Do Van Bac and his girlfriend met by chance on the occasion of Tet 2021, when both were guests at a year-end party at the house of a high school friend in Hanoi . Being quick and active, Bac was always the one who took the initiative in the party activities. When the party was going on, he accidentally caught the eyes of a petite, pretty girl with fair skin and a bright smile on her lips. At the end of the party, he took the initiative to chat, asked for her address to get to know her, and found out that she was Hoang Thi Hong Lien, a student at Hanoi University of Home Affairs. From that day on, the girl's eyes and smile lingered in the young officer's mind.

After the Tet holiday, returning to her studies, Hong Lien no longer had many memories of the young officer she had talked to. Suddenly one day, she received a letter sent by post . Opening the letter, Hong Lien realized that this was the friend she had met before. The impression of their first meeting and the memories of their military service were conveyed by the young officer through the letter. He did not forget to write his address with the message: "Looking forward to hearing from you". His simplicity, rusticity and humorous way of speaking impressed the female student. Letters went and came back, over time, the stories between the young couple gradually became more frequent and closer.

Lieutenant Do Van Bac and his girlfriend Hoang Thi Hong Lien.

One weekend, while staying with her friends in the dormitory, Hong Lien suddenly heard a knock on the door. Opening the door, she was very surprised because in front of her was the young man from the day before, wearing an Air Defense - Air Force uniform and a red rose in his hand. After the initial awkwardness, thanks to his neat dress and polite communication, he quickly scored points in the eyes of her and her female roommates. Like that, occasionally taking advantage of the weekend, he asked the unit commander for permission to visit his girlfriend. Every time he came, he gave her fresh red roses, sometimes accompanied by a small meaningful gift made from bamboo toothpicks. His perseverance and endurance, true to the character of a soldier "guarding the sky", gradually conquered the heart of the lovely female student.

Due to work and geographical distance, the time they had to meet was very limited. Understanding this difficulty, Hong Lien proactively went to the unit, both to encourage him and his teammates and to better understand life in the army. Visiting the unit, witnessing the hardships and difficulties they had to face to protect the peace of the Fatherland's sky, Hong Lien loved and respected her boyfriend even more. At that time, she was also a bit worried because she did not know if she could be a solid rear so that he could work with peace of mind. However, with sincere feelings, all worries passed, giving way to the determination to come together to build happiness.

On April 30, 2021, Do Van Bac and Hoang Thi Hong Lien officially marked their love journey with the approval of both families, friends and colleagues. Although they know that there are many challenges ahead, the young couple believes that all difficulties will pass and happiness will stay with those with sincere hearts and faithful love.

Article and photos: THANH QUANG