Officers and staff of Team 192 provided free medical examinations and dispensed free medicine to the people of the Lao ethnic groups.

Major Bui Khac Truong, a driver in Team 192, is one of the few officers who have spent five seasons searching for fallen soldiers' remains in Laos. Throughout those five years, marching dozens of kilometers through rugged mountainous terrain has become commonplace for him. Difficulties, hardships, and even danger constantly lurked, but the officers and soldiers of Team 192 never faltered. For them, searching for fallen soldiers' remains on the Laotian battlefield is not only a sacred duty but also a noble responsibility.

Major Bui Khac Truong confided: "The journey to find the remains of fallen soldiers is an extremely arduous and difficult task, especially since the information we receive is currently located in remote, isolated areas deep in the forest; in some places, we have to march on foot for 3-4 days to reach the location. Despite the hardships, when we find the remains, all the fatigue seems to disappear. For us, even a small piece of information or a glimmer of hope is enough; no matter how difficult or arduous the journey, we will make the utmost effort and show the highest determination."

Over 800 villages and hamlets in the two provinces of Salavan and Sekong are locations where officers and soldiers of Team 192 have conducted search operations over the years. To effectively carry out their work, in addition to the support and assistance from Laos, Team 192 must constantly stay close to the people and villages. Following the motto of "4 close ties, 3 together" ("Stay close to the people, stay close to the area, stay close to the government, stay close to the policies and guidelines" and "eat together, live together, study together, and speak the language of the Lao people"), they strive to make the people understand, gain their trust, and build good relationships from the very beginning. The unit always takes advantage of days off and breaks to help the local people.

Team 192 has provided numerous assistances to the local people, including free medical examinations and medication distribution, house and school repairs, bridge and culvert repairs, and rural road repairs. They also assist the people in harvesting rice, cassava, and coffee. Furthermore, they directly guide the Military Commands of the districts and the people on how to increase production, grow vegetables and fruit trees… thereby not only building trust but also strengthening the solidarity and close ties between the Vietnamese army and the Lao people.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Tri Hung, Team Leader of Team 192, said: "The journey to find the remains of fallen soldiers in Laos is becoming increasingly difficult because sources of information are becoming scarcer. Moreover, the locations provided by these sources are all in remote areas deep in the forest, with very few people passing through. Therefore, the Party Committee and the Command of Team 192 always consider staying close to the people and villages to gather more information as a necessary and effective task. As a result, the team's officers and staff have been living, eating, working, and speaking Lao with the local people to create a close relationship; through this, they have been able to disseminate information and encourage the people to provide information about fallen soldiers..."

Text and photos: QUANG ĐẠO

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/4-bam-3-cung-tren-hanh-trinh-di-tim-liet-si-tai-lao-155907.html