The photo "Mother and Child Reunion" by photographer Lam Hong Long has become a symbol of reunion and the kindness of a mother who silently sacrificed for the country.
Mr. Lam Hong Long was born in Phuoc Loc village, Ham Tan district (La Gi), Binh Thuan province (1925), but he escaped very early, participating in the youth movement after the successful August Revolution in 1945. In 1954, he gathered in the North and became a photojournalist for the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)... During the more than 25 years of training and growing up in the press and information industry - VNA, especially on the front lines, he always had to be at the forefront, facing life and death. Lam Hong Long's name is associated with many valuable historical photos, recreating important political and diplomatic events that took place in the North. In Binh Thuan, Lam Hong Long is listed in the Street Name Bank in the category "Representative celebrities in Binh Thuan homeland" and Lam Hong Long has two streets named after him in Phan Thiet city and La Gi town.
In 1996, the first Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts, Lam Hong Long was one of four photographers, representing the domestic photography force to receive this noble award. Those were the photos "Uncle Ho beats the song of solidarity" and "Mother and children on the day of reunion". He once confided about his luck in the profession: "That is history giving me rare moments to capture photos that touch people's hearts!". I think here it is not only a technical issue but also the emotion, the soul of the photographer who knows how to be moved, knows how to keep the most meaningful moments. With the photo "Mother and children on the day of reunion" taken at Rach Dua barracks (Vung Tau) on May 6, 1975. That day, the VNA office in Saigon assigned him to join the delegation to Vung Tau to welcome the train bringing back imprisoned revolutionary cadres and soldiers from Con Dao, including 36 soldiers sentenced to death. In his heart, he thought that in this group there would be his younger sister, the daughter of his uncle Lam Quan, Ms. Lam Hong Nhan (La Gi). Departing from Saigon, due to a car problem, when he arrived at the reception location it was too late, but he suddenly caught sight of the frightened scene of his old mother, wearing a Southern checkered scarf on her shoulder, carrying a bamboo basket in her hand, rushing into the barracks gate, at the same time a young man, a former prisoner wearing a black ao ba ba, walked out. After a moment of hesitation, he spread his arms, leaned his head on his mother's shoulder and exclaimed: "I'm here, Mom! I'm still alive"... Lam Hong Long, with an emotional action, continuously clicked the photo angles and he could not control the tears that were flowing, wetting his cheeks. Not many days later, the beautiful photo like a monument of sacred love, full of humanity, was spread by VNA in domestic newspapers and foreign media. This work was awarded an Honorary Citation by the 21st Congress of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) held in Spain in 1991, and he was also admitted as a member of the Federation.
Regarding the name of this famous black and white photo, many newspapers and radio stations call it Mother and Child Meeting Day, Mother and Child Meeting After Liberation Day, Reunion Day, Mother and Child Meeting Day... For Lam Hong Long, he doesn't care much but the correct name is "Mother and Child Prisoner on Con Dao Death Row". That choice of title is truly true to his honest and simple lifestyle.
Recently, on April 2, 2024, a delegation of former leaders of the Vietnam News Agency from Hanoi made a journey across Vietnam following the march along the central coast, participating in the general offensive to liberate Saigon in 1975... Among them, journalist - writer Tran Mai Hanh, former General Director of Vietnam News Agency, and his younger brother, journalist - writer Tran Mai Huong, former General Director of Vietnam News Agency, visited the Lam family temple with the portrait of Lam Hong Long in Phuoc Hoi ward, La Gi town to burn incense in memory of him. Although Lam Hong Long passed away 27 years ago, on April 30, he remembered his comrade who he had never forgotten. These are two characters who played a role as historical witnesses on April 30, 1975 in the position of resourceful cadres of the press and news industry at that time. According to Mr. Tran Mai Huong, from the beginning of April 1975, the army of reporters, editors, photographers, technical staff... were present in Quy Nhon, following the military attacks, taking turns traveling by car and motorbike...
Arriving at Phan Rang, this was a steel shield because the important strategic defense force of the Saigon army had been broken by us, so the march towards the south was faster. But the radio station broadcasting the news about the liberation of Phan Rang to Hanoi was difficult, it would not be in time so we had to return to Nha Trang. After a day of resting and then continuing on the road, Tran Mai Huong and Lam Hong Long joined the group on a Honda motorbike towards Phan Thiet, sometimes taking turns driving. Mr. Huong recalled: "Uncle Long was in a happy mood but there was something inside him that was agitated and thoughtful because he was a quiet person, keeping his own worries to himself". Arriving at Phan Thiet at this time, on April 19, it had been completely liberated, the city's life had gradually stabilized. It was not difficult for him to meet his relatives, only his old mother (his father had passed away) remained in the old house. During the family reunion dinner, a slim woman of about 50 years old appeared in the warm atmosphere of the family, but according to Mr. Huong, he heard Mr. Long confide in her so he knew that this was Ms. T., Mr. Long's lover who had been engaged to be married. In 1948, when he was arrested by the French in Phan Thiet and then transferred to Con Ga prison (Reeducation Camp - Da Nang), Ms. T. once came to visit. Perhaps he was always anxious, not knowing what to say. Because the day Mr. Long went to the assembly, as everyone promised, he would return after two years when the country was unified, but then many circumstances were turned upside down. Mr. Long got married and had two children in the North. He was restless with the joyful scene of family reunion but also a torment in his heart. However, he had to return to Ham Tan (La Gi) where he was born, where his uncle and a few siblings and relatives were still there. But not many days later, Lam Hong Long alone on his Honda caught up with the VNA delegation, which was ready to enter the decisive battle of the nation's historical journey.
In the memoir “War Reporter” by Tran Mai Huong (Thong Tan Publishing House - 2023), there are memories of the days accompanying Lam Hong Long to witness the event of the death row inmate and his mother meeting. After so many years of separation, thinking they would never see each other again, the mother and son were so happy that they just hugged and cried. The emotional moment of the mother meeting her son was right when Lam Hong Long was present. Without hesitation, with a Rolleiflex camera, he immediately took 8 films from different angles. Huong shared his joy with Lam Hong Long: “History has also cleverly given you, a reporter from the Southern homeland, the opportunity to return to your homeland after so many years of separation to record that image.”
It is also necessary to say more about the characters in the photo. At the end of 1996, the Sunday art program of Vietnam Television VTV3 went to Ham Tan (La Gi) and Ben Tre to make films, recreating the life of the author Lam Hong Long and the two characters in the legendary sparkling photo, that is, after he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the first time, with the film "Moments and History". This film won the gold prize at the national television film festival in 1997. It is known that in August 1999, Ho Chi Minh City Television Film Studio also made the documentary "The Death Row Prisoner - Portrait of a Man", at that time, Mrs. Tran Thi Binh - mother of Le Van Thuc, the former death row prisoner, was 93 years old. Thuc participated in revolutionary activities early, just passed the first baccalaureate, the organization decided to let him study at the 21st course of the Republic of Vietnam Reserve Officers - Thu Duc Infantry School. As a revolutionary soldier working in intelligence on a single line, accepting loss and sacrifice, but the suffering of a mother silently endured public opinion, slander, and alienation from relatives because of a family whose daughter Le Thi To - Thuc's sister, joined the revolution in 1946, was shot dead by the French and lost her body, and that was how it was! The mission of an undercover intelligence officer with the rank of lieutenant of the Republic of Vietnam but was exposed, he was sentenced to death by military court with prison number 268, and exiled to Con Dao in November 1968. It was not until twenty years later when the VTV3 film crew went to Ben Tre that Thuc met the author of the photo of his mother and son.
In 1981, Lam Hong Long retired. Although his wife and children lived in Ho Chi Minh City, he often returned to his hometown La Gi. The Lam family home was a garden with green trees in the middle of the city but quite quiet. He was alone, sometimes taking his motorbike to the beach and fields to reminisce about his youth.
Many articles written about Lam Hong Long have commented and highly appreciated his success through many impressive and emotional works for viewers. It can be said that Lam Hong Long is a historian with images, because each of his photos has recreated an event that reflects the truth and liveliness. With the photo album of his documents that I have seen, it shows that he is the "richest" person in his life dedicated to art for the common cause, those are messages expressing the desire for peace and humanity. Lam Hong Long is very happy in his career from the process of approaching many political events, many famous figures... With a camera on his shoulder, he traveled to many countries and all over the country. The success of each work is the condensation, his artistic thinking and that is also the humanity, representing the strength and emotions of Vietnam. Lam Hong Long once admitted that history has given him rare moments so that he can have valuable works of art today. But in my opinion, he had many opportunities and grew up in the special journalism environment of the Vietnam News Agency, in the war, with many challenges because Lam Hong Long had the emotional heart of an artist and the delicate perspective of a journalist who created lifetime works.
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