Colonel Nguyễn Đình Khiêm. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm has decided to bestow the third-class Fatherland Protection Order upon Colonel Nguyễn Đình Khiêm, who lost his life while assisting residents in the northern province of Quảng Ninh to cope with super typhoon Yagi.

The order was granted to Khiêm, head of Company 3 of Battalion 1 under Brigade 513 in Military Region 3, in recognition of his excellent service in combat, search, and rescue duties, which contributed to socialism building and Fatherland safeguarding, the Department of Information and Education under the General Department of Politics of the Việt Nam People’s Army said on September 9.

He was killed by a fallen tree at around 8am on September 7 while helping people in Pạt village of Lục Hồn Commune in Bình Liêu District, Quảng Ninh Province. Seeing one of his colleagues slipping, afraid that the tree they carried would be too heavy and endanger other in the team, Khiêm rushed to support but the tree fell on him.

He was immediately sent to the General Hospital of Bình Liêu District but passed away due to serious injury.

Quảng Ninh took a direct hit from typhoon Yagi when it made landfall in the country.

The serviceman set a bright example of bravery and the readiness to sacrifice to protect people’s property and lives, contributing to beatifying the tradition of “Uncle Hồ’s soldiers”, the department said.

Khiêm, born in 1997 in the northern province of Ninh Bình, joined the army in September 2015. He held the rank of Senior Lieutenant at the time of his death.

On September 9, Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang decided to posthumously promote the deceased’s rank to Colonel ahead of schedule.

The same day, the Secretariat of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee decided to posthumously present the “Brave Youth” badge to Khiêm, said the Military Youth Committee.

Khiêm's body has been returned to his hometown late Sunday, and the funeral has been held today. He will be buried tomorrow.

Making landfall on September 7, typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc on northern localities. 68 people were dead or missing as of 5pm Monday. — VNS