And there are also those whose entire twenties were dedicated to service and sacrifice, connecting their lives with their compatriots in the remote border regions, becoming a reliable support for the people of various ethnic groups in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh, Head of the Police Station in Phieng Khoai Commune, Son La Province, is one such person. To the Mong people in Phieng Khoai, Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh is like a close son or brother.

The first regular police officer

Phieng Khoai, covering over 91 square kilometers and situated at an altitude of over 1,500 meters above sea level, is home to more than 8,000 people. It also contains the historical revolutionary site of Vietnam and Laos, where the Hmong people assisted President Kaysone Phomvihane in Lao Kho village. Phieng Khoai experiences bitterly cold winters but also scorching hot summers, making it one of the key areas of the former Yen Chau district.

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh is educating local residents on how to prevent online scams.

When Lu Hong Vinh arrived in Phieng Khoai, many were skeptical, wondering if the young soldier had the courage to endure the harsh and unfamiliar border region. Time flew by, one moonlit season passed, another the next, and before long, Lu Hong Vinh, the police officer in charge of the commune, had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, becoming one of the first officially appointed commune police chiefs in Yen Chau district.

Talking about the work of the commune police in the highlands, the stories are perhaps endless. Lu Hong Vinh began with the first lesson in staying close to the people, which was the lesson of human connection. Building trust with the people, being intimate with them in every meal and every sleep, from the joyful days in the villages to the hardships and weariness of each household. Wherever there is a need, the police are there; wherever there is difficulty, the police are there.

When Vinh began his journey to the commune, he never thought about how long he would be attached to Phiêng Khoài. He also never wondered if he would be at a disadvantage staying in this remote area. He only knew that through the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—his military uniform faded by the rain and sun, he spent his time going down to the villages to disseminate policies and laws to the people, listening to their difficulties, discussing solutions for their hardships, and finding ways to develop the economy, reduce poverty, and maintain stability in the area... all of this made Vinh forget about his own personal gains and losses.

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh recalled: "My most memorable experience was during a patrol from the commune center to Lao Kho village. It was raining heavily. My colleagues and I had to take shelter in a villager's hut. We were warmed by the fire and offered a meal by the villagers. Afterwards, we continued on our way to our mission when we spotted a man and woman acting suspiciously, seemingly transporting illegal drugs. We stopped their vehicle, checked them, and found nearly 400 pills of synthetic drugs on them."

During the conversation, Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh suddenly paused thoughtfully before continuing: "I've never wondered if staying here is a disadvantage, but over the years, I've seen that the success of the police force is largely due to the help, support, and trust of the people, which allows us to work with peace of mind and strive to excellently fulfill our assigned tasks at the grassroots level."

Phiêng Khoài commune shares a border with Xieng Kho district, Hua Phan province, Laos. Besides trade and cultural exchange between residents along the border, it has also been a hotspot for drug-related crime for many years, leading the Son La Provincial Police to classify it as a complex area in terms of security and order.

Lu Hong Vinh and the police officers of Phieng Khoai commune advised the local government and coordinated with the Border Guard to implement many measures to maintain security and order in the border region, while creating stable and safe villages.

At the Phiêng Khoài Commune Police Station, briefings are not scheduled but entirely dependent on the practical demands of the job. The officers work without fixed office hours; they are always on the go when the people need them, when urgent matters require immediate attention. From the commune center to the furthest villages, people can recognize Lừ Hồng Vinh and his colleagues from afar. Their presence is a symbol of safety and security.

Like the "slaughtering knives" in the border villages.

Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phieng Khoai commune, said: "Our local Party committee and government have absolute trust in the commune's police force. They are not afraid of difficulties or hardships, and they are always ready to help the people with even the smallest tasks; they regularly advise the Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Phieng Khoai commune on ensuring political security and social order in the area, thereby serving the socio-economic development of the locality."

The Phiêng Khoài commune police, in coordination with the Border Guard, conducted administrative inspections in the border area.

In Phiêng Khoài, police officers aren't solely focused on catching criminals. There, officers like Lừ Hồng Vinh are like a jack-of-all-trades, juggling countless other tasks besides their professional duties. If a cornfield in the upper village faces a drought, they call the commune police. If a drug addict in the lower village, after rehabilitation, needs to make a living, they call Officer Vinh. The elderly in Phiêng Khoài say that thanks to these police officers, many families have enough to eat and live comfortably, with chickens and pigs filling their yards and granaries overflowing with rice and corn. These words of praise are the medals that these police officers receive after days and nights of working tirelessly, like "jack-of-all-trades," running through the villages...

During the most difficult periods of his life, Le Dai Dong, from Kim Chung 2 village, Phieng Khoai commune, became addicted to drugs. After more than a year, his family became one of the poorest in the village. Police officers persuaded him to attend a rehabilitation center. Le Dai Dong started his life anew from scratch, but he had the support of the officers and soldiers of Phieng Khoai commune police. With loans for planting trees and raising livestock, after a year, he became a role model in the village with a 2-hectare plum orchard and a full barn of pigs and chickens; his family escaped poverty. More importantly, Dong completely broke free from drugs.

He shared: "Before, I didn't understand the law, I fell into drug addiction, life was difficult, and people looked down on me. With the encouragement of the commune police, I tried to turn things around, and now life is relatively stable, the economy is less difficult, and my children are getting a proper education. Comrade Lu Hong Vinh, the head of the commune police, regularly visits, encourages, and guides me in economic activities such as farming and livestock raising. Life is now very different from before."

Having been involved with the area for over a decade, from his time as a police officer in charge of the commune to his current role as the head of the commune's police force, the residents here are familiar with this friendly and proactive police officer who actively promotes and encourages people to comply with the regulations of the Party and the laws of the State, guides them on effective disease prevention methods, and educates and encourages their children to avoid violating the law and engaging in social vices.

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh is intimately familiar with every alley, every trail, and every path along the border. Whether under the scorching sun or on a freezing winter night, the footsteps of this police officer seem tireless. Major Bui Trung Quan, a police officer from Phieng Khoai commune, commented: "Comrade Vinh interacts with the people very skillfully and gently. In cases that seemed to be at a standstill, he has resolved them for the people and local officials, preventing unfortunate incidents from occurring."

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh added: "To effectively ensure security and order at the grassroots level, we must be close to the people, understand their needs, grasp their thoughts and aspirations, and resolve their issues so that they trust and provide information to the police force to effectively address all problems at the local level. People like Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh, who are 'more committed to the villages than to their homes,' are contributing to the continuation of the heroic saga of protecting the land and its people with unwavering faith, responsibility, and love for the Fatherland. Their youth may be sacrificed on the border, but it is in exchange for peace for their homeland."