After nearly half a century believed dead, Nguyen The Long - once declared fallen on the battlefield - returned to his hometown in Quang Hai Commune, Quang Xuong District, Thanh Hoa Province, in a reunion that left an entire coastal village overcome with emotion.

Mr. Long, now elderly, quietly stepped back into his birthplace in Dai Hamlet, surrounded by family members whose eyes brimmed with tears at the sight of a long-lost loved one.

His younger sister, Nguyen Thi Coi, broke into sobs as she greeted him for the first time in decades. “Do you recognize me?” she asked. Mr. Long simply shook his head, memories of his hometown and family still blurred by time and trauma.

In 1976, a 17-year-old Long left home to enlist. Six years later, the family received an official notice confirming his death in Cambodia. His mother passed away grieving, and the only trace left was a memorial certificate honoring his service, hanging solemnly in their modest home.

Unbeknownst to all, Mr. Long was still alive - his identity lost. Around 1987, he was found in the southwestern province of An Giang, unable to recall who he was. A kind woman named Huynh Thi Hang took him in and cared for him as her own son. For nearly 40 years, he lived as a member of her family, embraced and nurtured.

Only recently did fragments of his memory begin to return - names of his parents, his village, a few relatives. That sparked a verification effort which, remarkably, confirmed his identity and led to an emotional reunion no one could have imagined.

On the day of his return, his foster mother, Mrs. Hang, also came. With tears in her eyes, she lit incense at the ancestral altar of Mr. Long’s biological parents. “Now I can rest in peace,” she whispered. “I’ve brought my son back to his ancestors.”

Though his health and memory have faded, Mr. Long still recognized familiar names. At the family altar, he knelt and lit his first stick of incense in nearly 50 years, calling his late mother’s name in a quiet, resolute voice: “I’ve come home.”

At the welcome-home meal, he seemed more alert, savoring the familiar flavors of seaside dishes. Surrounded by two families - one of blood, the other of love - Mr. Long basked in a warmth that needed no explanation. Though he never married or had children, the presence of those who cherished him formed a complete and loving home.

“It’s painful to lose the dead, but even more painful to lose the living,” Ms. Hang said, her voice choked with emotion. She was joyful yet heartbroken, now having to part with the son she had raised.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Lieutenant Hoang Van Chien, police chief of Quang Hai Commune, said the local government is working quickly to restore Mr. Long’s personal identification, health insurance, and possibly recognize him as a wounded veteran if eligible.

“This is an extraordinary case, and we are doing everything we can to help him rebuild his life,” Lieutenant Chien affirmed.

Y Nhuy