Alongside their search efforts, they have carried out numerous activities to support Lao people, including medical examinations, medicine distribution, road and school repairs, and assistance for disadvantaged families. These efforts have strengthened the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers and deepened the special solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos.
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Non-commissioned Maj. Trieu Duyen Hoang examines the health of a Lao resident. |
In Na Puoc village, Hiem District, Houaphanh province, the care provided by Non-commissioned Maj. Trieu Duyen Hoang, a medic of a Team K under the Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command, left a lasting impression on local residents. After the family of 78-year-old Bunphet asked him to help because the elderly man was seriously ill and unable to walk, Hoang obtained permission from his commander and went to his home to examine and treat him.
Hoang diagnosed the local man with lumbosacral syndrome and polyarthritis. After prescribing and providing medication, the soldier used his rest time for nearly half a month to visit the man at home, monitor his treatment and guide him in physical exercises. The patient eventually regained the ability to walk without a cane. At their farewell, Bunphet held Hoang’s hand and told his family and neighbors, “Without Hoang, I would not have known whom to turn to. The Vietnamese soldiers helped me like a member of my own family. Hoang is like a son to us.”
Another resident of Na Puoc village, 45-year-old On Si, also expressed her gratitude after receiving medical care from Vietnamese soldiers. She said she had suffered from multinodular goiter affecting both thyroid lobes and had often felt exhausted. After being examined and given medicine, her health improved significantly. According to local leaders, Vietnamese soldiers regularly provide medical examinations, health education and care for local residents, helping people better understand disease prevention and health care while strengthening their trust in Vietnamese soldiers.
What Trieu Duyen Hoang has done reflects the broader mass-mobilization efforts of Teams K under Military Region 4 in Laos. Beyond searching for and recovering martyrs’ remains, the teams have organized free medical examinations and treatment, repaired schools and community cultural centers, cleared village roads, assisted local people in improving their livelihoods, and provided guidance on health care, sanitation, disease prevention, clean water protection and environmental hygiene. Such practical knowledge is particularly important for people in remote areas where health care remains difficult to access.
At Team K589 under the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command, which is carrying out its mission in Khammouane province, mass mobilization is regarded as an important political mission closely linked to military and people-to-people diplomacy. During the 2025-2026 dry season alone, the unit conducted social welfare activities, provided gifts, essential supplies and medicines, and supported disadvantaged families with a total value of more than VND 358 million. It also provided free medical examinations, health consultations and medicines to 265 local residents.
Lt. Col. Tran Van Hoang, Political Assistant of Team K589, described mass mobilization as the “key” to successfully carrying out the mission of recovering martyrs’ remains. He said that every piece of information about fallen soldiers received over the years has been closely associated with the support of local people. When residents trust Vietnamese soldiers, they are willing to provide information, show the teams the way and accompany them in their search for fallen comrades.
On Lao soil, the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers from Teams K under Military Region 4 is therefore associated not only with picks, shovels and metal detectors used in the search for fallen comrades, but also with their close and caring presence among Lao communities. For the officers and personnel of the Teams K, helping Lao people is a responsibility and a command from the heart. Their efforts contribute to preserving and strengthening the special solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos and building trust between the Lao people and Vietnamese soldiers.
Through this bond of solidarity and mutual affection, many village elders and village heads have become close friends and effective partners of the Teams K, helping them fulfill their sacred mission of bringing fallen heroes and martyrs home to the Fatherland.
Translated by Tran Hoai