Put aside personal interests and put the safety of the people first

Le Hao

During the recent historic floods, like many other frontline forces, police officers and soldiers did not fear danger, rushing into the rushing water to support and bring people to safety. Despite their worries for their loved ones and families, they put aside their personal concerns, prioritized their duties, and put the safety of the people above all else.

Holding back the pain of losing his mother, he saved people in the midst of the flood.

Major Le Van Sum (born 1986), Deputy Captain of the Investigation Team, Office of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency, is one such example.

On November 19, when the flood rose rapidly in Hoa Thinh commune, he and the rescue team were mobilized to help evacuate people. The water flowed rapidly, the waves were big, vehicles could only reach nearby areas, while further areas were completely isolated. Among the families trapped were his own parents in Dao hamlet, Phu Phong village.

Comrade Cao Thi Hoa An, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, could not hide her emotion when hearing the family recount the circumstances when Mrs. Huynh Thi Chien - Major Sum's mother passed away.

“I knew the water was rising, but my house was far away and the road was cut off, so I couldn’t go home. At that time, I just hoped my parents would try to hold on. My teammates and I continued to wade through the rain and flood, racing against time to try to reach and rescue 3 households with 7 people nearby, including a mother and a 2-month-old baby,” Sum recalled.

From the night of November 19 to the end of November 20, Mr. Le Xuan Nam (born in 1946) and Mrs. Huynh Thi Chien (born in 1951) - parents of Major Sum - were isolated in the middle of the sea of ​​water. The water flooded into the house so quickly that the old couple only had time to take temporary shelter on the roof, but the flood still rose to the roof. Soaking in cold water, suffering from hunger and thirst, while being old and weak, and having underlying diseases, Mrs. Huynh Thi Chien did not survive.

It was not until the morning of November 21, when the water receded, that Major Sum and his younger brother were able to use a small boat to approach their home area. Hearing his son’s call, Mr. Nam weakly responded. His two children quickly handed him a pack of noodles and a bottle of water to eat and drink to sustain him, then took him down to the boat and continued to go around the neighborhood to distribute instant noodles, drinking water and support the households still stranded.

“I know my mother is no longer here, but the people are waiting for me. My family’s loss is too great, but it is not the only one in the midst of a historic flood. Therefore, I try to hold back my grief to fulfill my responsibility as a People’s Public Security soldier,” Major Sum emotionally shared.

Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Cao Thi Hoa An encouraged Major Le Van Sum and his son to try to overcome loss and grief.

Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition, his father is a retired military officer, from a young age Mr. Sum was trained in discipline and a lifestyle for the people. Growing up, he passed the entrance exam to the People's Security School, then worked in the police force from 2005 to present. 20 years of working, experiencing many storms and floods, participating in rescue operations many times, but never before has Mr. Sum seen floodwaters rise as high and as fast as this time.

“In any situation, we must prioritize saving people nearby first, then expand to more distant areas. We know our family and loved ones are there, but the mission still comes first,” said Major Sum.

On the afternoon of December 4, Comrade Cao Thi Hoa An, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council visited, encouraged, and shared the loss of Major Le Van Sum's family.

Recognizing the sense of responsibility and silent sacrifice of Major Sum in particular and the entire police force in general during the recent natural disaster, comrade Cao Thi Hoa An emphasized that these sacrifices deserve to be recognized, respected and spread. “You have overcome your own pain to save hundreds of other lives. That not only demonstrates responsibility but also the proud quality of a People's Police soldier: selflessly serving the people,” said the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee.

Keep the oath "to serve the people"

Not only Major Le Van Sum, during the days of rising water and raging floods, Captain Nguyen Minh Khuong (born in 1992), an officer of the Animal Use Management Team, Mobile Police Department of the Provincial Police, also put aside personal matters to prioritize rescuing people in distress.

On November 19, Captain Khuong and his team received orders to go and support isolated people in Son Thanh commune. “Those were days when we hardly had a minute to rest. Water poured in, reaching the roofs of many houses. The continuous cries for help from all directions made us rush forward following our instincts as People's Police soldiers,” he recalled.

While he and his teammates were on duty in the flood, on the afternoon of November 21, after having just brought a group of people out of the deep flooded area, Captain Khuong received the bad news: his father-in-law - Mr. Le Van Hai (born in 1968, residing in Thach Tuan 2 village, Hoa Xuan commune) - was submerged by floodwaters. Because he could not move to a safe place in time, he was trapped in his own house surrounded by water. By the time the neighbors reached him, it was too late.

Representatives of the Provincial Police presented gifts to the family of Captain Nguyen Minh Khuong. Photo: Provided by the Police.

“When I heard the news, my heart sank, everything around me was shaking. But looking in front of me were dozens of people waiting to be taken to safety, I had to stand firm,” Captain Khuong choked up.

Mr. Khuong said that during his mission, he still hoped that his father-in-law could climb up to the roof in time to avoid the flood. But this year's flood was too fast, too fierce. The water rose in just a moment and flowed much faster than what the people here had ever witnessed. "My father-in-law - the one who always told me to try to complete the mission, the one who always proudly told everyone that his son-in-law was going to save the people - did not have time to escape," Captain Khuong said in a low voice.

After the flood receded, one side of Mr. Hai’s house wall collapsed, all the furniture was washed away. The scene of devastation made relatives and neighbors heartbroken. Amidst the chaos was the pain of a family, and also the torment of the son-in-law - a police officer who could not be with his loved one in the last moments.

For police officers like Major Sum or Captain Khuong, loss and grief are challenges they must overcome to maintain their soldierly spirit. “I was unable to save my loved ones, but I will try my best to ensure that no other family has to suffer the same pain as mine,” Captain Khuong shared.

Major Le Van Sum and Captain Nguyen Minh Khuong are just two of many cases that have gone through similar moments of torment. During the tense days of the historic flood, thousands of police officers and soldiers had to put aside their personal worries - flooded houses, lonely elderly parents, relatives in distress... - to rush into vulnerable places, saving people who were gradually becoming desperate.

Those silent sacrifices are clear evidence of the noble qualities of a People's Public Security soldier: daring to face danger, taking the peace of the people as the reason for living.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202512/gac-lai-niem-rieng-dat-an-nguy-cua-nhan-dan-len-tren-het-07c1c31/