On the evening of February 23, two days before the new recruits left for military service, we went to Ang Duong village, Trung Lap commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, under the light spring rain. In a small house next to an irrigation canal, the twins Pham Duc Thanh and Pham Thanh Dat were preparing their clothes and belongings with their mother for the longest trip away from home since they were born.
While helping her children neatly fold their clothes that still smelled of fabric, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh, born in 1966, talked to us about the hardships of raising her children.
Twelve years ago, when Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat were in 2nd grade, Anh's husband unfortunately passed away due to a serious illness. Since then, Anh's weak shoulders have had to shoulder the burden of the family and raise 4 children. Besides Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat, her eldest son was in 9th grade at that time. Her second daughter was in 6th grade.
“If parents are rich, children are rich, if parents are poor, children take care of them.” After school hours, instead of playing around like their peers, the children help Ms. Anh plant 1.3 hectares of rice, take care of sows and piglets, catch crabs and snails to sell to buy clothes and books.
Mr. Nguyen Van Minh - Secretary of the Youth Union of Trung Lap commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, gave gifts and encouraged the twins Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat to confidently join the army (Photo: Thai Phan).
Anh's children have grown up one by one. After graduating from high school, the eldest son went to work far away to help his mother raise his younger siblings. The second daughter passed the entrance exam to the University of Labor and Social Affairs, has now graduated and has a stable job. As for Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat, in 2023, after graduating from high school, out of pity for their mother's hardships, the two brothers decided to work at a business near their home.
Ms. Anh said that after the results of the military service examination, the Military Command of Trung Lap Commune, Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong City, announced that both Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat were eligible for military service. However, according to regulations, one person is temporarily deferred from military service.
At that time, Ms. Anh discussed with her two children about who would join the army and who would stay home to help their mother "work to pay off the debt". Because the old house was too dilapidated, in 2022, Ms. Anh borrowed money to build a new house with a total of more than 300 million VND. To date, she still owes more than 100 million VND for the house construction.
“Since childhood, Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat have always been close and attached to each other. They study, work, eat, play, and even when sick, they are together. When the two children told their mother that they decided to join the army together to have the conditions to support and help each other in the army (Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat's wish to join the same unit was approved - PV), out of pity for the children, I agreed,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh shared.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh in Trung Lap commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, agreed to let Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat join the army at the same time because she loved her children (Photo: Thai Phan).
Sharing the reason why they both volunteered to join the army, Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat said that they both loved the army uniform since they were young and wanted to contribute to their homeland and country. Through the military environment, they both wanted to be trained to become more mature.
“My younger brother and I both want to be given the opportunity to take the military school entrance exam during our time in the army or after we are discharged from the army to stay with the army for a long time. According to our wishes, we were assigned to a Navy unit. Although it is a bit difficult because neither of us can swim, in the future we will try to learn to swim well,” Duc Thanh confided.
Talking to us, Lieutenant Colonel Vo Quang Hien - Commander of the Military Command of Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong City, said that in the first military enlistment of the Spring of Giap Thin 2024, the whole district had 310 young men leaving for military service.
The authorities of Vinh Bao district and communes, towns as well as some local agencies and organizations care about, encourage and give gifts to young people who are required to perform military service this time, especially special cases like the twins Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat.
“The fact that twin brothers Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat volunteered to join the army demonstrates the awareness and responsibility of citizens towards the task of protecting the Fatherland. Their enthusiastic and volunteering spirit is an example for today's youth.
To encourage the children and their families, recently, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Long - Secretary of Vinh Bao District Party Committee, along with representatives of local authorities, agencies, and organizations of Vinh Bao district and Trung Lap commune visited their homes to give gifts," informed Lieutenant Colonel Vo Quang Hien .
In the first military enlistment of the year of the Dragon 2024, in Hai Phong City, there are 2 pairs of twins volunteering to join the army. In addition to Duc Thanh and Thanh Dat, there are also Hoang Tuan Thanh and Hoang Tuan Dat in Thai Son commune, An Lao district.
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