Simple happiness

(Baonghean) - During my trip to the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, I heard many touching stories about the love stories of young couples from the lowlands who came here to start their lives. They met, got married, and chose this border region as their haven of happiness, contributing to building a stronger border for their homeland.

We arrived at the Military Housing Area of ​​the 4th Engineering and Defense Brigade after the sun had set behind the mountains. Perhaps this was the busiest and most lively time of day, as the men and women returned home after finishing their work at the unit, gathering together to prepare the evening meal. A warm atmosphere filled with the cheerful voices and laughter of adults mingled with the affectionate cries of children after a day at daycare.

Amidst the joyous atmosphere, we visited the family of Lieutenant Phan Van Dong, Assistant Operations Officer of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, and Ms. Tran Thi Loi, a teacher at Na Ngoi Secondary School (Ky Son). In their small house, the air was filled with the fragrant scent of incense, and peach blossoms were in full bloom, welcoming the Lunar New Year. Ms. Loi was preparing some "forest incense" to take back to her hometown tomorrow to wish her extended family a Happy New Year. She said warmly, "This year, Mr. Dong is on duty during Tet, so my husband and I are taking advantage of the few days off to bring our child back to the countryside to wish his grandparents a Happy New Year..." We learned that they met when he was working at the 324th Division and she was a student at the Nghe An College of Education. In 2008, before they had even had a chance to get to know each other, he was transferred to work at the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade.

To be closer to her husband, Ms. Loi volunteered to work in this border region. She thought her wish to go to Ky Son to be near her husband was fulfilled, but challenges arose when she took a job at Pha Danh Secondary School (Ky Son), more than 70 km away from where her husband worked. It was in this difficult situation that they encouraged each other to strive and complete their tasks well. After more than four years teaching at Pha Danh, she was transferred to Na Ngoi Secondary School – the locality where her husband works. Ms. Loi confided: “My husband and I are very grateful to the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade for the happiness we have today. When we first came here, we had nothing, but the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade cared for us, provided us with land, money, and materials; our comrades helped with labor, lent us money, and everyone contributed a little, which enabled us to build our house.”

The family of Captain Phan Trọng Lưu.

After saying goodbye to the young couple Dong and Loi, we visited the family of Captain Phan Trong Luu, Planning Assistant of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, and Ms. Chu Thi Lien, a health officer in Na Ngoi commune. In their small house, Ms. Lien was busy diagnosing illnesses for the villagers, while Mr. Luu and his children were helping his wife prepare the evening meal... As the sun set and all of Ms. Lien's patients left, by the warm fire, they reminisced about their early days together. Back then, Ms. Lien was a young intellectual volunteer of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, and Mr. Luu was a young engineer-officer in Production Team 2 (4th Economic-Defense Brigade). The months they spent together, crossing mountains and forests to help the villagers diagnose illnesses and alleviate poverty, were also the most beautiful months that nurtured their love. Upon completing their duties as young intellectual volunteers, they became husband and wife. And she continued to volunteer to stay in the village and was accepted to work at the Na Ngoi Commune Health Station.

During our stay at the military housing area of ​​the 4th Engineering and Defense Brigade, we truly witnessed the strong sense of community and camaraderie. After a hard day's work, they would gather together in the evenings to drink green tea, chatting and sharing stories about their hometowns, families, and the difficulties of their work. Each family had its own circumstances, but they shared one thing in common: both sides of the family lived far away, making it difficult for them to offer much assistance. More than anyone else, they understood and shared each other's life's hardships, taking turns shouldering family responsibilities to successfully complete their unit's tasks. For example, childcare. On weekdays, the children go to school, but on days off, many families have both husband and wife busy with work and no one to look after the children. However, if there was someone at home in the military housing area, the parents no longer had to worry. Witnessing the warm and harmonious life of the military family quarters of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, I was deeply moved by the close, sincere, and united feelings within this large family quarters. And perhaps that is also the reason why the families in this quarters always overcome all difficulties to successfully complete their tasks.

In a conversation with us, Colonel Nguyen Xuan Dieu, Political Commissar of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade, said: “To ensure that officers can work with peace of mind and remain committed to the unit, the Party Committee and command of the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade have adopted a policy of allowing military families to borrow land to build houses and increase production. The unit also supports each family with 20 to 30 million VND (in materials and cash) along with some living amenities and all the labor for construction...”. In addition, the unit has many practical policies to care for military families, such as visiting and encouraging each family during holidays and when they face difficulties or hardships. This care helps military families “settle down,” and helps officers and employees feel secure in their work and remain committed to the unit. And the unit's military family housing area is growing larger.

Looking at these happy families, words fail me. I silently thought that the 4th Economic-Defense Brigade has a significant support system behind it. In this military family housing area, the family members of the soldiers are not only comrades sharing the same profession, but they are also each other's support system and pillar of strength. This includes the considerable sacrifices made by the women – the wives of the soldiers.

Huy Cuong