Female Colonel Explains April 30 Parade: Today I Feel Safe to Get Sick

WATCH VIDEO : Parade to celebrate 50 years of national reunification

The 50th anniversary of the country's reunification on April 30 left many proud emotions when watching the military, police and people's parades. Contributing to the heroic atmosphere was the powerful and inspiring voice of the narrator, leading each formation across the stage.

Without public appearances, the "storytellers" silently led and introduced the 48 blocks entering the stage. They contributed significantly to creating a successful and impressive celebration, parade, and march.

Sitting in a cabin on one side of the grandstand, the commentary team quietly followed every step of their comrades' marching, timing the blocks, the commentary rang out: "Warmly welcome the block of officers representing the five armies entering the stage. 50 years ago, in the historic days of April, the five armies together with the armed forces, the mass political forces simultaneously entered Saigon..." then each soldier in the formation tightened their ranks, raised their heads higher, and simultaneously performed the salute and marching movements.

Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thi Hoang Ha performs the task of explaining the parade.

Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thi Hoang Ha, Deputy Head of the Vocal Music Department, Military University of Culture and Arts, was one of eight people who read the commentary for the parade and marching procession at the 50th anniversary of reunification ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City.

The way Lieutenant Colonel Ha emphasized and read the names of each group "entering the stage" made many people feel moved, evoking more patriotism. The voice of her and her teammates also made the listeners feel like they were living in the glorious, golden moments of 50 years ago.

Lieutenant Colonel Ha is the leader of the commentary team because she is the most experienced person, having interpreted many national celebrations such as: The 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory (2014), the 70th anniversary of August Revolution and National Day September 2 (2015), the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory (2024)...

She could not hide her pride at having completed her mission on the country's important holiday.

"The pressure is huge, the responsibility is huge, I don't allow myself to 'let down' because this is a national program, of international scope. Today, I feel a lot lighter because I have completed the mission. I am also comfortable enough to get sick," Lieutenant Colonel Ha confided to VietNamNet.

Coughing and his voice hoarse after the anniversary, Lieutenant Colonel Ha said the team of narrators was carefully selected from units in the Army in the three regions, and had to go through a selection and reading test.

Units throughout the army will select qualified candidates, after the screening process, they will gather in Hanoi to compete in the parade narration. The jury of 5-6 members will select candidates who meet the requirements of the celebration.

Eight male and female soldiers with both Northern and Southern accents were selected. They spent months practicing their pronunciation, intonation, and breathing; along with the preliminary and combined parade groups from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

As the most experienced person, Lieutenant Colonel Ha gave detailed instructions to the new members, who were undertaking this task for the first time, from pronunciation, breathing to expression. To ensure the health of the commentary team, there were also strict requirements such as not using ice, avoiding cold foods, regularly rinsing the mouth with salt water and sucking on candy to keep the neck warm, and limiting factors that could affect the voice.

Lieutenant Colonel Ha shared that explaining in a parade is not like MCing a normal event. The MC of a program will know who the audience is, what the content is, from there he can guide according to the MC's wishes, can express more personal emotions, adapt to the situation, and improvise. Explaining a parade is "both a political matter and a historical story with connections", requiring a call, pride, love for the country and the soldier's spirit in every tone, "igniting" the footsteps of the soldiers entering the stage.

"The content of each explanatory block is nearly 200 words, the content of the sentences is approved through many rounds. The units and military branches with participating forces will prepare this content based on the historical tradition and mission of the unit. We have to explain in a way that shows the heroic tradition of the parade block but still conveys emotions to the listeners, raising the steps of the parade. Because if we read too slowly or too quickly, it will not match the parade block below," added Lieutenant Colonel Ha.

People welcome Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thi Hoang Ha and her teammates

After more than 2 months of practicing with the parade groups in the capital, the hot weather in Ho Chi Minh City, Lieutenant Colonel Ha shared, "The reading group has its own pressure, but is not affected by the rain or sun. The standing and walking groups have to endure the rain and sun but remain solemn for many hours. The comrades with 'bronze bodies and iron skin' are very persistent and determined. It is the hard work of our teammates that makes us try harder."

On the train journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Lieutenant Colonel Ha and thousands of officers and soldiers received great affection and warmth from the people of many localities that the delegation passed through. This was a memorable mark in her military career.

Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thi Hoang Ha said that if she is trusted by her superiors and leaders during the upcoming 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, she is ready to accept the task.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nu-thuong-ta-thuyet-minh-dieu-binh-30-4-hom-nay-toi-yen-tam-de-om-2396911.html