Around 4:30 p.m. on 24/8, 65-year-old Do Thi Cham and her husband, from Thanh Xuan ward, spotted Major Truong Trung Kien's tank, number 41-211, rolling past. She tried to get closer to the convoy, but her nephew was inside the cabin and they couldn't connect.

The couple then rushed to the tank assembly point before the parade passed through Ba Dinh Square, hoping to see their nephew "even for just a few seconds". Hearing her calling out, the people lining the streets relayed her calls, helping her reach him.

"Kien! Kien 211! Kien from Ninh Binh!", the calls echoed from person to person as they made way for Cham's family.

Do Thi Cham (right), 65, from Thanh Xuan district, and Major Truong Trung Kien (center), on 24/8. Photo: Family provided

Do Thi Cham (right), 65, from Thanh Xuan district, and Major Truong Trung Kien (center), on 24/8. Photo: Family provided

Startled by the familiar calls, Major Truong Trung Kien turned and spotted his relatives waving. With his commander's permission, he rushed out, embracing his aunt and uncle amidst the applause of the crowd.

Cham's six-hour wait culminated in a brief embrace and a few hurried words. "When I saw him, I just managed to ask, 'Are you well?' and told him to take care of himself. We took a quick photo before he returned to duty," Cham recounted.

Kien, 48, serves in the 202nd Brigade of the Armored Corps. He hadn't been home for five months due to his involvement in the A80 mission.

"His father passed away early, his mother is frail, and his wife has to care for their two children, so she couldn't come from Ninh Binh to Hanoi. We are like parents to him, so my husband and I represented the family, wanting to see him and give him a hug as a sign of encouragement," Cham explained.

Major Kien said the unexpected meeting was a huge morale boost. "The moment I heard people calling my name, I was both surprised and proud," he shared.

Do Thi Cham reunites with her nephew, Major Truong Trung Kien, on 24/8. Video: Provided by the subject

Luyen Thi Thuy's family, 30, from My Hao, Hung Yen, shared a similar experience. Thuy's relative, Warrant Officer Nguyen Huu Cuong, is part of the Tri-Service Honor Guard.

Her family traveled to Hanoi early in the morning to see her brother. Their reunion lasted only a few minutes during a break in the parade rehearsals. Cuong rushed over to hug his family, exchanged a few quick words, and then hurried back to formation.

Arriving later and unable to get through the crowd, Nguyen Huu Tuong, Cuong's father, waited at the final assembly point on Tran Khanh Du street. After 9 p.m., as the soldiers were boarding their vehicles, he finally got a chance to see his son, but only through the bus window as the convoy prepared to depart.

"I was just happy to see him from afar and know he was healthy. I didn't expect Cuong to ask people to clear a path so I could get closer and take a picture with him through the window. It was a very emotional moment," Tuong said.

Warrant Officer Nguyen Huu Cuong, of the Tri-Service Honor Guard (second from left), poses with his father (in green) and other family members. Photo: Provided by the subject

Warrant Officer Nguyen Huu Cuong, of the Tri-Service Honor Guard (second from left), poses with his father (in green) and other family members. Photo: Provided by the subject

But not all reunions were successful.

On the morning of 27/8, Ngoc Mai, 29, took a bus from Tu Ky, Hai Phong to Hanoi hoping to see her brother, Lieutenant Nguyen Thien Huy, after six months apart. She went directly to Quan Ngua Sports Palace, where the troops gathered after the rehearsal, as the city center was crowded.

She rented a plastic chair on the sidewalk from 12 p.m., patiently waiting. In the evening, when her brother's unit marched past, Mai and others shouted his name in support. However, due to crowd control measures, the public couldn't enter the assembly area, and the siblings couldn't meet.

"I missed the chance to see you today, but I'll be back on the 29th. I won't leave until I see you," Mai texted her brother, determined for their next meeting.

Nguyen Huu Cuong's family waited for hours for a few minutes with him during parade rehearsals. Video: TikTok

Nga Thanh - Quynh Nguyen