在台灣高雄市左營區，有位名叫劉德文的里長，長年默默為一群特殊的老人完成最後的心願——讓他們的魂魄回到故鄉。左營區的祥和里，曾是許多來自中國大陸、因歷史原因滯留在台灣的老兵聚居之地。這些老兵多數已經走完一生，卻仍心繫故鄉，希望在離世後能將骨灰送回家鄉安葬。

劉德文在過去 23 年裡，一直義務為這些老兵尋找家鄉，並親自護送他們的骨灰跨越海峽，送回到大陸的故土。他的足跡遍佈20多個省份，送回家的不只是骨灰，更是老兵跨越時空的鄉愁與未竟的夙願。迄今為止，他已經完成超過300位老兵的「返鄉之旅」。

在這些經歷中，黑龍江對劉德文而言有著特別的印象——他曾四次親自前往哈爾濱，成功將四名黑龍江籍老兵送回家鄉。今年，他再度護送一位名叫張宏奎的老兵回到大陸，這也是他第33位親手送回家的老兵。

劉德文說，物質終究是短暫的，他更希望用行動留下有價值的事業，讓這份意義傳承下去。他希望自己的兒孫知道，上一代人曾為兩岸之間搭建過一座特殊的橋樑——一座讓老兵「回家」的橋。

這次護送行動結束、回到台灣稍作休整後，劉德文並沒有打算停下腳步。他已經計畫在接下來的四個月內，前往四川等地，陸續護送18位老兵的骨灰回到大陸的家鄉。他的使命，還在繼續，而那份堅持與情感，也在海峽之間延續不斷。

In Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, there is a man named Liu Dewen, the head of Xianghe Village, who has devoted years to fulfilling a special wish for a unique group of elderly men—helping them return to their hometowns after death. Xianghe Village was once one of the settlements for veterans from mainland China who, due to historical circumstances, remained in Taiwan. Many of these veterans have since passed away, yet their hearts were still tied to their homeland, hoping that their ashes could be returned to rest in their native soil.

For the past 23 years, Liu Dewen has voluntarily searched for the hometowns of these veterans and personally escorted their ashes across the Taiwan Strait back to the mainland. His footprints have reached over 20 provinces, carrying not just urns, but also the veterans’ deep longing for home and their unfulfilled wishes. To date, he has successfully completed the “homecoming journey” for more than 300 veterans.

Among these journeys, Heilongjiang holds a special place in Liu’s heart—he has visited Harbin four times, successfully returning the ashes of four veterans from Heilongjiang Province. This year, he escorted yet another veteran, Zhang Hongkui, back to the mainland. Zhang became the 33rd veteran Liu has personally accompanied home.

Liu says that material possessions are ultimately fleeting; what he wants most is to leave behind something meaningful. He hopes to pass his deeds on to the next generation, so that his children and grandchildren will know that their forebears once built a special bridge between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait—a bridge that allowed veterans to “go home.”

After a short rest in Taiwan following this escort mission, Liu will set off again, this time to Sichuan. Over the next four months, he plans to return the ashes of 18 more veterans to their hometowns on the mainland. His mission continues, and the persistence and emotion behind it keep flowing across the Strait.