United by loss, bound by trust: soldiers and villagers in Làng Nủ's darkest days

The ground, covered in deep mud, debris and sharp objects, didn’t deter the soldiers from their duties. Photo courtesy of Regiment 98

Thu Vân

HÀ NỘI — When the soldiers of Regiment 98, Division 316, arrived at Làng Nủ Village by midday on September 11, they were met with utter devastation.

The air was thick with grief.

Villagers wept and rows of coffins lined the village’s cultural house.

Once a peaceful settlement nestled in a green valley, the village had been reduced to a wasteland of shattered wooden stakes, bamboo trunks, corrugated iron roofs, motorbikes, water containers and the carcasses of livestock, all emitting a foul stench.

Muddy torrents still flowed from the highlands, carrying debris in their wake. The scale of the tragedy was unimaginable – it had unfolded in a matter of moments.

The night before, at 11pm on September 10, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Ngọc Ba, Commander of Regiment 98, received a call. On the other end, the Division Commander’s voice issued an urgent directive: the unit must immediately deploy for search and rescue operations in Làng Nủ Village, Phúc Khánh Commune, Bảo Yên District, Lào Cai Province.

Earlier that day, a deadly landslide had torn through the village, leaving many dead and homes buried.

The order was passed swiftly through the ranks, and the soldiers worked tirelessly through the night, gathering tools, equipment and essential supplies. By 5am, with backpacks on their shoulders and raincoats wrapped around them, the soldiers were ready – undaunted by the relentless rain and dark skies.

Three hundred officers and soldiers embarked on this critical mission, braving torrential rain and dangerous, landslide-prone mountain roads.

When they arrived, the scene was overwhelming. The muddy plains were littered with the remains of collapsed homes and livestock, while villagers searched frantically for missing loved ones. Witnessing the devastation, soldier Nguyễn Đức Quyến from Yên Bái was left speechless.

“When we reached the village’s cultural house, where everyone had gathered, I saw people crying. But what broke my heart even more were the coffins lined up in rows. I felt frozen,” Quyến told Việt Nam News.

Their mission began immediately – searching for victims beneath the thick layers of mud.

Equipped with life jackets, gloves, boots, ropes and sticks, the soldiers marched determinedly towards the landslide. The ground, covered in deep mud, debris and sharp objects, didn’t deter them from their solemn duty.

Trần Minh Thảo, a soldier of Regiment 98, said: “The locals were there, weeping and pleading for help. They had lost everything.

"Their only hope was that we could recover the bodies of their loved ones for proper funerals. Their words gave us the strength to carry on.”

A mission like no other

For the young soldiers, the mission felt overwhelming. Many had never experienced such a disaster. During the search for missing victims, they used small bamboo poles to probe the mud, carefully feeling for any sign of a body. Whenever they suspected someone might be buried beneath the thick layers of earth, they gently used rakes, hoes and shovels to remove the mud, one delicate layer at a time.

So moved by their experiences, some of the soldiers put their thoughts on paper, creating a journal of the time spent in the village, so future soldiers can remember the tough times they faced, and also to allow those who experienced the rescue, time to reflect.

"We were always afraid of accidentally disturbing the victims – they had already endured so much, and we didn’t want to add to their suffering. That’s why, whenever we found a victim, we would quietly remind each other, 'Be gentle,'" Triệu La Cáo of Regiment 98 wrote.

Trần Văn Thuận, told Việt Nam News: "My fellow soldiers and I had never been on such a mission, and the search was incredibly difficult. I personally carried the body of a small child out of the mud. It was an intensely emotional moment for me."

On the first day of the mission, Trần Minh Thảo discovered the body of an elderly woman, wrapped in a blanket and caught in the branches of a tree.

He said: "I knew she was elderly because her hair was grey. I assumed her house had been struck by the landslide while she was still asleep."

Lieutenant Colonel Lương Vĩnh Phúc, Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 98, has been serving for more than 20 years, but in all that time, nothing comes close to this mission.

"I have participated in many search and rescue operations, but the tragedy at Làng Nủ Village was the most devastating I have ever witnessed," he said.

Beyond the emotional toll, the harsh weather made the mission even more grueling. When it rained, it poured relentlessly, and when the sun came out, it was scorching.

Also writing in the memoir, Nguyễn Minh Đức, remembered: "In some places, the mud reached up to our knees, thighs, waists, and even deeper. The air was heavily polluted. After working in the mornings and evenings, we had to clean ourselves thoroughly, but clean water was scarce.

"The hardest part was when it rained, and we didn’t have enough dry clothes. We had to dry them by the kitchen fire or borrow from each other."

Each day brought new challenges. Nguyễn Đức Quyến, from Yên Bái, faced his own personal hardship during the mission. On his way to Làng Nủ, he learned that his own home submerged in floodwaters. After four long days, he finally managed to contact his mother by phone and learned that she was safe, though their family’s chicken farm had been destroyed.

Sources of strength

Amid the grief and hardship, the soldiers drew strength from the unwavering support of their leaders and the local community, never faltering in their determination.

Vi Văn Dương reflected on the deep bond that formed.

“What moved me the most was how the locals stood by us throughout the mission. They constantly encouraged us as we searched for the missing," he said.

"On scorching hot days, they brought us bottles of water to keep us going. Those moments are etched in my memory, and I will never forget them."

Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 98, Lương Vĩnh Phúc, added that some families were even willing to move their entire household to make space for the soldiers when they had no place to stay. In areas where water pipelines were the main source of water, when the pipes broke, and the villagers noticed that the soldiers had no water to bathe, they didn’t hesitate to repair them.

"They always showed us such warm and caring support."

It wasn’t just the villagers who kept the soldiers going. Even in the most difficult conditions, the support from commanders and small acts of kindness within the unit provided much-needed comfort.

Bàn Văn Lỳ of the Regiment recalled a late-night encounter with his company commander in the memoir.

He wrote: “It was around 11pm, I was crouched over, trying to get the fire going when I suddenly looked up and was startled. I hadn’t even noticed my company commander standing next to me. I quickly explained, ‘Sir, both of my sets of underclothes are wet, so I’m drying them out to wear to bed.’

"I thought he might scold me, but instead, he turned on his flashlight, opened his backpack, pulled out a pair of military shorts, and handed them to me. ‘Put these on and get some rest. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow,’ he said.”

Nông Văn Hoàng also shared that the encouragement from his commanders kept him grounded.

“After more than a week of searching for the missing victims, our bodies were beginning to feel the exhaustion. There were moments when we felt like giving up, but our commanders at every level continued to motivate, care for, and support us. After dinner, they would check on us, and offer words of encouragement. Thanks to their concern, our fatigue and hardships seemed to fade away, and we found the strength to keep going, to search for more victims, and complete our mission as quickly as possible.”

United by loss, sustained by trust

After 14 days of relentless searching, it was time for the soldiers to bid farewell to Làng Nủ Village and return to their unit. The villagers, who had witnessed the soldiers' dedication and sacrifices, lined the road to see them off. The men shook hands with the soldiers, while the women and mothers embraced them, tears streaming down their faces.

The villagers presented the soldiers with bánh chưng, rice balls and bottles of water. The Secretary of the Bảo Yên District Party Committee handed them a national flag bearing the inscription "LÀNG NỦ 10-24/9/2024." As they received the flag, tears welled up in the soldiers’ eyes.

Lieutenant Colonel Lương Vĩnh Phúc said they were deeply moved.

“This flag symbolised not only the recognition from the local Party Committee, authorities, and the people of Phúc Khánh Commune and Làng Nủ Village, but also the trust they placed in the officers and soldiers of Regiment 98 and Division 316.

"I felt that this gesture conveyed both their gratitude and confidence in us. In turn, we became a pillar of support for the people of Làng Nủ, and for the nation as a whole, during the most challenging and difficult times.”

Before departing, the soldiers stood in solemn formation, bowing their heads and raising their hands in a final military salute to the victims still lying beneath the mud. — Photo courtesy of Regiment 98

Despite their efforts, the mission remained unfinished in the hearts of the soldiers.

"I feel deeply sad and troubled because we haven’t found all the remains of the villagers' loved ones. There are fathers still searching for their children, and children still searching for their mothers. It’s heart-wrenching, truly heartbreaking," said Trần Minh Thảo.

Before their departure, the soldiers formed a solemn line before the vast expanse of mud. They bowed their heads and raised their hands in a military salute – a gesture of silent apology to the victims still lying beneath.

Reflecting on their time in Làng Nủ, the soldiers held firm to the guiding principle that had seen them through: "We always remind ourselves of one core belief: the People’s Army comes from the people and serves the people. Throughout the mission, officers and soldiers treated the villagers as if they were family, fully aware of the immense loss they were facing," said Deputy Political Commissar Lương Vĩnh Phúc.

As they departed from the devastated village, it wasn’t just a mission they were leaving behind, but a reminder of the strength that comes from unity, compassion and trust between the army and the people they serve. — VNS