In Vietnam, this man spreads love by giving “new legs” to fellow veterans

After many reunions with former comrades, Nguyen Hung Vu, now 59 (originally from Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta and currently residing in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City), realized that many wounded veterans were still struggling with the lingering pain and hardship left by the war.

Feeling fortunate to have a stable job after leaving the army - he is now the director of a company - Vu decided to act.

A new step for veterans

Vu initially gathered his former comrades to establish the “Comrades-in-Arms Relief Fund,” aimed at supporting veterans in need. But he soon realized that livelihood support alone was not enough when his friend Tran Phan Anh Danh, 58, continued to suffer from pain caused by an ill-fitting prosthetic leg.

“How can I function in daily life without a leg?” Danh lamented.

Moved by his friend’s pain, Vu gifted him a higher-quality prosthetic, carefully measured and fitted to his residual limb.

After researching various types of prosthetic legs and conducting field visits, Vu selected the most suitable model. He came to understand that “for many wounded veterans, the war still hasn’t ended” - every flare-up of pain is a haunting reminder of battles long past, endured in silence.

Seeing the significant improvement in Danh’s mobility after a few years of using the new leg, Vu expanded the fund and launched the Minh Tam Charitable Program, specializing in providing prosthetic legs to veterans.

Fittingly, Danh - the first recipient - has since become the program’s coordinator and now works alongside Vu to carry the mission forward.

Spreading compassion

Maintaining the Minh Tam charitable program for three years has not always been easy. Vu has been criticized for “meddling in other people’s business,” but he believes that “no one understands post-war suffering better than the veterans themselves.”

Among the most urgent cases he encountered was a veteran who had used the same prosthetic leg for 35 years - so worn that it was reserved only for important occasions.

Upon learning of this, Vu immediately stepped in to replace the old limb - not just offering material aid, but extending empathy for pain too difficult to put into words.

Tran Tan Chuc, a veteran living in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, who received a new prosthetic leg in April, shared his gratitude: “After many years of using a strap-on prosthetic, this new leg feels smooth and light. Putting it on is much quicker too!”

The model Vu selected requires only inserting the residual limb into the socket, adding a thin sock, and then securing it into the leg - simple, functional, and comfortable.

What’s most touching is that many of the veterans who received prosthetic limbs have now joined Vu in contributing to the fund.

“I hope this small donation can help other comrades who are still struggling,” Chuc said.

Since the beginning, Vu has used his personal Facebook page to post a pinned message acknowledging and thanking all contributors. He updates each donation transparently as a gesture of gratitude and accountability. So far, more than 100 benefactors have joined the program.

In addition to mobilizing support from those around him, Vu also launched a community English class under the motto “teach and give.”

For those who can afford it, he charges VND2 million (US$79) per student - with all proceeds going directly to the Minh Tam charitable program. His hope is simple: to raise more funds quickly so that more veterans can receive the new “legs” they need to stand tall again.