“I am proud of my family, a ‘naval family’ of professional soldiers,” said lieutenant colonel Nguyen Van Linh of Division 125 of the Vietnamese Navy at a meeting held in Ho Chi Minh City last Sunday to celebrate the Vietnamese Family’s Day.
Not a typical example of the Vietnamese family, his “naval family” has only a few rare photos of the whole family gathering together, as neither he nor his wife spends much time under the same roof with their children.
But there is more than enough pride and affection to go around among the members of the family.
The father speaks proudly about his two children who are both outstanding students at school and well-behaved children at home. And his face brightens up with sparkles of happiness when the conversation turns to his wife, who takes care of everything in the family when he is away on long trips at sea.
An official of the Navy’s technical department herself, Nguyen Thi Thanh Diep is no stranger to the difficulties and challenges facing families of naval soldiers in the front line who are trying to perform their duties to the country while holding the family together.
As professional soldiers, they are almost tight-lipped about their work, which is of course national secrecy.
Nguyen Ngoc Dung, their daughter, is now a seventh grade student at the Tran Van On School in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. For seven consecutive years, Dung has been a straight A student in her schools.
Asked about her parents at the meeting, the young girl expressed unqualified love and admiration for her parent despite not having much time to be around them, playing and talking with them as her friends do in their families.
“My father is as strong and solid as a lighthouse. I am very proud of my father being a naval officer,” she said.
A lighthouse is always a dependable source of guidance for ships trying to navigate the dangerous waters at night, the girl explained the metaphor she used for her father.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, the couple’s eldest son, is now a sophomore at the Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnics University.
In 2009, Cuong was admitted into two of the most prestigious universities in the south of Vietnam, the Polytechnics University and the University of Agriculture and Forestry, where he came first in its entrance examinations.
But it is not always a given that he can gain the confidence and respect of his children, Linh said. “I always live by my belief that a responsible father has to set an example for his children to follow.”
“In my mind, defending the nation’s sovereignty is my top priority. After work come my family and my children,” Linh admitted.
Linh said he has always stood by the priorities ever since he got married almost 30 years ago.
A soldier at home
Discipline and other characteristics of a soldier’s life have somehow found their way into and left their mark on the life and routine of his family.
Whenever returning home from long voyages at sea, the couple always holds a family meeting to review their work with their children.
The father, mother and two children “report” their achievements and mistakes to one another in a friendly atmosphere.
“During the meeting, we consider each other as friends. My wife and I both try to relate to our children and be as open minded and honest with them as we can,” Linh said.
However, those family meetings are rare as Linh spends on average seven months or more a year on his ship at sea, leaving him with just 4 or 5 months at most to spend with his family.
It is a special time in their life when both Linh and his wife are free from work to live in the same house with their children. Not a moment is wasted on quarreling or bickering, as there is not enough time for them to show love to one another, Diep said.
Not a typical example of the Vietnamese family, his “naval family” has only a few rare photos of the whole family gathering together, as neither he nor his wife spends much time under the same roof with their children.
But there is more than enough pride and affection to go around among the members of the family.
The father speaks proudly about his two children who are both outstanding students at school and well-behaved children at home. And his face brightens up with sparkles of happiness when the conversation turns to his wife, who takes care of everything in the family when he is away on long trips at sea.
An official of the Navy’s technical department herself, Nguyen Thi Thanh Diep is no stranger to the difficulties and challenges facing families of naval soldiers in the front line who are trying to perform their duties to the country while holding the family together.
As professional soldiers, they are almost tight-lipped about their work, which is of course national secrecy.
Nguyen Ngoc Dung, their daughter, is now a seventh grade student at the Tran Van On School in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. For seven consecutive years, Dung has been a straight A student in her schools.
Asked about her parents at the meeting, the young girl expressed unqualified love and admiration for her parent despite not having much time to be around them, playing and talking with them as her friends do in their families.
“My father is as strong and solid as a lighthouse. I am very proud of my father being a naval officer,” she said.
A lighthouse is always a dependable source of guidance for ships trying to navigate the dangerous waters at night, the girl explained the metaphor she used for her father.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, the couple’s eldest son, is now a sophomore at the Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnics University.
In 2009, Cuong was admitted into two of the most prestigious universities in the south of Vietnam, the Polytechnics University and the University of Agriculture and Forestry, where he came first in its entrance examinations.
But it is not always a given that he can gain the confidence and respect of his children, Linh said. “I always live by my belief that a responsible father has to set an example for his children to follow.”
“In my mind, defending the nation’s sovereignty is my top priority. After work come my family and my children,” Linh admitted.
Linh said he has always stood by the priorities ever since he got married almost 30 years ago.
A soldier at home
Discipline and other characteristics of a soldier’s life have somehow found their way into and left their mark on the life and routine of his family.
Whenever returning home from long voyages at sea, the couple always holds a family meeting to review their work with their children.
The father, mother and two children “report” their achievements and mistakes to one another in a friendly atmosphere.
“During the meeting, we consider each other as friends. My wife and I both try to relate to our children and be as open minded and honest with them as we can,” Linh said.
However, those family meetings are rare as Linh spends on average seven months or more a year on his ship at sea, leaving him with just 4 or 5 months at most to spend with his family.
It is a special time in their life when both Linh and his wife are free from work to live in the same house with their children. Not a moment is wasted on quarreling or bickering, as there is not enough time for them to show love to one another, Diep said.
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