For Tran Ngoc Binh, the son of a farming family in Thai Thuy (Thai Binh), leaving his hometown to perform 2 years of military service at the Army Ceremonial Corps was an unexpected turn.
Among the countless generations of conscripts at the Military Ceremonial Corps, Binh and his comrades were honored to serve the final moments of the General Secretary whom the whole country respected.
The honor of the young soldier
“Before joining the army, I only knew General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on TV. I knew he was someone who had made many contributions to the country, especially in the fight against corruption and embezzlement,” Binh shared.
His father was a driver, his mother a farmer. Binh graduated from high school and went to work as a worker at a local company. The turning point came when he decided to take the military service examination. With a height of 1m84, a handsome face and exceeding other standards, Binh was selected to join the Military Ceremonial Corps.
It was not until he joined the army that he understood more about the contributions and influence of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The picture of the General Secretary and the leaders of the Party and State was always hung solemnly in the unit's common room (Ho Chi Minh Room). He also learned that the General Secretary was also the Secretary of the Central Military Commission, the supreme leader of the entire army.
“I feel very honored to be able to serve at Uncle Ho’s state funeral. My parents are also very honored and proud to know that their child contributed a small part to this work,” Binh told reporters while still wearing his sweat-soaked military uniform.
We stood in the training ground of the Military Ceremonial Corps with about 300 officers and soldiers in the last training session before the National Mourning Day. The soldiers wore gaiters, carrying CKC rifles with bayonets. All were in a solemn posture listening to the commander announce the importance of this mission.
Around them, training materials representing wreaths and coffins were neatly arranged. The only thing that was not “symbolic” was the hearse with the 122mm gun mounted on it, with the glass coffin cage placed on top.
The main and primary force serving the General Secretary’s funeral are non-commissioned officers and young soldiers. We have thoroughly informed them about the importance of this mission. 100% of the troops have clearly defined their ideology and sense of responsibility. The final review on the afternoon of July 24th, all comrades achieved good results.
Special experience of a person who served 5 times at a State Funeral
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Major Quang Huyen Tho, Captain of the Honor Guard (Military Ceremonial Group), said that when receiving the news of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's death, everyone in the team was sad and emotional.
But at the same time, he and his teammates all determined that the upcoming mission would be a special one to show their gratitude to the respected General Secretary. The team's officers and soldiers all urgently prepared and actively practiced according to the agreed funeral scenario.
Major Tho has served in five State Funerals. However, this mission is very special to him, both in terms of the scale of preparation, the number of participants, and the emotions that come with it. This is the most important political mission of the entire unit.
During a week of continuous rain in Hanoi, officers and soldiers of the Military Ceremonial Corps still practiced 3 shifts: morning, afternoon, evening, including Saturday and Sunday. Plans for leave and family visits of officers and soldiers were put on hold to focus on serving the National Funeral.
“For example, our unit has a comrade from Ninh Binh. Last week, his family reported that his son was sick. However, he called home to encourage his family and promised to come home after completing his mission,” the commander of the Honor Guard shared.
The most difficult part of the training was carrying the coffin, which had to be done precisely, bit by bit. During the funeral, there were two times they directly carried the General Secretary's coffin, from the funeral home to the hearse and from the hearse to the place where the grave was prepared.
“This mission is an extremely honorable and proud task for us, mixed with the responsibility of a soldier when serving the General Secretary in his final moments. Therefore, regardless of the weather, we all try our best to practice,” Major Quang Huyen Tho shared.
In the memories of long-time officers working in the Youth Union, a State funeral is a special task that no one wants. The last time he served a State funeral was that of the late General Secretary Le Kha Phieu in 2020.
Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/nguoi-linh-nang-linh-cuu-tong-bi-thu-do-la-vinh-du-cua-toi-va-gia-dinh-20240724221615518.htm
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