During those historic April days, under the scorching sun, the peak of the dry season in the South, along the main road of Battalion 7 (309th Infantry Division, Military Region 7), officers and soldiers of the Armored Company were diligently "braving the sun and rain, enthusiastically training" with high spirits and determination, ready for the grand celebration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.

A company of armored soldiers is training on the training ground.

Through discussions and inquiries, we learned that after more than four months of training at the 201st Tank Brigade, undergoing basic and advanced training phases and conducting joint group exercises at the National Training Center 4, in early April, 165 officers and soldiers from the Tank Company mobilized and traveled 1,697km from Hanoi Railway Station to Bien Hoa City (Dong Nai province) to continue with phase 3 of their training.

This is a journey filled with pride, carrying the steely spirit and passionate hearts of tank soldiers. The powerful strides, unified and solemn formations, sun-tanned faces, strong and resolute, and precise movements were our first impressions as we witnessed the tank company training on the training ground.

Wiping away the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, Lieutenant Vu Ba Quoc Bao, Commander of the Military Banner Unit, said: "We are very honored and proud to be in the formation representing the tank troops participating in the parade commemorating the Victory of April 30th. My comrades and I will continue the tradition of 'Once deployed, we will win' of the Tank Troops with the swift spirit of our forefathers, striving to train hard and contribute to the overall success of this great national celebration."

The company of soldiers from the Signal Corps are training on the training ground.

Immediately after the first parade rehearsal on the evening of April 18th on Le Duan Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Private Tran Duc Nhon proudly told us: "This is the first time I've stood in the solemn parade formation marching through the Independence Palace area – the place that marks the historic moment 50 years ago when tanks 390 and 843 bravely led the charge, crashing through the iron gate and planting the liberation flag on the roof of the Independence Palace – we were truly moved and proud. This is the motivation for me to strive to overcome all fatigue and hardship, determined to excel in training and successfully complete my mission on the official holiday of April 30th."

Among the soldiers participating in the parade and march training this time is Private Pham Minh Quan (202nd Armored Brigade). Dreaming of wearing the green uniform of a soldier, Quan volunteered to enlist and was honored to be selected to participate in the parade and march. Quan's older sister is also a member of the Women's Medical Corps. Quan shared that the two sisters only manage to meet after each training session to check on each other's health, instruct each other on movements, and encourage each other to strive and be determined for the common mission. With her diligence and hard work, Quan quickly grasps the movements. In all activities, Quan is always exemplary, diligently following the training content, and has been commended many times within the corps. Quan expresses her highest determination to successfully complete her duties and hopes to serve in the Army for a long time.

A contingent of soldiers from the Signal Corps at a rehearsal for the parade and march on Le Duan Street, Ho Chi Minh City, on the evening of April 18.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Vu Van Hong, Assistant Head of the Military Training Department - School, and Deputy Company Commander for Training, the entire unit is currently training day and night in the final stages. The training team is focusing on improving individual movements, forming formations, and organizing competitions; requiring that during parades and marches, each soldier must demonstrate a powerful, dignified, unified, and cheerful military posture and demeanor. The training team has carefully studied the content, drawing lessons for each soldier to overcome existing weaknesses; and promptly commending those with good achievements. As a result, the results are constantly improving, and the unit of the Armored Corps has been commended by the Minister of National Defense , who assessed it as a unit that marches "correctly, evenly, strongly, beautifully, and uniformly."

As the person directly managing and closely supervising the officers and soldiers in the unit, Major Vu Trong Tri, Deputy Head of the 201st Tank Brigade, said: "During the training process, the entire unit always received the attention and encouragement of the Commander of the Tank Command. In addition, ensuring a good material and spiritual life was always emphasized. During training, we organized for the soldiers to watch documentary films and give thematic talks about the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the role and great contributions of the Tank Corps in the Great Victory of Spring 1975. We regularly organized cultural and artistic activities, performed collective dances, and successfully implemented the contents and targets of the high-intensity emulation campaign "Rapid - Decisive Victory," and the "3 Best, 1 Determined" surprise emulation campaign, creating a comfortable atmosphere and promptly motivating and encouraging the soldiers to achieve high results in training."

The Commander of the Signal Corps encouraged the forces of the Corps to participate in the parade and march.

"Hard training makes perfect" – these days, the officers and soldiers of the Tank Company are still diligently practicing with urgency, enthusiasm, and a burning desire to race against time. The training process, with specialized equipment, body armor, and tank helmets covering their ears, makes the field uniform even hotter. However, for each member of the unit, every drop of sweat represents a silent effort, and every step is a heartbeat of pride.

“To achieve a unified formation, each person in the unit must strive their best, every step and hand movement must be precise and rhythmic. Participating in this parade has given us many valuable lessons about perseverance, solidarity, overcoming ourselves, and honing the will and courage of a soldier of Uncle Ho's army,” – this is the sentiment of Private First Class Bui Huy Du, a soldier of the 215th Tank Brigade, who volunteered to participate in this parade and hopes to continue participating in parades for the 80th National Day in the future.

“Tradition is our foundation, giving us strength and motivation to strive harder, to be better each day than the day before. We know that a beautiful parade formation contributes to the overall success of this important national holiday,” affirmed Sergeant Bui Hoang Anh and Private Bui Huy Du.

DINH MAI LAN

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/nhung-buoc-chan-than-toc-824730