symbol of love and resilience in the face of hardship

To honour their sacrifice, the Vietnamese government established national remembrance days and erected monuments across the country. The most iconic among them is the Heroic Mother Monument in Quang Nam Province, dedicated to Nguyen Thi Thu, a mother who lost nine sons (three in 1948, during the early resistance against the French colonial rule, and six more in the later years of the war), a son-in-law, and two grandsons. Each time, she received the devastating news with stoic strength.

Heroic Mother Monument, a panoramic view

Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Thu

Despite her grief, she showed immense courage—together with her daughter, Heroic Mother Lê Thị Trì, she dug five secret tunnels beneath their home to shelter the Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas, risking everything for her country’s freedom. In 1994, the Vietnam government officially recognized her bravery by naming her Heroic Mother of Vietnam.

In March 2025, during my trip to Vietnam, I visited the Heroic Mother Monument, located about 40 kilometres from the city of Hoi An. Standing majestically on Tiên Môn Square, it is one of Southeast Asia’s largest sculptures (18.6 metres high and 120 metres wide). Its scale and solemnity took my breath away.

Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Thu (photographed from another angle)

Stone pillars at Tiên Môn Square, with sculpted faces of heroic mothers

The entire sculpture, crafted from granite and marble, is shaped like a rising mountain range, in the centre of which is a statue portraying a mother’s face etched with sorrow and resilience. Its sides extend, resembling outstretched arms, and feature sculpted faces of fallen children—silent reminders of love, sacrifice, and the cost of war.

Surrounding the memorial is a modern garden, most of which is covered in real turf, with patches of local plants interspersed with white stone slabs, each inscribed with a poem about mothers.

A stone slab with poetry honouring mothers engraved on it

A gentle stream of water flowing down the rocks

A group of locals approached me, warmly greeting me when they heard I had come from afar. One smiled, raised his mobile phone, and said, ‘A memory’. We posed together, the towering statue standing tall behind us. Their warmth was welcoming.

We are the world, we are the children

As I stood before the monument—a testament to love, loss, and grit—one last time, an overwhelming sense of reverence washed over me. The Heroic Mother Statue not just commemorates the past; it imparts values to future generations—to cherish peace, honour sacrifice, and carry forward the spirit of those who gave everything for their homeland.

Related posts:

• Vinh Moc Tunnels, Vietnam: A Village Under the Battlefield

• The Siege of Khe Sanh, Vietnam: 77 Days of Hell

• The Forgotten Revolt: Vellore Mutiny of 1806

• Walking the Death Railway

• The Tragic End of Burma’s Last King