Mai Quoc Tuan at his birthday celebration at Huong Phung Border Guard Station.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Bang, Deputy Political Officer of Huong Phung Border Guard Station, said: “Mai Quoc Tuan is a Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority member with particularly difficult circumstances in the area. Because his father passed away early and his mother works far away, Tuan and his two siblings live with their paternal grandparents. The unit has adopted Tuan and his younger sister as “foster children of the border guard station” and brought them to live at the station for easier care and support in their studies and daily lives. Since being adopted by the soldiers, he has always received the same care and attention as a child in the family, becoming a beloved part of the unit.”

This was Mai Quoc Tuan's first birthday celebration at the border guard station. The birthday party was attended by his grandmother, his younger sister Mai Thi Thanh Tuyen, friends from the neighborhood, family members, and his "foster parents"—officers and soldiers of the Huong Phung Border Guard Station. The celebration at the border guard station was complete and warm, with cake, sweets, and fruit... When the birthday candles were lit and everyone sang "Happy Birthday," Mai Quoc Tuan unexpectedly burst into tears, overwhelmed by a flood of unexpected and happy emotions. He received not only love and care, but also, and more importantly, for the first time since his birth, he had received a birthday party from his foster mother—Major Nguyen Thi Van, a staff member of the Staff and Administration Team—and the officers and soldiers of the Huong Phung Border Guard Station. Blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Mai Quoc Tuan happily shared: “I wish for my family members and my foster parents, the Border Guard officers, to always be healthy. I also promise to study hard and strive to become a Border Guard officer like my foster parents...”

Thanks to the affection and responsibility of the officers and soldiers of Huong Phung Border Guard Post, Mai Quoc Tuan's birthday celebration, though simple, was filled with warmth and happiness. Not only Mai Quoc Tuan himself, but also his relatives and neighbors who attended the birthday party were filled with faith and hope for a brighter future in the border region of Quang Tri .

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/xa-hoi/dan-toc-ton-giao/chinh-sach-phat-trien/thap-sang-hanh-phuc-tuoi-tho-1030939