The sun rose late, its golden rays filtered through days of storms, gentle as a hand softly placed on the still-breathing wounds on the earth that had witnessed so much loss. On the earth still faintly smelling of fresh mud, Le Thi Dung, a thin woman from An Xuan 3 village, stood silently before the garden that had just been cleared, awaiting the groundbreaking ceremony. An old cloth hat obscured half her face, the rest revealing red, teary eyes that betrayed her turmoil. She quickly wiped away her tears, as if afraid anyone would see the pain she had tried to suppress. The house that had sheltered her for 15 years had collapsed in a single night of flooding. And now, on that very ground still warm with memories, soldiers of the 5th Special Forces Brigade were laying the first bricks for her new home.

Colonel Tran Tan Cuong, Deputy Commander of the Khanh Hoa Provincial Military Command; Lieutenant Colonel To Thanh Tung, Deputy Political Commissar of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade, 4th Regional Defense Command; and Ms. Le Thi Dung at the construction site of a new house being built by officers and soldiers of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade after the flood.
Officers and soldiers of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade and Ms. Dung's family at the groundbreaking ceremony for their new home after the flood.

The morning air was more vibrant than usual. The acacia trees along the roadside still held raindrops from the night, their shards glistening in the sunlight like shattered glass. Behind them, the heavy, raspy sound of excavators, the clacking of shovels and picks, and the soldiers' footsteps stomping on the freshly tilled soil with a strong, decisive rhythm. The green of their uniforms blended with the green of the grass under the dawning sky, a silent affirmation: Peace was returning.

That morning, Ms. Dung's garden had a different appearance, an appearance of hope. The land had been leveled, the bricks neatly arranged, and the spirit level gleamed in the sunlight. The commander's voice reminded the soldiers: "Build it solidly, build it durably. The villagers must have their houses before Tet." These seemingly familiar instructions held the heavy heart of the special forces soldiers for the people. Representatives from the Party Committee and the command of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade were present from early morning. The officers and soldiers came to the people as if they were family returning after a long, arduous journey.

The "Quang Trung Campaign" has just been launched, but the morale of the officers and soldiers is like a long-smoldering fire that has been fanned into a flame. From the night of November 18th and the early morning of November 19th to November 26th, they returned after days of battling the raging waters in Vinh Hai, Do Vinh, Phuoc Hau, Phuoc Vinh, and Tay Nha Trang ward. Nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers plunged into the flooded areas, in some places the water was chest-deep, reaching the rooftops. With the experience of special forces soldiers, they reached places that other forces could hardly reach. Yet, shortly after stabilizing their forces, they set out again to rebuild houses for 26 households that had lost everything in the flash floods.

For soldiers, some orders don't need much verbal communication. When Colonel Pham Van Thuyen, Deputy Brigade Commander, launched the operation, many soldiers stood silently, their eyes red with tears. Some soldiers, their legs still bandaged after rescuing civilians, like Sergeant Nguyen Nhat Tan, still earnestly pleaded: "Sir, please let me go with you all as soon as I'm discharged from the hospital." Hearing those words, I suddenly remembered the words of General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defense : "If something is too difficult, just leave it to the Army; we will try our best." In the hearts of those in green uniforms, the peace of the people is the guiding light.

As task forces surveyed the seven severely damaged communes after the floods, the images before their eyes were heartbreaking: Houses swept away, corrugated iron roofs ripped apart like banana leaves, and wood buried in waterlogged soil. In Bac Ai Tay, where the upstream flood struck like a sudden devastation, the losses were even greater: rice paddies wiped out, livestock carried away by the current, and the bewildered eyes of the villagers standing before the land that was once their homes.

The road to Bac Ai Tay is winding, 90km from the Brigade, with many mountainous sections that only specialized KAMAZ vehicles dare to navigate. The muddy ground and narrow roads test the willpower of the soldiers. Yet they persevere, with the familiar composure of those who are well-acquainted with hardship. They see difficulties as an inevitable part of military life, and no matter how challenging the mission, they must complete it thoroughly.

The 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade participated in the "Quang Trung Campaign".

On December 3rd, the unit, along with the commune authorities, the People's Committee, and the Fatherland Front, discussed the plan for building the house: the land had to be legally valid, the ground had to be leveled, and the plan had to be unified. Everything was carried out simultaneously: surveying the terrain, selecting construction workers, carpenters, and electricians/plumbers. Some soldiers were handling trowels and mixing mortar for the first time, but their spirit was no different from that of seasoned workers. Those with more experience guided those with less, laughter mingling with shouts and calls amidst the smell of fresh mortar. A young soldier told me: "Nothing is difficult, commander, rest assured, we can do it."

Looking at the sun-tanned faces of the young soldiers, their sandals still covered in mud, I suddenly remembered the words of the French writer and senator Victor Hugo: "To love beauty is to see the light." Here, the light is the happiness that is gradually returning to the eyes of the people, a light that the soldiers are quietly helping to build with their own hands.

The biggest challenge right now isn't technical, but the weather. It's been raining in Bac Ai Tay for the past few days, making the roads incredibly slippery. But no one among the soldiers talks about being tired. They only discuss the progress, how to transport materials, and the goal of ensuring the villagers can celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with their doors locked and bolted.

Perhaps their perseverance stems from the vivid memories of houses submerged in floodwaters, cries for help lost in the rain, and the swirling currents they had to navigate by clinging to ropes. The marks of the floodwaters reflected in the eyes of the people were also etched in the hearts of the soldiers. Witnessing the suffering of the people only strengthened their resolve.

To ensure progress, the Brigade established 15 mobile teams, coordinating with local forces. Each person had a specific task; officers stayed close to the scene, resolving each obstacle; and the Brigade's leaders and commanders visited the site daily to encourage and supervise the work.

The images of the fighting army, the working army, the production army have never been so clear. Not through slogans, but through hands stained with dirt, feet covered in mud, drops of sweat falling and mingling with the fresh soil.

Soldiers of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade help local people clean up the environment after floods.

The "Quang Trung Campaign" aims to be completed before January 31, 2026. But more important than the deadline is the return of confidence.

This time, the soldiers didn't face a tangible enemy, but rather nature, scarcity, and tight deadlines. Every drop of sweat shed by the soldiers brought a smile back to the villagers' faces. Each brick laid was a step closer to the revival of the villages, a message: "The army is always there for the people in their most difficult times."

The morning ended in brilliant sunshine. Ms. Dung bowed her head for a long time, then looked up with a fragile smile, warm as the new sun—the sun that had dispelled so much darkness from her life.

The land will dry, the villages will be green again. The wounds from the flood will eventually heal. But the image of the soldiers of the 5th Special Forces unit swiftly building each wall and each roof will remain a memory in the hearts of the people for a very long time.

In the midst of the land still bearing the scars of the flood, new houses are taking shape day by day, built peacefully, simply, and enduringly by the hands of special forces soldiers who came to the people not only to rebuild roofs, but also to restore the faith of the countryside after the devastating flood.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/dung-lai-binh-yen-sau-lu-du-1015967