Helping people makes me forget all my tiredness...

At about 2:00 p.m. on October 8, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ha Quy, Deputy Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff of Regiment 209, Division 312 (12th Corps) received information: At Tao culvert in Xay Tay hamlet, Trung Thanh ward, Thai Nguyen province, there was a landslide and water leak. The Regiment Commander immediately consulted, reported to superiors and quickly mobilized forces to carry out the task. At this time, the Regiment also had units picking up and dropping off people at flooded areas, transporting rice, drinking water and necessities to help people in Ben Ca, Dong Lam, Dinh, Loi Ben residential groups..., evacuating people and property in Tan Thinh 1 residential group (also in Trung Thanh ward) and on-duty forces ready to participate in other tasks.

Soldiers of Regiment 209, Division 312 (12th Corps) transport bags of soil to reinforce a landslide at Tao culvert, Trung Thanh ward, Thai Nguyen province.

Immediately after arriving at Tao culvert, soldiers of Regiment 209 urgently scooped up soil into bags and transported it to the landslide site. In just a moment, the soldiers' backs, faces, and hair were drenched in sweat. Transporting the bags of soil to the culvert body was only about 50m but was full of challenges because of the steepness, uneven rocks, and slippery road, but the sound of footsteps "clacking, clacking..." was steady as if they were tireless. After finishing this job, the officers and soldiers immediately started to sharpen piles, transport piles to reinforce the dike foot, and many other tasks, which were not finished until late at night.

Taking advantage of the break time when the officers and soldiers of Regiment 209 were taking a break, Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet from Xay Dong residential group and Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang from Xay Tay residential group (Trung Thanh ward) ran home to bring 3 watermelons to cut open, offered to the soldiers and said: The people are very impressed with the spirit of working wholeheartedly for the people of the soldiers of Regiment 209, not only this time but also many times helping people cope with natural disasters. Corporal Ngan Van Ha (Company 5, Battalion 8, Regiment 209) shared: "From yesterday until noon today, my teammates and I went to each family in the flooded area to help evacuate people, property, livestock, poultry... When carrying heavy bags of soil, I did not feel tired because I just wanted to do it quickly and well to promptly overcome the landslide incident, helping people avoid the risk of heavy damage".

Overcoming the flood to save people

On the morning of October 7, when Regiment 209 was present in Trung Thanh ward to help the locality, the roads leading from the Cau River dike to the riverbank area were still convenient to travel. The unit used Kamaz trucks to evacuate people from the flooded area. But from the afternoon of October 7, the water rose rapidly, causing widespread flooding and isolating many areas. Showing us the location of the only road leading to Phu Coc area that was now "merging" into the vast sea of ​​water, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huy Phong, Deputy Chief of Politics of Regiment 209, said: Phu Coc area has more than 400 households that were severely affected when the water was 2-3m deep; all road vehicles could not circulate, the only way was to use the regiment's military boats. Along the road, the straight rows of areca trees were almost "swallowed" by the murky water, only the tops remained swaying.

Colonel Tran Van Bich, Deputy Division Commander, Chief of Staff of Division 312, who directly directed units to help people, said: Due to high water levels and strong currents, controlling the boat to approach the deeply flooded area in Phu Coc became a big challenge. Electric wires, signs, fences, gardens... were all submerged in water, making it very difficult to determine the direction; just a little carelessness could cause the boat to capsize or get stuck. Directly controlling the boat, Captain Chu Dinh Tuan, Deputy Commander of Engineering Company 17 (Regiment 209) and his teammates had to stretch themselves in the middle of the murky, turbulent water, with strong whirlpools and reverse currents in some places. Every meter into the flooded area was potentially dangerous, because there were many hidden obstacles under the water. The soldiers had to constantly use poles to probe the way, sometimes bending over to lift the electric wires to help the boat pass safely. The harsh sunlight reflected on the shimmering water surface as if it wanted to wear down the physical strength of the rescue team. In the distance, people waved and shouted loudly.

Soldiers of Regiment 209, Division 312 used rescue boats to pick up residents of Loi Ben residential group, Trung Thanh ward, Thai Nguyen province.

The place where the rescue boat of Regiment 209 "docked" was the corrugated iron roof of Mr. Tran Van Cac's house in Loi Ben residential group, Trung Thanh ward. Seeing the soldiers arrive, Mr. Cac and many other villagers, their faces dirty and tired after nearly two days of fighting the flood, suddenly brightened up, cheers resounded in the space filled with the sound of water hitting the corrugated iron roof: "The soldiers have arrived. We're saved!". The soldiers quickly took everyone to the boat and continued maneuvering...

Mrs. Tran Thi Quynh, Dong Lam residential group, Trung Thanh ward, was still in shock, her voice trembling as she said: “At first, I tried to stay home because I had to run around and prepare rice. I thought the water would only rise a little like every year, but I never expected it to be this high. Only the roof of the house is left above the ground. More than 50 bags of rice - the result of the whole harvest - were floating. Luckily, the rescue boat of Regiment 209 came to my rescue. Thank you very much, soldiers!”

Rescue boats of Regiment 209, Division 312 evacuate people from flooded areas in Trung Thanh ward, Thai Nguyen province to safety.

Amidst the floodwaters, the boats of Regiment 209 moved back and forth like shuttles, steadfastly approaching each house to bring people to safe areas and deliver food and drinking water to households with people staying behind. Comrade Nguyen Duc Hung, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Trung Thanh Ward, said: Since October 7, more than 100 officers and soldiers of Regiment 209, Division 312, together with local forces, have supported the evacuation of people and property in the flooded area to safety. No matter what they do to help the locality, the officers and soldiers are very active and responsible with the spirit of "serving the people" of Uncle Ho's soldiers.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Pham Quang Huy, Political Commissar of Division 312: On October 7 and 8, units of Division 312 helped flooded localities evacuate 1,435 elderly people and children; 300 pigs; 150 cows; 20 tons of poultry and 32 tons of rice; and at the same time overcome incidents. The Division will continue to closely coordinate with the Provincial People's Committee and the Military Command of Thai Nguyen province to grasp the situation; proactively and promptly mobilize forces to help people respond to and overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

Article and photos: TUAN HUNG - SONG HIEU

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/bo-doi-su-doan-312-giup-dan-that-nhanh-that-tot-849789