Huynh Thi Kim Loan, 47, from Tan Trieu ward, Dong Nai province, traveled over 1,600km to visit her son, Phan Minh Tu, a soldier in Division 5 of Military Region 7. Tu has been training at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Ba Vi, Hanoi, since mid-June for the parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of National Day on 2/9 (A80 mission).
Taking advantage of 10 days of leave, Loan decided to surprise her son in Hanoi.
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Huynh Thi Kim Loan, 47, and her son Phan Minh Tu at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Ba Vi, Hanoi, on the morning of 10/7. Photo courtesy of the interviewee |
Huynh Thi Kim Loan, 47, and her son Phan Minh Tu at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Ba Vi, Hanoi, on the morning of 10/7. Photo courtesy of the interviewee
On the morning of 7/7, Loan hitched a ride on her brother's container truck from Dong Nai to Cao Bang for a delivery. After three days and two nights, she arrived at Quang Minh Industrial Park in Me Linh, Hanoi, in the early morning of 10/7. From there, she took three buses (numbers 53B, 157, and 107) to reach Ba Vi, where her son is stationed.
Arriving at 6:45 a.m., Loan inquired about her son's unit's location. "I only intended to watch him from afar for a moment, but unexpectedly, the commanders facilitated a meeting for us," she said.
Loan had lunch with her son and his fellow soldiers, watched their afternoon rehearsal, and attended an evening cultural performance. Around 6 p.m., she hurried back to My Dinh bus station to catch her brother's truck back home.
Tu, 25, was deeply moved by his mother's 1,600km journey and said it motivated him further in his training. When his mother apologized for not bringing a gift, Tu reassured her that he and his comrades lacked nothing, often receiving fruit and drinks from locals.
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Loan and her son, soldier Phan Minh Tu. Photo courtesy of the interviewee |
Loan and her son, soldier Phan Minh Tu. Photo courtesy of the interviewee
Tu previously participated in the parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of national reunification. During that time, Loan would ride her motorbike every afternoon to the streets where her son marched in Ho Chi Minh City to cheer him on.
"Seeing my son grow up and have the honor of participating in major national events makes me very proud," she said.
Quynh Nguyen
