Society

The simple happiness of a woman from Nghe An.
Honored twice at A50 and A80

Diep Thanh • March 7, 2026 08:43

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh (born in 1987, residing in Bich Hao commune, Nghe An province) is one of the few female militia members who have twice been honored with a Certificate of Commendation from the Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army after two significant events (the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Southern Vietnam) and A80 (the 80th anniversary of National Day). These brilliant achievements are the culmination of very simple and genuine efforts.

Brilliant moments…

Ms. Hanh possesses a gentle beauty, embodying the essence of a traditional Vietnamese woman: refined, sociable, and graceful. The more you interact with her, the more you are drawn to her positive and vibrant energy. And indeed, she had moments of brilliance that not everyone is fortunate enough to experience when representing the militia and self-defense forces at two major national ceremonies: A50 and A80.

In early 2025, when the former Thanh Chuong district was recruiting personnel for the A50 event, Ms. Hanh, then a militia member of Mai Giang commune (now Bich Hao commune), was entrusted with this important responsibility. After days of training in her locality, she passed rigorous screening processes to go to Hanoi, officially joining the ranks of the Northern Women's Self-Defense Militia.

After training in Hanoi, the group continued south. In contrast to the cold, rainy weather in Hanoi, Binh Duong welcomed the soldiers with its characteristic scorching heat, which many women found unbearable. “This was a time when forces from six provinces representing Military Region 4 trained together, with a lifestyle and training regimen similar to real military training, strict even for professional soldiers. I don’t have the advantage of height, but luckily I have the stamina of someone accustomed to manual labor since childhood,” Hanh confided.

Having successfully completed her mission at A50, Ms. Hanh returned to the congratulations of everyone. With her pride still intact, Ms. Hanh continued her duties at the A80 event. She followed the training group in Thanh Hoa and then to Hanoi, taking on a role in the women's militia of Vietnam's ethnic groups. Recalling those historic days that she will "remember for a lifetime," Ms. Hanh shared: "The great event has passed, but I will never forget the feeling of happiness and pride when I was 'walking among the people,' shaking hands with the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, hearing my loved ones call out my name amidst the parade, and sharing joys and sorrows with sisters from all three regions of the country during our time together..."

In each training session, Ms. Hanh was always recognized for her sense of responsibility, conscientiousness, and discipline. Almost the oldest member of the group, she was like an older sister, always loved and respected by everyone. For her contributions, at both events, Ms. Hanh was honored to receive a Certificate of Commendation from the Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.

…comes from ordinary things

Throughout the conversation, Ms. Hanh spoke little about herself and frequently mentioned her family. She affirmed that without a strong support system, she would never have achieved such glorious moments.

“From the moment I received the assignment, because my parents-in-law are elderly and my two children are still in school, I felt somewhat hesitant knowing I would be away from home for many months. But my parents-in-law were the ones who encouraged me the most to participate. My husband even said he would take care of everything at home for me. My children, although they miss me very much, promised to be well-behaved and obedient so that I could focus on my duties. Local officials also came to our house and pledged to send someone to help if anyone in the family gets sick or if there is a shortage of people to help with farm work… It was these encouragements that gave me more determination,” Ms. Hanh recounted emotionally.

Having successfully completed her assignment, Ms. Luong Thi Hanh returned to her daily life, to her family, her fields, and the simple roles of a woman. She is a farmer, simultaneously raising buffaloes, cows, deer, and chickens, and cultivating several acres of her family's land. Her diligence, skill, and resourcefulness in managing the household have earned her everyone's respect. In her free time, she engages in additional trading to supplement her income. For the past three months, she has also been a worker at Luxshare – ICT Nghe An Co., Ltd. She is an exemplary and hardworking employee, always adhering to factory regulations and striving for excellence in her work.

“Sometimes my neighbors still jokingly call me ‘the A80 girl,’ ‘the celebrity’… I’m grateful that people recognize me, but I’m still me. The only difference is that I’ve been fortunate enough to have experiences that have shown me how happy my family is, how wonderful my country is, and from that, I choose to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life each day,” said Ms. Hanh.

Commenting on Ms. Hanh, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue - Chairwoman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Bich Hao commune, shared: “Ms. Hanh is of the Thai ethnic group, originally from Con Cuong district (formerly), and married into our Bich Hao commune. Despite being from out of town, Ms. Hanh is very sociable and enthusiastically participates in local community activities, making an impression with her resourcefulness, intelligence, and skill. In daily life, her simple, sincere, and thoughtful personality makes everyone fond of her. Ms. Hanh is also the only ethnic minority member in the Executive Committee of the Fatherland Front Committee of Bich Hao commune for the 2025-2030 term. Another special thing about Ms. Hanh is that she is very good at taking care of and nurturing her family. Even though many generations live together under one roof, her family always maintains order, is exemplary, harmonious, and serves as a role model for other families to follow.”

When asked further about her "priorities" regarding the roles she has held, Ms. Hanh confided: "If I could only choose one, I would always choose the role of a woman of the family. Although family is a small element in society, only when the family is happy can other roles be strongly developed. This is clearly demonstrated in my case: Behind the brilliant moments is a loving family."