Galaxy, Be strong!

“Just missing, right…?”

""Yeah, yeah, just missing, right?" - Ha's question on the afternoon of October 13th confused me, not knowing how to answer, because at the same time the first photos and videos of the scene were transmitted to my phone....” - Nguyen Duc Trung, a student of K63 majoring in Political Science, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, shared on his personal Facebook the moment his younger brother - a classmate received the bad news about the landslide that buried 13 soldiers and officers of Military Region 4 who were on the rescue mission at Rao Trang 3.

Duc Trung recalled, after discussing work with Thien Ha, he was surfing Facebook, the Facebook news feed was full of pictures of floods in the Central region, he blurted out: "The flood situation this year is so tense. I just read the news that 13 people in the high-ranking delegation of Hue are missing.".

Rescue forces at the Forest Protection Management Station of Sub-region 67 (photo: People's Army Newspaper)

Thien Ha's usual smile suddenly disappeared, her face turned tense, she fumbled to check her phone, her mouth said softly: "My dad will definitely follow the high-ranking delegation from Hue, but he hasn't been able to contact me since yesterday afternoon.". After a few phone calls, Thien Ha burst into tears when she confirmed that her father was in the group of 21 people entering Phong Dien. At this point, on one hand, Trung kept calm to help his friend, on the other hand, he used all his relationships to ask for news. Then the first images and videos of the scene were transmitted, Trung silently prayed that Thien Ha's father was one of the 8 people who escaped.

That evening, Trung volunteered to join the Central Youth Union delegation and flew to Hue with Thien Ha. Sitting on the plane, Trung heard his friend confide: “The previous afternoon (October 12), my dad called and asked me to help him top up his card. I guess it was to send pictures to the news agency where he worked to update the situation.That night, both of them hardly slept, just waiting for news and praying for a miracle.

The next morning, the two brothers met at the airport, not saying much to each other because they both understood the situation. Trung's phone lit up: "In 13 people, there is 1 reporter", but in the group there were only three reporters... Directly arriving at the scene, Trung felt his heart heavy when he saw the terrible scene with vast mud. The engineering teams took turns in shifts with the hope of finding the missing soldiers and officers as soon as possible.

Rescue team searching for 13 missing officers at the Forest Protection Management Station of Sub-region 67 (photo: People's Army Newspaper)

“From that moment on, I kept in touch with her because she said she could only trust me. At nearly 5pm on October 15, I received news from the front line that 12 out of 13 people had been found, including one who matched her father's identification. She asked me if I could come to her, because she didn't know who to rely on. When she saw me, she burst into tears as if she had been holding back for the past 30 hours.…” - Duc Trung's shared lines on Facebook made teachers and friends feel heartbroken.

Extending the hearts so that I do not fall

News about Thien Ha ran like an electric current on the Facebook of the USSHers community. Thousands of shares and encouragements were shared on the official page of USSH, on the Facebook of the teachers of the Institute of Journalism and Communication, and even Thien Ha's friends, whether they were close or not. Everyone felt sorry for the little girl who had to endure such great pain and was now at risk of being left alone with no one to rely on or cling to. A worry was evident: Thien Ha might have to stop studying after this shock and return to her younger sister who was currently in 12th grade to take care of her. The young girl's studies and future might be left unfinished!

But it is my teachers and friends at the Institute of Journalism and Communication, at USSH, who more than anyone else at this time want to give Thien Ha hugs, words of encouragement, sincere sharing and love; extending their arms and hearts to help me not feel lonely, not fall down in this difficult time.

Photos from the funeral of journalist and martyr Pham Van Huong this morning (October 19, 2020). Photos taken by the school's staff.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Huyen - Head of the Department of PR and Advertising, Institute of Journalism and Communication wrote lines of sympathy and encouragement on his personal Facebook: “Galaxy, Humanities is HOME, always with you!”. In her sad mood, she seemed to miss more the face of the little schoolgirl with her intelligent, bright eyes and optimistic, sunny smile.Following his growth, I clearly see in him the qualities of dedication, sacrifice for the collective, and harmony with everyone like his heroic father. He is always a pioneer in doing things that the collective calls for, always plays the role of group leader leading group exercises, takes on the most difficult roles at work, and is never hesitant about any task assigned by teachers.”. Joining the delegation of officials and students attending the conference on Media and Information Literacy in Yangon (Myanmar), she gave a presentation in fluent and expressive English in a traditional ao dai, and brought her international friends the songHello Vietnammade many people admire and the Vietnamese delegation was extremely proud.Thien Ha, I hope you are always healthy, strong in the face of this painful loss and continue to rise up strongly like you always have! My sincere condolences to you and your family. I am always proud of and believe in you. School of Humanities, SJC, USSH PR Alumni Council, we are always with you. Keep up the good work, Thien Ha.!”.

MSc. Nguyen Hoang Anh - Thien Ha's homeroom teacher shared the story: "Teacher! I would like to ask your permission to temporarily not do my graduation thesis this semester.”.What's wrong? I asked in surprise. A few days ago, I had an appointment to meet her to discuss her research topic. I also hoped that with Thien Ha's excellent ability, she would graduate early after only 3 and a half years of studying at the School with a first-class degree. And the story about her father and the information that the police were approaching the scene surprised me. At that moment, my ears felt like they were ringing along with the students' chatter below during my class. I understand that she is usually strong, but at that moment, she seemed to be silent with tears that she had probably tried to hold back. Thien Ha, teachers and fellow students of Humanities are always by your side, ready to open their arms to help you at any time. I hope all the best things will come to you.!”.

BE STRONG, GALAXY! The love and pride of your brave Father, along with the love and respect of the School, teachers and friends, will be the support for you to stand up strong after the pain. I hope the best things will come to you!