Speaking to a reporter from Nhan Dan Newspaper, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thang Anh said: Two days after the earthquake disaster in Myanmar, he received orders to go on an international mission.
Due to the tight schedule, before leaving, he only had time to tell Minh, his sick young son at home: "Minh, be good at home. Daddy will be gone for a few days and then he'll come back to you." The four-year-old boy didn't understand what was happening, but clung to his father's legs, whimpering.
Participating in a rescue and relief operation abroad for the first time, the Deputy Head of the Translation Department, Foreign Affairs Bureau, Ministry of National Defense, was tasked with conducting field reconnaissance before deploying forces. Therefore, he was the first to reach areas severely affected by the earthquake. As a result, he also directly witnessed much loss and suffering in the host country.
|
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thang Anh (right) speaks with Bangladeshi rescue forces at the search and rescue site in Naypyidaw. |
On the evening of April 1st, after a hard day's work and a quick, simple meal with his comrades, Lieutenant Colonel Thang Anh hurried back to his small room and called his family. Today was Lieutenant Colonel Thang Anh's birthday. Therefore, he especially wanted to talk to his family, his eldest daughter Lan Chi, and "Private" Nguyen Anh Minh, as he usually called his youngest son.
"Did you see Dad on TV today, Minh?" he asked.
"Yes, Dad!" Minh replied.
- So, it's Dad's birthday today, Minh, will you sing a song for him?
From the other end, the 4-year-old "private" sang a birthday song in a foreign language to his father, who was thousands of kilometers away. His singing occasionally faltered due to the intermittent signal from the epicenter.
After reminding Minh to take his medicine to recover from his illness and promising to return safely soon, the father affectionately said goodbye to his family and sat in silence for a moment. He said, "Today, I surveyed a total of five locations, one of which left me speechless. Underneath the ruined house, five children under 10 years old and a woman were still buried. Outside, grieving mothers and fathers were still standing and sitting, looking inside. At that moment, I thought that the fact I could still come home tonight and talk to my children on their birthday was an immense blessing and happiness."
Celebrating a birthday in a foreign land without candles, flowers, cake, or excessive well wishes. Just a cross-border phone call over a shaky signal. But for Lieutenant Colonel Thang Anh, this was the most meaningful birthday of his more than 20 years in the military…
The innocent well wishes from Vietnam gave him extra strength and determination to complete his mission, never backing down during the rescue and relief efforts in Myanmar.
|
Lieutenant Colonel Thang Anh called Minh, the young "private" from Myanmar. |
|
He reminded his son to take his medicine so he would get better quickly. "When we get home, Dad will take the two sisters out to play," Lieutenant Colonel Thang Anh said. |
|
The innocent well wishes from Vietnam gave him extra strength and determination to complete his mission, never backing down during the rescue and relief efforts in Myanmar. Source: https://nhandan.vn/sinh-nhat-dang-nho-cua-trung-ta-quan-doi-nhan-dan-viet-nam-trong-vung-dong-dat-myanmar-post871649.html |
Comment (0)