For Colonel Ho Tien Hung, an officer of the Vietnam Department for Peacekeeping Operations, who had previously served two terms at L2FH Rotation 3 and Rotation 6, arriving at the L2FH Rotation 7 in Bentiu felt much like returning home. He has joined a delegation to set out a live broadcasting, connecting South Sudan and Vietnam.
    |
 |
|
Members of L2FH Rotation 7 decorating the barracks in preparation for Tet |
The motto “The unit is home, comrades are family” resonates deeply with Rotation 7 staff. As the Lunar New Year approaches, this bond strengthens. Before departing, the delegation carried gifts from colleagues on leave to those remaining in South Sudan. These packages contained traditional flavors: dong leaves, glutinous rice, wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli, jams, and coffee. These simple tastes of home deeply moved the recipients.
As Tet nears, the hospital brightens with silk apricot and peach blossoms. Between shifts, medical staff trade scalpels and charts for bamboo strings and rice to make “banh chung.” In these moments, professional titles fade. Doctors and nurses become siblings in one family, gathering around steaming pots to share stories of the passing year.
|
|
 |
|
Written New Year wishes hung on a silk peach blossom tree |
Amidst the dust, heat, and wind, Vietnam’s “blue berets” recreated a traditional Tet. “We may lack much here, but never family affection or national identity,” said Non-commissioned Major Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang of L2FH Rotation 7. “Uncle Ho’s soldiers can bring a miniature Vietnam anywhere to ensure a warm, meaningful Tet.” In Bentiu, comrades are family while home remains a vital spiritual anchor. Despite unstable internet, brief video calls are an indispensable ritual for personnel to proudly show their families “banh chung,” ancestral altars, silk blossoms, and lush vegetable gardens.
|
|
 |
|
Vietnamese blue berets introducing international colleagues to Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year. |
|
|
 |
|
International colleagues attaching New Year wishes to a silk peach blossom tree |
Short yet invaluable, these connections provide vital emotional strength. Through small screens, peacekeepers receive heartfelt greetings, kisses, and encouragement from families back home, bridging vast distances. "I wish you good health and success in your mission so you can return home to mom and me," wrote Nguyen Truong Giang to his father, Major Nguyen Hong Vu. Beyond their duties, Vietnamese "blue berets" act as cultural ambassadors. Tet celebrations offer international colleagues a first-hand experience of Vietnamese culture. Major Stephen Tuwey of Kenya shared his support, writing on red paper, "I wish L2FH Rotation 7 a great success in fulfilling your mission in South Sudan and peace for this country. Happy Lunar New Year to my Vietnamese colleagues."
|
|
 |
|
Officers and staff of L2FH Rotation 7 and international colleagues making banh chung |
|
|
 |
|
Major Stephen Tuwey of the Unity Sector Logistics Support Unit proudly showing his product |
In the hospital’s dining hall, international colleagues watch attentively as Vietnamese peacekeepers make banh chung, captivated by the process as if it were a form of performance art. Under the guidance of Vietnamese staff, Major Stephen Tuwey could made a banh chung and proudly raised it for a commemorative photo. “It looks simple when you watch, but once you try it yourself, you realize that making Vietnamese banh chung is truly an art,” commented Major Pierre Fradettte of Canada, also from the Unity Sector Logistics Support Unit.
By Hoang Vu (from South Sudan)
Translated by Tran Hoai