Facing gruesome hardships, the armed forces of Military Region 4 and Military Region 5 were always present at eachs critical place to implement their rescue missions. During thee difficult and dangerous times, the affection between soldiers and the people grew even brighter.
The lessons from local mobilisation and readiness
At tough moments, measures based on the motto of local mobillisation were the top priority. The Quang Ngai provincial Military High Command dispatched two armored vehicles to bring two needy people to the emergency room amidst the storm as well as mobilising 25 officers and soldiers, two rickshaws and two canoes to promptly take 38 locals who were isolated by floodwaters in An Phu village, Tinh An commune of Quang Ngai city to the safety area. The Military High Commands of Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak provinces appointed hundreds of officials and soldiers as well as allocating many dedicated canoes and boats to rescue, evacuate and supply food to thousands of households isolated and vulnerable to tube floods, flash floods and landslides in the districts of Song Cau (Phu Yen), Van Ninh (Khanh Hoa), M'Drak, Krong Bong, Lak (Dak Lak).
In Quang Nam province, Dai Loc district Military Command used a truck and two canoes to take pregnant woman Nguyen Thi Vy over 20km amidst the floods to the Quang Nam’s northern mountainous region General Hospital. Vy went into labour without any relatives nearby and her house was cut off by the floods. Giving birth to a baby with a weight of 4.2kg, Vy was moved and shared: “I do not know where my son and I would be now if the soldiers did not help so promptly. My family thank them very much!”.
At 3am on October 29, nearly 200 officers and soldiers from Military Region 5, along with local authorities and related agencies, brought essential equipment and tools to quickly determine the way to clear the route and then coordinated with on-site forces to find and rescue 33 locals with 16 injured (of whom eight suffered serious injuries) in Nam Tra My district. The local military and medical staff gave first aid and put them in hammocks and stretchers, then taking them to hospital for treatment. Military Region 5 also sent forces to promptly remove the landslide that buried many people in Phuoc Son and Bac Tra My districts.
Major General Hua Van Tuong, Deputy Commander of Military Region 5, said that although they had to work hard to overcome the excessive amount of mud, rescuers made great efforts to find the victims. They deployed many measures and used a cable as a pulley across the Nuoc Met river. As a result, over 200 workers from the Dak Mi 2 Hydropower Plant were successfully rescued from the area which had been cut off. The Quang Nam provincial Military Command, in coordination with border guards and youths from upland communes, carried about four tonnes of food, including rice, instant noodles, drinking water, fish sauce and salt, crossing dangerous mountain roads to reacht over 3,000 local people in Phuoc Thanh and Phuoc Loc communes.
An order from the heart
The landslide in the Rao Trang 3 hydropower area, in the Phong Dien district of Thua Thien – Hue province caused severe damage to Military Region 4 and locals with 13 officers and soldiers laying down their lives (including Major General Nguyen Van Man) and 17 workers missing.
During the more than 40 days of extreme weather, the dangerous terrain, landslides and flash floods in the Rao Trang 3 hydropower area, the armed forces always devoted themselves to the work day and night with a high sense of determination to find and bring all victims to their families. The image of soldiers covered with mud and immersed in the rain and sun searching for the missing people remains fresh in the hearts of people around the country.
Army officials and soldiers on rescue boats crossed the strong floods to take each family to the safe area as well as wading in deep floodwaters to carry old people and children on their backs to safety. Food from across the country were brought to the flood-hit areas. Thousands of meals and food from natural disaster prevention and control reserves have been distributed to households in the districts of Quang Dien, Phong Dien, Phu Vang and Huong Tra and Huong Thuy towns.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province Phan Ngoc Tho said that the armed forces, especially in the rescue work at Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant, significantly contributed to the province’s positive results. Officers and soldiers from the units tried their best to effectively implement the search and rescue work. They were shining examples of a courageous spirit ,facingall challenges and difficulties in order to successfully fulfill all missions.
Major General Pham Van Ty, deputy director of the Rescue Department under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army said that the Rescue Department advised the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to direct Military Region 4 and 5 to drastically implement all measures and promptly mobilise their forces and means to help the localities and people. On-site forces together with the forces of the military region, the army and servicemen took part in the campaign.
The helicopter of the High Command dropped basic supplies for people in areas isolated by floods. The sniffer dogs of the Border Guard Command participated in searching for buried bodies. The special skills of the Engineer Corps were mobilised. Notably, the army worked with the relevant units to rescue eight crew members trapped aboard the Vietship 01 that were stranded in the Cua Viet sea of Quang Tri province while hit with strong waves and winds. During this successful rescue, 33 officers and soldiers laid down their lives. The Ministry of Defence promptly provided aids of hundreds of tonnes of rescue equipment, food and medicine to the central provinces.
According to Senior Lieutenant Phan Van Giang, Member of the PCC, Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, the highlight of the recent rescue and support work in the central provinces was that the army fully expressed the determination and spirit of “for the people to serve”, “for the people to sacrifice”. It remains the core force capable of the fastest and most effective response, contributing to minimising damage to the lives and property of the State and people. Their actions are highly appreciated by the Party, State, localities and people.
Despite unpredictable natural disasters, storms, floods, landslides and divided traffic, the army officers and soldiers overcame all hardships to fulfill orders from their hearts. Their noble gestures and actions to protect the lives of the people at all costs are a shining symbol of the affection between the people and soldiers as well as the strong ethos of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in this new period.
