Gathering each rice stalk in the deep field.

Early in the morning of May 23rd, as the sun rose above the distant mountains, the Chan-Ha Giap rice field in Dan Chu commune, Phu Tho province, glowed with a faded yellow color amidst the vast expanse of water. Just days before, the fields had been laden with ripening rice stalks awaiting harvest, but now only the submerged rice plants bobbed up and down.

On the muddy rice paddies, Comrade Le Phuc Tuat, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dan Chu Commune, and Lieutenant Colonel Do Cao Cuong, Commander of the Commune's Military Command, were present from very early in the morning to directly command and encourage the forces assisting the people in harvesting the rice. A sense of urgency permeated the entire field. Groups of officers, soldiers, and militia members divided themselves into sections, some cutting the rice, others bundling it neatly, and still others transporting it onto boats and pushing it ashore.

Officers and soldiers of Battalion 19, Headquarters of Military Region 2, and the Military Command of Dan Chu commune, Phu Tho province, are working hard alongside the people to harvest rice amidst flooding.

Amidst chest-deep floodwaters, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Giap, Deputy Political Commissar of the Military Command of Dan Chu Commune, along with Senior Lieutenant Tran Van Dan, Political Commissar of Company 3, Battalion 19, General Staff of Military Region 2, and other soldiers diligently gathered each rice stalk. In some places, the water was nearly neck-deep, forcing them to bend down close to the murky water, carefully cutting each remaining rice plant. Each time they gathered a bundle of rice, the soldiers quickly placed it on the boat, preventing it from falling into the water.

The deep floodwaters made movement extremely difficult. Yet, for hours on end, no one left their post. Arms moved swiftly across the vast expanse of water, and small boats lined up to bring the rice to shore. The entire rice field resembled a massive construction site, racing against time. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Giap shared that harvesting rice in flooded conditions had to be done very quickly, because even a one-day delay would ruin the rice, and farmers risked losing everything.

In the scorching heat of over 38 degrees Celsius, everyone's clothes were soaked and covered in mud, but the young soldiers' faces still shone with optimism. They worked without regard for time, forgetting even the burning sun beating down on the fields.

Sharing the hardships with the people in the low-lying areas.

In the Bờ Cầm-Hạ Giáp fields of Dân Chủ commune, dozens of officers and soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Đỗ Cao Cường and Lieutenant Colonel Trần Trọng Hiếu, Political Commissar of Battalion 19, diligently helped the people harvest their crops amidst deep water. The heavy bundles of rice, once gathered, were quickly transported ashore by the soldiers. The soldiers carefully checked each step to avoid falling into deep holes. Some stumbled but quickly got up and continued working.

Many rice fields were deeply flooded, making harvesting very difficult.

Observing the soldiers working across the flooded fields, it was difficult to distinguish between officers and soldiers unless one paid attention to the rank insignia on their lapels. Everyone was immersed in the work alongside the people. The commander also directly waded through the fields, carried rice, pushed boats, and endured the scorching sun with the soldiers.

Wiping away the sweat and mud from his tanned face, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Trong Hieu confided that, during difficult and arduous missions, the officers must always stand alongside and "share the burden" with the soldiers. This is not only to set an example and share the hardships, but also to provide timely guidance and assistance to the soldiers in handling situations and ensuring their safety during the mission.

Private Nguyen Binh Thuan, a soldier in Squad 3, Platoon 1, Company 3, Battalion 19, from Hai Luu commune, Phu Tho province, recounted while harvesting rice that, despite being born in the countryside and familiar with farming, this was the first time he had harvested rice in such deep flooding conditions. During the work, the soldiers shared small tips: They had to scrape the rice stalks close to the base and then sweep the sickle across the stem to avoid missing any; they had to bundle the rice neatly as they cut; and they had to immediately transfer it to the boat to prevent it from being swept away by the current.

The young soldier smiled kindly: "The villagers work very hard to grow rice. Therefore, no matter how hard it is, we try our best to help them harvest as much as possible."

Perhaps because most of them came from poor rural areas, familiar with the smell of mud and the hardships of farmers working under the scorching sun, the soldiers understood the value of each grain of rice better than anyone else. Therefore, in the flooded fields, everyone tried their best to work with double or triple their strength to preserve the fruits of their labor for the villagers.

The bond between soldiers and civilians during the rainy season and floods.

  Late in the afternoon, the early summer sun still blazed down on the rice fields of Dan Chu commune. Boats laden with rice continuously docked at the shore. In the small yards along the village edges, soldiers and civilians busied themselves threshing and drying the rice. Soldiers, having just come up from the fields, quickly helped the villagers move the rice, spread out tarpaulins, and gather each wet sack of rice.

The soldiers transported the rice urgently.

Mrs. Tran Thi Bac, a resident of Zone 2-Ha Giap, Dan Chu Commune, with her wrinkled hands covered in mud, excitedly received bundles of rice from the soldiers, emotionally saying that she had never seen the army so close to the people as at this moment. After spending the whole day wading in the water to help the people save their rice crops, the soldiers continued working alongside the villagers to thresh and dry the rice. A few days earlier, when the floodwaters rose, many households here were almost in despair, fearing they would lose everything. But at the most difficult time, the local Party committee, government, and armed forces arrived in time to help the people harvest their rice to escape the flood. Thanks to their efforts, most of the villagers' rice crops were saved in time.

While working alongside the people to harvest rice, officers, soldiers, and militia members also assisted the villagers in threshing the rice immediately after the harvest.

Passing through the fields of Bo Cam, Dong Nhoi, Cau Be, Bao Thanh, Song Do, Gia Thanh-Ha Giap in Dan Chu commune, we saw soldiers, militia, local officials, and people working diligently everywhere. According to Comrade Le Phuc Tuat, the recent heavy rains have flooded more than 250 hectares of rice in the commune, with nearly 50 hectares deeply submerged, risking total crop loss if not harvested in time. In response, the local authorities mobilized all available forces, along with timely support from the 2nd Military Region, on May 22nd and 23rd, focusing on helping people save their rice crops, prioritizing the harvesting of areas deeply submerged and at high risk of damage. Many families, after harvesting their own fields, also proactively helped other households, especially those with few members or facing difficulties.

At the end of the day, the scorching sun still blazed across the fields of Dan Chu commune. But hundreds of officials, soldiers, and local people were still working tirelessly. For them, time was no longer measured in hours, but in each rice field saved, each bundle of rice brought safely ashore, bringing joy to the people.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/ky-su/bo-doi-quan-khu-2-cung-nhan-dan-cuu-lua-tren-que-huong-dat-to-1040943