"I want to be Uncle Ho's soldier!"

(Baonghean) -Every year, in mid-June, many children from all over the country, from the mountains to the sea, eagerly return to Vinh city to participate in a special semester - the military semester. Although they have to be far from home, wake up early at 5am and participate in training courses like a real soldier, they are all eager to wear military uniforms, carry backpacks, call each other comrades, and discover things they have never experienced before...

It was only 5am but Ho Chi Minh Square already had many children aged 12-16 brought by their parents, dressed in new recruit uniforms, carrying backpacks and wearing caps. Many classmates and schoolmates quickly said excitedly, “Hey, what time did that kid come? I couldn’t sleep all night, I was so nervous.” Those who went alone quickly got to know their peers and were not as attached to their parents as in previous years.

At exactly 6:30, the squads, under the guidance of Senior Lieutenant Tran Van Thanh - Secretary of the Youth Union of the Provincial Military Command, quickly gave the command to organize the ranks so that each squad could quickly gather in a single line, lower their backpacks at their positions, and move towards the stage.

On behalf of the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee, Mr. Duong Hoang Vu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union said: "Today is the day of the children in Nghe An province to participate in the military semester class. We hope that the children will complete the course well and have memorable experiences in their student life. Participating in the military semester class with useful lessons, the children will be trained in comprehensive personality, discipline, independence, and perseverance to overcome difficult circumstances and challenges, helping them to be more confident, brave, and determined in life".

Nguyen Anh Tai, an 8th grader at Dang Thai Mai School, who has been participating in the military semester class for 2 consecutive years, said: “By participating in the “Military Semester” class, we have become more mature in terms of courage and will, and have been equipped with skills to increasingly improve our personalities and become independent in life. We promise to study and train well during the 10 days of military service so as not to disappoint the expectations of our parents, the soldiers participating in the training, and the members of the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee, who will accompany us throughout this meaningful military semester.”

After the ceremony in front of Uncle Ho's statue, the children's parents quickly came to their children with pride, adjusted their hats and shirts, and provided them with daily necessities. Nguyen Thanh Binh, mother of Nguyen Anh Tai, put a bottle of dishwashing liquid in his backpack and said: "He needs a bottle of oil to wash the dishes because last year, his friends only washed them with cold water. This is his second semester but he is as excited as the first time he participated!"



The first lesson on the opening day of the Military Semester class.

This year, 28 girls participated, some of whom were only 12 years old, the minimum age to join the class. In addition to the children from Vinh City and neighboring areas, there were also children from mountainous districts such as Con Cuong, Tuong Duong... Coming from Hung Nguyen district, 12-year-old Nguyen Thi Bao Lan said: "After receiving the notice from the head teacher, I also spent a session researching the course's curriculum. I liked it so much that I asked my parents' permission and invited 2 more classmates to join, so that I could be more confident in front of the boys!"

The training program in this year's Military Semester course has the following topics: "Practicing to be a soldier" with learning regulations and training in formation and team; Personal internal affairs training in the army, first aid training, martial arts training... "Journey to the red address" with activities: Participating in gratitude activities, social security; volunteer activities, environmental protection...; "Exploring experiences"... Depending on the reception and creativity of the students, Regiment 764 will have appropriate changes. In particular, this year, students will participate in a journey to the homeland's sea and islands to arouse national pride, love for the sea and islands, and the responsibility of citizens towards the maritime border.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Binh - Commander of Regiment 764 said: "After 2 years of coordinating semester training in the army, we have learned a lot from previous training courses, so the training program is changed regularly to suit students of many ages and regions. Most of the students here are quite good students, so they have good learning ability, are eager to learn, not afraid of difficulties, not afraid of hardship. Some students were shy at first but then quickly adapted and were very reluctant when the training course ended. That is the great success of the semester in the army".

Coming to Regiment 764, the children were warmly welcomed by the uncles in the Regiment Command, they quickly settled down and watched the military semester film of the previous year. It was about the picnic on the peanut field in Nghi Loc district, the scene of the children visiting the Vietnamese Heroic Mother... When the film ended, the commander read the list to assign them to each squad. The children quickly went back to their rooms to find their names on the bunk beds, everyone tried to squeeze in to see if they could be on the 2nd floor. The commander quickly announced the first lesson on how to arrange the house, which was how to fold the blanket in the shape of a matchbox when the wake-up call was given at 5am. Many children attentively admired the soldier who neatly folded the blanket, and said: "How can you fold it like that, at home I never knew how to fold the blanket...".

The morning of the opening of the “Military Semester” course ended when the sun was already high in the sky, and the children’s voices could still be heard calling each other, chatting as if they had known each other for a long time. Hopefully, after the course, the young soldiers will become soldiers in school, good at studying, obedient and have many skills like an “Uncle Ho’s soldier”.

Thanh Nga