When floods surge, mountains crumble, streams overflow; when the boundary between life and death is measured in minutes and seconds... that's when the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army appear, silently but resolutely. They become a strong shoulder, a peaceful support for the people... From Muong Xen, My Ly to Nhon Mai, touching stories of Uncle Ho's soldiers saving people are still being passed down among the border residents like an epic in peacetime.
Rushing into the raging flood to save people.
In just two and a half months, from the end of July to October 2025, Nghe An province suffered three major storms in quick succession: storms number 3, 5, and 10. Storm after storm, flood after flood, mud and rocks cascaded down from the mountainsides, sweeping away and burying houses, roads, and fields. The western region of Nghe An – where villages nestled against the mountain slopes – was the most severely affected. Storm number 3 alone caused heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides, directly impacting 35 communes, with nearly 450 houses completely swept away or buried, and thousands more submerged in water... Amidst this raging floodwater, the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army were the first to rush into the dangerous areas and the last to leave once the people were safe.
Border Guard officers and soldiers of the province assist people in relocating their belongings during the natural disaster. Photo: Thanh Cuong.
On the night of July 22nd, in Muong Xen commune, the Nam Mo River roared fiercely, flooding the entire commune center. Vi Van Hieu, the commander of the commune's Military Command, received an urgent call: "People are trapped in Block 5, the water is rising rapidly!" Without hesitation, he and his comrades rushed into the torrential rain... Before him, a house was surrounded by swirling water, only its roof visible, with five villagers inside desperately crying for help. Without a boat, Hieu tied a rope around himself, letting his comrades hold the end, and plunged into the icy water.
The wind howled, the water crashed, and cries for help mingled with the sound of the rain. After more than 30 minutes of struggling, Vi Van Hieu managed to guide each person to safety. When he was finished, his leg was bleeding profusely from a cut by a piece of metal, but he only smiled: "At that moment, I only thought about saving them. Only when the people are safe can I feel at ease." Bui Thi Que, one of the rescued, still hasn't forgotten that life-or-death moment: "I thought I wouldn't survive. The whole family just hugged each other, waiting for the water to sweep us away. When I saw the rescuers coming, I burst into tears."
Residents take refuge from the flood in tents erected by the provincial armed forces. Photo: Thanh Cuong
During Typhoon No. 3, in the border commune of My Ly, officers and soldiers of the My Ly Border Guard Post saved an entire village. Throughout July 22nd, they were stationed in Xang Tren village, urging residents to evacuate. Mr. Kha Van Hoanh, Secretary of the Party Branch of Xang Tren village, recounted: “The officers spent the whole day persuading the villagers, their voices hoarse. The villagers were complacent and refused to leave because they had never experienced flooding before. But with perseverance and determination, the officers successfully persuaded all 67 households to evacuate to the Border Guard Control Station for shelter. That night, a flash flood swept away 39 houses in the village. If it weren't for them, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
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In Pha Mut village, the locals call him "the village's torchbearer," because during the storm and flood, the flashlight in his hand guided dozens of people to safety.
Mr. Xong Ba Co - Village Team Leader of Pha Mut hamlet, Nhon Mai commune
In Pha Mut village (Nhon Mai commune), Village Team Leader Xong Ba Co – a son of the mountains and forests – discovered signs of landslides on the hillside behind the village, and the water level in the stream in front of the village was rising unusually high. Village Team Leader Xong Ba Co immediately consulted with the village management board, then knocked on every door, urging residents to evacuate urgently. Just as the last household left, a massive landslide occurred, wiping out half the village. His house was also destroyed, but the villagers were safe. In Pha Mut village now, people call him "the torch of the village," because during the storm and flood, the flashlight in his hand guided dozens of people to safety.
During the devastating floods, many villages were isolated. The soldiers not only rescued the villagers but also brought medicine and food to these areas. The village of Cha Nga (My Ly commune) was surrounded by water on all sides, and for three days, no one could contact anyone. A task force consisting of commune officials and border guards walked for two days, climbing over cliffs and crossing the Nam Non River to bring rice, salt, and medicine to the village. When the task force arrived, the entire village burst into tears. Mr. Luong Van Nhun, the head of Cha Nga village, recounted: “We thought we would be trapped here forever, living under the open sky. When we saw the soldiers appear, the whole village cried with emotion.”
Preserve the land, preserve the village, preserve the peace of life.
After the storm subsided, people's homes were buried under mud, soil, and rocks. The soldiers of Uncle Ho's army in Nghe An transformed themselves into construction workers, doctors, and family members. With the spirit of "wherever the people are in need, the army is there," Colonel Dinh Bat Van, Commander of the Provincial Military Command, promptly directed 1,079 officers and soldiers along with hundreds of vehicles to the communes of My Ly, Bac Ly, Nhon Mai, Muong Xen, etc. Officers and soldiers ate and rested right at the scene to help people clear mud and debris, rebuild houses, repair schools, clear waterways, and clean up the environment.
Provincial armed forces are digging through debris and searching for belongings for people in the flooded areas. (Photo: Archival material)
Faced with the isolation of many communes in the western region, the Ministry of National Defense deployed helicopters from Regiment 916 and the Northern Helicopter Company to conduct 10 flights, carrying 28 tons of goods to support the affected people. Lieutenant General Ha Tho Binh - Commander of Military Region 4 - directly supervised the flights: "Relief efforts must be quick, accurate, and absolutely safe. We must ensure that people in the flooded areas do not suffer from hunger or lack of medicine."
In My Ly, the epicenter of the floods, officers and soldiers of the My Ly Border Guard Post were divided into three teams: one team cleaned up the barracks, another went down to help the people clean up and search for belongings, and the remaining team called for, connected with, and distributed relief supplies. The medical team from the post went throughout the villages, providing free medical examinations, treatment, and medicine. Major Phan The Chuan, Deputy Commander of the My Ly Border Guard Post, recounted: "After the floods, we immersed ourselves in mud for a whole month, working tirelessly day and night to help the people."
On July 30th, Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai, Commander of the Border Guard, along with a delegation from the Ministry of National Defense, traveled through the forest to My Ly commune to visit and encourage the soldiers and civilians. He affirmed: "The Party, the State, and the Army are always by the side of the people. No one will be left behind"... These words, echoing amidst the ruins and damp, muddy atmosphere, brought many to tears.
Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai and his delegation visited and provided assistance to people affected by natural disasters. Photo: Hai Thuong
By mid-August 2025, the roads in My Ly commune were clear, and the mud and debris had been largely cleared. The farewell between the officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command and the people of the commune was filled with tears. The image of the soldiers, their clothes soaked with mud, clinging to ropes, their eyes filled with determination and love, will forever be etched in the hearts of the people. Ms. Lo Thi Xuan, from Xieng Tam village, choked back tears: “The soldiers found the safe that had been swept away. Inside was all of my family’s savings. They saved the people as if they were their own relatives.”
In 2025, the three major storms, numbers 3, 5, and 10, were three waves in which the soldiers of Nghe An transformed into "human shields." From the mountains to the coast, they were present everywhere to help people secure boats, build sandbag barriers against the storms, evacuate from landslide-prone areas, provide food, conduct rescue operations, and help people overcome the consequences. Each soldier was a pillar of support, each unit a fortress of faith. At a meeting at the Forward Command Post for storm prevention and control (storm number 5), Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha highly praised the role of the armed forces of Nghe An province: "The soldiers and police of Nghe An are always the frontline forces, reacting quickly, overcoming challenges promptly, and contributing to stabilizing the lives of the people."
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha visits and encourages people who have evacuated to shelters to avoid the storm. Photo: Ph
In the border region, every hill and stream bank still bears the footprints of the soldiers. They arrived when the water rose, stayed when the mud settled, and quietly departed when the village lights came on. From the wounds inflicted by the elements, they rebuilt life. After the storm, the people affectionately called the soldiers of Uncle Ho "the people's soldiers." Nguyen Anh Doai, Secretary of the Party Committee of My Ly commune, stated: "The natural disaster caused us great losses, but it also showed the strength of human compassion. The soldiers not only saved the people but also revived the spirit of the entire commune. They not only protected the land and the villages, but also preserved our faith."
During the three major storms of 2025 (numbers 3, 5, and 10), the military forces of Nghe An province and Military Region 4 mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and militia members, along with hundreds of vehicles, contributing hundreds of thousands of man-days to relocate more than 13,000 households, clean up nearly 200 schools and 14,000 houses, and dredge more than 130km of roads and canals, helping people quickly stabilize their lives.
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