Footsteps that pave the way through the mud.

At 4:00 AM on February 14th, while a thick mist still clung to both banks of the Lo River, the first steps of officers and soldiers of the 316th Division (Military Region 2) landed at the old ferry terminal in Dong Tam and Dai Hoi hamlets, Doan Hung commune, Phu Tho province, the location identified as the site for the pontoon bridge. Gone were the traces of a once bustling ferry landing; after more than 10 years of disuse, the area was nothing more than a silted-up wasteland, overgrown with weeds and littered with rocks and pebbles, resembling a forgotten battlefield.

Officers and soldiers of the 316th Division opened a path down to the Lo River wharf.
Officers and soldiers of the Division took advantage of the nighttime hours to work on schedule to meet the mission deadline.

“The initial workload was enormous. We had to clear the land, level the ground, and build a road down to the dock almost from scratch,” recalled Colonel Bui The Dung, Commander of the 316th Division. From the moment they marched to the mission site, the Division Commander, along with officers at all levels, was present at the scene, accompanying the troops through every stage of the operation.

There was no time for hesitation. The order was clear: The site had to be secured quickly for launching the pontoon bridge before the 29th of Tet (Lunar New Year). And so, the shifts of officers and soldiers of the 316th Division and other units followed one another without rest. From 4:00 AM on February 14th to 2:00 AM on February 16th, the area around the Lo River dock was never quiet for a single moment.

The Division Commander personally led the forces in conducting field reconnaissance.

During the day, the earth and rocks were leveled, and the vegetation cleared. At night, the flickering beams of flashlights illuminated each shovel stroke and each truckload of stones being laid down on the path leading to and from the dock. On the night of February 15th alone, hundreds of officers and soldiers worked almost all night, coordinating with the 249th Engineering Brigade to lay stones along hundreds of meters of the sloping road. Witnessing the hurried and urgent work of the soldiers in the darkness and mud, I was suddenly moved to realize that their uniforms seemed to blend together. Indeed, without the rank insignia on their lapels, many would find it difficult to distinguish between officers and soldiers.

Working together, living together, overcoming hardships together.

Besides participating in clearing vegetation and opening wharves, officers and soldiers of the 316th Division also undertook many silent but essential tasks, such as: organizing motorboats to serve superior officers in field surveys; supporting hydrological and topographical reconnaissance; preparing a small command post for construction forces... In addition, according to Colonel Pham Hong Du, Deputy Political Commissar of the Division, the unit also actively propagated and mobilized people with land on both sides of the river to hand over the land early, and at the same time assisted people in harvesting crops to meet the deadline.

Battalion 17, Division 316, thoroughly checks the technical condition of its military motorboats before setting off on a mission.

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), while many units were organizing celebratory activities, especially many officers and soldiers of the 316th Division who had already been granted leave for the holiday, the Party Committee and the Division's command quickly instilled the importance of building the pontoon bridge, emphasizing that it was not only a military task but also a responsibility to the people. This spirit went beyond mere words. From the highest-ranking commander to officers at all levels, everyone directly "shared the burden" with the soldiers, eating, living, and working alongside them in the rain, cold, and muddy conditions.

Colonel Pham Hong Du's words resonated deeply with me: "The greater the hardship, the more bonded and loving the soldiers become towards each other. This mutual support is what enables soldiers to fulfill their duties in all circumstances."

Soldiers from the 316th Division are assisting local people in harvesting crops to clear the land for the construction of the access road to and from the dock.

The events on the Lo River bank in recent days have proven this. A task that seemed destined to take many days was "resolved" in just one peak day, ahead of schedule and with absolute safety ensured.

On the day the Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge was completed, the atmosphere on both banks of the Lô River was as lively as a festival. For the people, it was a joy to have convenient transportation before the New Year. For the soldiers of the 316th Division, it was the result of two almost sleepless nights, of sweat mixed with mud.

The Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge across the Lô River officially opened today.

The Lo River embankment in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse has become a vivid testament to the noble qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers. Not through grandiose words, but through quiet actions in the cold, rainy night, through sturdy roads paved under flashlight beams, and through the shared hardship between commanders and individual soldiers.

Returning to their unit in the twilight, the officers and soldiers of the 316th Division still had mud stains on their uniforms from the Lo River bank. But perhaps what remained in their hearts was not the hardship and toil, but the joy of contributing a small part of their efforts to bring happiness to the people.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/bo-doi-su-doan-316-quan-khu-2-hai-ngay-dem-giua-bun-ret-ben-song-lo-1026613