Touching story of soldier's piggy bank on CASA-212

Trung uý Lê Đức Lam, cơ giới trên không của máy bay CASA số hiệu 8983, bắt đầu bỏ lợn đất tiết kiệm từ ngày biết vợ mang thai. 6 tháng, anh tích góp được 1,6 triệu.

Đến Lữ đoàn Không quân vận tải 918 (Hà Nội) những ngày này, vẫn là tinh thần chuyển cấp, trực chiến sẵn sàng chiến đấu duy trì nghiêm túc. Nhưng trong sự nghiêm túc ấy, không khó để nhận ra nét ưu tư trên khuôn mặt mỗi người lính. Họ đang cùng đau một nỗi đau chung, nỗi đau của những người lính khi đồng đội chưa trở về như đã hẹn.

Thứ bảy qua rồi sao nó vẫn chưa về?

Cuộc trò chuyện giữa tôi và đại tá Ngô Quang Trung, dẫn đường trên không An-26 Phi đội 1, bị gián đoạn bởi những giọt nước mắt xót xa ông dành cho người đồng đội được ông gọi bằng cái tên thân thuộc “Thằng cháu dại”. Với đại tá Trung, ký ức về trung úy trẻ Lê Đức Lam (31 tuổi), cơ giới trên không Lữ đoàn 918, quê quán tại Vân Hội, Ninh Giang, Hải Dương luôn đầy ắp kỷ niệm.

Giọng nghẹn ngào ông chia sẻ: “Vợ tôi đang đi công tác, sợ tôi buồn, nó hẹn với tôi thứ bảy này sẽ đưa tôi đi ăn bún chả. Thứ bảy qua rồi sao nó vẫn chưa về?”.

Trung uý Lê Đức Lam (bên trái) và đồng đội trên một chuyến bay. Ảnh tư liệu.

Vốn là người kỹ tính, chỉn chu trong công việc, lại là lớp người đi trước nên đại tá Trung quan sát và nhìn người rất kỹ. Ba năm trước khi được điều động sang nhận nhiệm vụ tại Phi đội CASA-212, ông nhớ mãi hình ảnh của một anh lính lòng khòng, 21h đêm vẫn cởi trần hì hục lau chùi hành lang phi đội.

Khi được hỏi anh lính chia sẻ: “Cháu chẳng có việc gì làm nên lau hành lang cho đỡ buồn”. Từ lúc đó ông đã có phần cảm mến cậu lính trẻ. Sau này thân quen hơn ông mới biết vì đồng lương chẳng dư dả gì nên cậu ấy rất ngại đi chơi.

Born and raised in a poor family in Chu Se, Gia Lai, Lieutenant Lam's childhood was filled with hardships and difficulties. Life was difficult, but everyone who met him was impressed by this young lieutenant. He was a hard-working, hard-working, gentle and responsible person.

Colonel Ngo Quang Trung and Lieutenant Le Duc Lam on a tour. Photo: Archive.

“Lam is very eager to learn. He can follow his brother Luan, a mechanic, to the plane for a whole week just to learn more from the experience of his predecessors. He also wants me to teach him more about navigation, even though that is not his major.

Before he had a family, whenever his uncles and brothers in the unit were busy or had to go on business trips, Lam would take the job of taking the children to school so that they could work with peace of mind. He never shied away from anything, he always took the disadvantageous part for himself,” Mr. Trung choked up.

Lam's piggy bank

To Colonel Trung, Lam was not only a comrade, he was also a nephew who he loved and had special affection for. He said: “Lam was gentle. He was poor and had low self-esteem, so he never dared to love anyone. I still remember that in 2014, on the way back to base from a mission, he took out his phone to show off to Comrade Chinh - the squadron's political commissar - his future wife. I asked him: "Why did you show off to your brothers after getting married?"

At that time, Lieutenant Lam honestly shared: "My girlfriend is beautiful and has 2 university degrees. I am ugly and poor, I am afraid that people will criticize me, that people will not like me, so I never dare to show off to anyone." That girl is Thuy Nga, who is also Lieutenant Lam's current wife.

“My foolish nephew is very naive. He doesn’t understand that people love him, care for him not because he is rich or poor but because of who he is, because of the good qualities he has,” said Mr. Trung.

Lam got married in early 2015. With a small army salary and his wife not having a stable job, the young couple's life was full of ups and downs.

"Many times I scolded him because he kept thinking of reasons to cut off his meals. I scolded him out of concern for him, but I knew it was because he wanted to earn more money to help his wife," Mr. Trung recalled.

A souvenir photo of Lieutenant Le Duc Lam and his wife. Photo archive.

Lam's wife is 6 months pregnant with their first child, and the couple is busy preparing for the day of delivery. Mr. Trung said: "The day his wife got pregnant, the boy happily told me: My wife is pregnant, uncle. From today, I will put away my piggy bank to have money for my wife to give birth."

Lam's piggy bank made Mr. Trung almost cry: "The day before Lam left to take up his assignment, I met him and asked him how much money he had saved. He innocently boasted, "Probably about one million and six, uncle." I laughed and teased him, "Oh my gosh, it only took him six months to save one million and six?". I said that, but I knew his piggy bank would only consist of the small change he collected every day. Thinking about it made my heart ache for him."

Two years from now, when Mr. Trung retires, he promises to give the Lam couple the refrigerator and washing machine. "Now that they haven't come back, who will I give them to?", Mr. Trung said sadly.

Another Saturday is coming, and Lam's promise to take Uncle Trung out for some vermicelli with grilled pork is still unknown. But Lam and his 8 missing teammates on CASA-212 flight number 8983 kept their promise to their teammates and Khai's family that they would find him and bring him back. Six days have passed since they left, and they still haven't returned.

CASA, in Spanish means house. Believe these brave soldiers, they have never left their home, their nest and they will definitely return.

According to Zing