On a recent afternoon, near the rear gate of Gio An Primary and Secondary School, a local grandfather noticed something unusual.
Half-buried in the dirt, just meters from where children would soon be rushing out for their break, lay an explosive remnant of war. Recognizing the danger immediately, 64-year-old Nguyen Van Dat wasted no time. He contacted the NPA/RENEW clearance team, which was already operating in the nearby An Nha Village.
“I was so worried for the schoolchildren, including my granddaughter,” Mr. Dat said, explaining his urgency.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dat (left) shows Team Leader Hoang Kim Chien the location where he spotted the explosive item near the school.
Receiving the report just before the start of the afternoon session, the NPA/RENEW Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team mobilized immediately to the site. The EOD team assessed the item, confirmed it was safe to move, and transported it to the NPA/RENEW clearance site in An Nha Village, where it was successfully destroyed later that day.
Students of Gio An School attend their afternoon classes, unaware of the potential danger that was safely removed earlier in the day.
Restoring the Land
For the teams at NPA/RENEW, removing a single item is only part of the battle. Across the province, they are working to clear entire hectares of land to ensure families can thrive without fear.
This impact is most visible in the story of Mr. Hoàng Đình Giản in Long Hai Village.
Mr. Giản’s family has lived here since 1976, raising four children on this soil. Today, he tends to a lush black pepper garden, but for many years, farming was filled with fear. Families like Mr. Giản’s knew that just one strike of a hoe could trigger a deadly explosion; he vividly remembers how a neighbor once lost his life after hitting a buried munition.
During a clearance operation conducted earlier this year, six RENEW/NPA teams worked tirelessly to make safe a contaminated area in Long Hai and the surrounding villages.
A Shared Victory
Today, Mr. Giản’s land is safe. The fear is gone, replaced by the green shoots of new crops.
His story, alongside Mr. Dat’s vigilance at the school gate, reminds us that safety is a shared responsibility. Whether it is a community member reporting a threat or a clearance team sweeping a field, the goal remains the same: a safe and prosperous Quảng Trị.
Making Mission Possible
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of the United States, through the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, and the Government of Norway for their valuable support. It is their enduring commitment that allows us to continue this meaningful humanitarian mission—clearing the land, saving lives, and securing a brighter future for the people of Vietnam.
