The "steel" character of the Company Commander

Upon arriving at the 544th Engineering Battalion, Hanoi Capital Command, we heard many stories about Captain Pham Van Manh, the commander of Company 2. Within the unit, he was often called the "iron" company commander because he consistently demonstrated his capabilities in carrying out difficult and highly dangerous tasks, yet remained close to the soldiers in their daily lives; he was a shining example in studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh.

My most lasting impression of Captain Pham Van Manh is the image of him wearing a field raincoat, directly supervising engineering teams carrying out mine and explosive ordnance detection in the Dien Hong flower garden area under heavy rain, ensuring absolute safety for the rehearsal of the parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd. Sharing about this special task, Manh humbly said: "Contributing my small efforts to the success of this major political event is an honor, so no matter how difficult it is, we strive to complete the assigned task well."

Captain Pham Van Manh (on the right) guides and directs the engineering team in carrying out the task of detecting mines and explosive devices in the Dien Hong flower garden area (August 2025).

Graduating with honors in Civil Engineering from the Military Engineering Officer School, Pham Van Manh was assigned to the 544th Engineering Battalion, a unit tasked with training, combat readiness, national defense construction, and especially bomb and mine detection and disposal. This was an ideal environment for him to apply his acquired knowledge to practice. Over the past eight years, he has directly participated in and successfully completed many important and outstanding tasks, such as: salvaging and disposing of 12 unexploded bombs remaining from the war in Hanoi; working with his unit to clear mines and liberate many hectares of land for socio-economic development; ensuring the safety of thousands of important political events in the capital and the state; and participating in creating simulated scenarios (smoke, fire, explosives), mine detection, and responding to building collapses during military exercises.

As a company commander, Captain Pham Van Manh always upheld a high sense of responsibility and constantly innovated his management and command methods. According to him, to successfully complete missions, soldiers must be trained to proficiently use all types of equipment and vehicles in their inventory, especially new and specialized equipment such as barbed wire trucks and multi-purpose rescue vehicles. Along with that, a breakthrough is needed to improve the quality of engineering training, especially in the areas of explosives disposal, obstacle clearing, fortifications, and tunnel construction. Therefore, the unit always maintains rigorous training according to plan, adhering to the motto "basic, practical, and solid," conducting comprehensive, in-depth training that is relevant to the target audience, and prioritizing practical application.

In particular, recognizing the high safety risks inherent in engineering tasks, he always emphasized educating, nurturing, and training soldiers to be highly skilled in their specialized fields, fostering meticulousness, perseverance, courage, and a strong sense of discipline in carrying out their duties. For his outstanding achievements, in 2025, Captain Pham Van Manh received commendations from the Minister of National Defense and the Hanoi Capital Command; he has been awarded the title of "Outstanding Soldier" at the grassroots level for many consecutive years; and he has been recognized as an outstanding Party member for many years.

Commenting on his subordinate, Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Hai, Political Officer of the Battalion, proudly said: “Comrade Pham Van Manh is a young, enthusiastic officer who always leads the way in carrying out his duties. He is truly a shining example of courage, responsibility, and silent dedication, radiating the qualities of a soldier of Uncle Ho's army, a soldier of the capital in the new era.”

 

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/chat-thep-cua-dai-doi-truong-997329