I remember the first time I saw the milk flower tree was on a September afternoon, when the rain had just stopped. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a strange, sweet scent that was as light as a whisper.

I looked up in the middle of the barracks yard, a single milk flower tree was blooming with clusters of ivory white flowers, mixed in with the green foliage. Not flashy, not arrogant, the milk flower spread its fragrance silently and humbly, like the life of the soldiers here.

I used to think that milkwood trees only grew in the North, where rows of them lined the streets of Hanoi, filling the air with their fragrant scent every autumn. Yet, in the southwestern region of Vietnam, where sunshine and wind prevail year-round and rain comes unexpectedly, the milkwood trees still stand strong, blooming regularly every year. It's a beautiful, gentle, and profound image, reflecting the very spirit of the land and its people.

Soldier Tran Thanh Huy (far left) and his comrades chat happily under a flowering tree at their unit. Photo: HOANG PHUC

There were evenings, after training, my brothers and I sat on the porch under the milk flower trees. We told each other stories about our hometown and our dreams from our school days.

Amidst the chirping of insects and the gentle scent of flowers in the breeze, everyone felt their hearts soften. All the tiredness and stress of the day seemed to disappear. The milk flower tree, somehow, became a silent friend, listening and sharing with us.

Amidst the disciplined and intense rhythm of military life, the presence of the milkwood tree is like a soft, emotional touch. It not only beautifies the barracks landscape but also reminds us to cherish simple, cherished values. Every time I gaze at the blooming milkwood trees, my heart feels even more connected to my unit and to the land that molded me from a young man into a soldier.

Someday, if I leave, I will surely still remember the image of the milk flower tree in front of the porch with its clusters of ivory-white flowers, its light fragrance, and the unforgettable days of my youth in soldier uniform.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/nong-nan-huong-hoa-sua-giua-troi-nam-1016100