When I first heard the news, I thought Mr. Duy might skydive and was only injured. Until now, I still don’t believe Duy died,” the wife of Captain Tran Ngoc Duy choked.
| Vo Hoang Minh Phuong – wife of pilot captain Tran Ngoc Duy. |
On the evening of January 31, a newspaper reporter Tien Phong was present at the family of Captain Tran Ngoc Duy in Yen Bai.
Captain Duy’s house is regarding 100 meters away from the gate of the unit is the 921st Airborne Regiment, 371st Division, Air Defense – Air Force. The temperature was only 14 degrees Celsius, the cold, mournful atmosphere enveloped the small house.
Standing side by side with Captain Duy’s family at this time were teammates and unit leaders. The followinglife was discussed carefully with Captain Duy’s biological parents.
22:22, a 16-seat car carrying Captain Duy’s parents-in-law, wife and two daughters from Noi Bai airport to his house at Tran Binh Trong street, Nam Cuong, Yen Bai city.
Grandmother and relatives came to carry two small children. Ms. Vo Hoang Minh Phuong – Captain Duy’s wife got off the car and fainted in front of the door.
The two children were bewildered and did not understand the story, making family members, teammates and visiting people unable to hold back their tears.
It is getting colder and colder at night. Dozens of cars brought Captain Duy’s teammates from home to Yen Bai Provincial General Hospital to relieve the cold.
At 23:00, Captain Duy’s biological father called and discussed with the Regiment Commander of the 921st Airborne Regiment, expressing his wish to be given the position of the pilot in distress and sacrifice. The family’s wishes were immediately met by the unit commander.
At 23:25, teammates were still standing by their families despite the cold. The car carrying family members to the pilot’s location returned. Captain Duy’s mother sobbed.
At 0:00, Captain Duy’s family and wife regained their composure and wanted to go to the hospital to see their children and husband one last time before entering the military.
On the bus to the hospital, Phuong told the couple that they had returned to their wife’s house in Ninh Thuan to celebrate Tet from December 24. This is the first Tet that Captain Tran Ngoc Duy has enjoyed with his wife and children following 3 years on duty at the unit.
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| Teammates stand by, encourage and share pain with family. |
“On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Duy flew out first to go to Yen Bai on the fifth day. Mr. Duy promised that next Saturday (January 14) he would go to Noi Bai airport to pick up his parents and children, but …”, Ms. Phuong choked. .
Captain Duy’s wife said that her husband had a dream of becoming a pilot since childhood. As a child, because of car sickness, Duy asked his parents to buy a swivel chair to practice, determined to pass and take the pilot exam.
Captain Duy was told by his teammates that he had a very good flying skill. Before moving to Yen Bai, pilot Tran Ngoc Duy had good flying skills while studying and performing missions in Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan.
“At first when I heard the news, I thought Duy might skydive and was only injured. Until now, I still don’t believe that Duy died. Normally, before flying, Duy only texted ‘Daddy, let’s fly’ and the house was close to the house. You should hardly lock the door, but today the door is locked very carefully, the comrades have to find the lock forever to find it”, Captain Duy’s wife cried.
According to information from the Organizing Committee of Tran Ngoc Duy’s funeral, the memorial and visitation ceremony will be held at Yen Bai Provincial General Hospital from 7 am on February 1. After that, Captain Duy’s coffin will be taken to his hometown and cremated in Thai Nguyen.
