In the chilly weather of the year-end, whenever they have the chance to chat and share stories, the people here often recall the humane, compassionate, responsible, and timely actions of the officers and soldiers of the 198th Special Forces Brigade (Special Forces Corps) towards the people in times of hardship and danger.
As dawn broke, Nui Sam Market (Phu Hoa 2) was bustling with buyers and sellers. Showing off her fresh, inexpensive freshwater crabs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (31 years old, a garment worker residing in the area) said: “In the days after the flood, Nui Sam Market was covered in mud and garbage. In the stalls, the carcasses of buffaloes, cows, chickens, and pigs decomposed, emitting a foul odor, forcing vendors to move their goods to the roadside, making the market chaotic and potentially unsafe. Thanks to the soldiers of the 198th Special Forces Brigade who joined hands and contributed, the entire market was cleaned up in just one day.”
Opening his notebook containing information and data on the unit's relief efforts in the "flood epicenter" of eastern Dak Lak province during the last days of November, Lieutenant Colonel Le Xuan Thong, Deputy Head of Political Affairs of the 198th Special Forces Brigade, told us: On the night of November 20th, at the request of the Dak Lak Provincial Civil Defense Command, the Brigade deployed hundreds of officers and soldiers along with many canoes, rescue boats, life rafts, and troop transport vehicles, under the direct command of Lieutenant Colonel Vu Van Yen, Deputy Brigade Commander, marching over 200km to Tay Hoa, Hoa Thinh, and other localities to participate in rescue and relief work. Upon arrival, the team quickly deployed canoes and motorboats to deliver food and supplies to help people in isolated and cut-off areas.
At the centralized evacuation points, officers and soldiers of the unit promptly assisted in transporting two elderly people with high blood pressure and a pregnant woman in her sixth month showing signs of exhaustion to medical centers and clinics for examination and treatment. In particular, on the afternoon of November 21st, the unit used high-clearance trucks to travel dozens of kilometers through sections of deep, fast-flowing water where vehicles could not maneuver. Therefore, the soldiers, along with local officials, devised appropriate plans to help families who had lost loved ones with burial arrangements. Despite the rain, cold, hardship, and danger, the Special Forces soldiers always strived their utmost for the people in the flooded areas.
At midnight, on their way back to the campsite, the task force, led by Lieutenant Colonel Le Xuan Thong, discovered several people trying to cross the raging floodwaters at the spillway in Phu Huu village (Hoa Thinh commune) to get home. They immediately set up a human barrier to assist the villagers. After two hours of battling the strong currents, the officers and soldiers successfully brought 67 people to safety. Still not completely reassured, the soldiers took off their life jackets and gave them to the elderly and children, helping people get back to their homes. In some cases, because their houses were still deeply flooded and inaccessible, the soldiers encouraged them to return to the commune's People's Committee office for shelter.
The work was completed by dawn, but just a few hours later, the soldiers enthusiastically participated in general cleaning and disinfection spraying along inter-village and inter-commune roads. In addition to assisting families receiving government support and impoverished households in overcoming the consequences of the floods, the soldiers also helped local authorities load and transport 80 tons of relief rice; and helped people dry nearly 50 tons of rice that had been soaked in water and become moldy. With the help of the 198th Special Forces, after nearly a week, 25 schools that had been severely flooded and damaged, and had to temporarily cease operations, reopened to welcome students back, much to the joy of both teachers and students.
“On behalf of the school's administration, teachers, and students, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the officers and soldiers of the 198th Special Forces Brigade for their timely support in helping the school overcome the consequences of the historic flood. The teachers and students will forever remember the kindness, responsibility, and efforts of the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army. We wish you good health and continued success in your assigned tasks,” Mr. Dang Chien, Principal of Hoa An Secondary School (Phu Hoa 1), emotionally expressed in his thank-you letter to the unit's officers and soldiers. According to Mr. Dang Chien, on the night of November 19th, floodwaters submerged the entire school grounds. When the water receded, mud and debris filled the building from the first to the second floor, and many desks, chairs, and learning materials were damaged. Fortunately, thanks to the support and assistance of the Special Forces, all school activities have now returned to normal.
“Based on the rescue and relief work carried out by our unit and other units in Dak Lak in recent days, please tell us, if we were to perform a mission in a new area, under conditions of darkness, rain, strong currents, disrupted communication, and a large number of people needing rescue… what should we do?” During the specialized training session on the topic “Rescue techniques and actions (operating rescue boats and lightweight river crossing equipment)”, under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Lai, Deputy Battalion Commander of Battalion 33 (198th Special Forces Brigade), officers and soldiers enthusiastically discussed and prepared for the lesson. During a break, Lai shared: “To improve the rescue and relief capabilities of our soldiers in incidents such as fires, building collapses, floods, and landslides, training, practice, and drills have always been given special attention by the Party committee and unit commanders. Thanks to this, during the recent historic floods in South Central Vietnam, despite facing many difficulties, our unit always received and successfully completed the assigned tasks.”
Source: https://baolangson.vn/ba-con-vung-lu-nho-bo-doi-dac-cong-5067846.html
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