The specialised vehicles of 270th Brigade starts their engines to reach isolated communes during the pouring rain in the central city of Đà Nẵng.— VNA/VNS Photo

Thanh Phong

ĐÀ NẴNG — In the early hours of October 27, under direct orders from the Military Region 5 Command, Lieutenant Colonel Tôn Thất Tường and Lieutenant Colonel Phạm Thanh Hải led a convoy of specialised vehicles through raging floodwaters towards the isolated communes of Trà My, Trà Leng and Trà Tân, where thousands of residents were cut off in the central city of Đà Nẵng.

Tường, Deputy Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff of the 270th Engineer Brigade, and Hải, Deputy Political Commissar of the brigade, faced roads devastated in some places, with tarmac sunk more than two metres.

“We had to clear landslides as we went, rebuild embankments, even stand right beneath unstable slopes to survey and open a new route,” Tường said.

The night before, relentless rain had pounded Đà Nẵng City. In response, the command decided to establish an advance command post in Trà My Commune, headed by Colonel Nguyễn Văn Hòa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the command.

Thousands of officers and soldiers, along with dozens of specialised vehicles, were mobilised to reach and assist residents trapped by the floods. At that time, the main access routes to the mountainous area had been severely cut off; four hamlets in Trà Leng, home to more than 2,000 people, were completely isolated.

Over 70 major and minor landslides blocked the three communes as torrents of mud continued to threaten hundreds of homes.

“Open the road as fast as possible” — that was not just an order but a mission the command entrusted to the brigade. Veteran sappers, seasoned through years of flood and storm response, were immediately deployed.

Before dawn on October 27, the brigade set out, embodying their enduring motto, 'Wherever the people need us, the army will be there.' Through blinding rain and landslides, the soldiers pressed on, clearing debris, carving new paths, and bringing relief and safety to the stranded.

They were, as many described them, “warm hearts in a cold flood,” carrying hope into the devastated villages.

For more than 16 continuous hours, the soldiers advanced, clearing landslides, delivering supplies and helping evacuate residents.

Colonel Hòa, while sharing his rations with the soldiers, said: “The people are waiting for us every minute, every second. We must double our efforts and reach them as soon as possible.”

Soldiers and militiamen work together to clean up the rubble triggered by the flood in the central city of Đà Nẵng. — VNA/VNS Photo

“For the People”

As they advanced through the flooded landscape, water levels in Xuân Phú Commune rose dangerously fast, threatening local lives.

The brigade immediately coordinated with local authorities to evacuate residents from high-risk areas.

Deputy Brigade Commander Lieutenant Colonel Trần Phan Nguyên personally directed troops in reinforcing homes, moving livestock and property, and assisting with the evacuation of people from deep-flooded and landslide-prone zones.

Meanwhile, another detachment of the brigade pressed further into Trà Leng and Trà Giác, where tens of thousands of cubic metres of soil and rock had buried roads.

Heavy rainfall continued, raising the risk of new landslides.

Yet the soldiers persevered, determined to move as fast, as efficiently and as safely as possible.

When the house of Hồ Văn Linh, Head of the Trà Leng Commune’s Military Command, was destroyed in a landslide while he was out rescuing others, the brigade was among the first on the scene, clearing debris and helping relocate his family to safety.

“Material loss can be recovered, but the spirit of service to the people can never be buried,” said Colonel Hòa, offering words of comfort.

Beyond clearing roads, the brigade reached out in every direction to aid the people.

They helped bereaved families in Xuân Phú Commune move coffins out of flooded areas, ferried an injured resident from Đại Cường Commune to hospital through the torrents, and worked alongside local forces to restore drainage and ensure safety in residential areas.

Soldiers clear away huge blocks of rock and soil blocking the road and collapsed roofs in Trà Leng Commune in the central city of Đà Nẵng. — VNA/VNS Photo

The courage

From the moment the Military Region 5 Command gave the order, the advance post in Trà My Commune was swiftly established.

Within 24 hours, thanks to the tireless work of the brigade’s engineers, access routes to the isolated areas were restored.

Immediately afterwards, the sappers joined forces with Regional Defence Command No 3 – Trà My to tackle major landslides.

Deputy Commander of the regional defence command Lieutenant Colonel Võ Tiến Mãnh, said: “As soon as we received word that Phong Tranh Hamlet was under water, the engineering troops and militia moved in to clear the roads and evacuate residents. We always put the safety of the people first.”

The reopened roads did more than allow relief convoys through; they also enabled Signal Brigade 575 to restore communications.

By the morning of October 29, a temporary transmission station had been set up on high ground, reconnecting Trà Leng with the outside world.

“Having the signal back made rescue coordination far smoother. The villagers were deeply moved,” said Chairman of Trà Leng Commune People’s Committee Châu Minh Nghĩa.

Amid the relentless rain and mud, the image of the 270th Engineer Brigade shone bright.

Through their courage and sacrifice, they continue to embody the noble quality that has long defined the soldiers of President Hồ Chí Minh: “For the People, selfless to the end.” — VNS