The Fatherland calls out the name of the first respondent
In the long journey of the Vietnamese people, every time the Fatherland is faced with a life-and-death crossroads, the first force mentioned is always the youth. From the early days of independence to the muddy storm and flood seasons today, Vietnamese youth still continues to shine like an uncontrollable flame, despite all the changes of time.
The spirit of "Where there is need for young people, wherever there is discomfort for young people" is not the slogan hanging on the poster billboards. That is the crystallization of millions of silent but brave choices, from young people who have put the interests of the community above their own safety. They choose to live beautifully - not because they are assigned tasks, but because deep in their hearts they always have the call of the sacred Fatherland.
Even in the recent storms and floods, when floodwaters rose over their chests, when each residential area was cut off, when each roof could only see the roof, young people from all over voluntarily rushed into the flood. Without waiting for anyone to call, they were there. No one asks, but they understand: when the people are in trouble, young people cannot stand aside.
Amidst the smoke and fire of war - Vietnamese youth write history with blood and faith
Returning to each heroic history of the nation, people always find the mark of youth. Those are footprints winding in mud, a smile in the mist of Truong Son forest, a tear in exchange for you to fall, a song overwhelming the sound of a bomb, and letters sent to the family that have never been responded to.
According to previous statistics from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, during the resistance war against the US, 65% of the fighting and combat service forces were young people, more than 1.4 million young volunteers were present at the most intense bomb and bullet attack locations. Of which, more than 10,000 people have heroically sacrificed, with an average age of only 18 to 22.
Children in their twenties turn immortal
Ly Tu Trong - a 17-year-old young man struggled to get on the sack and left behind an immortal saying: "The path of youth can only be the path of revolution." Vo Thi Sau - a sixteenth-year-old girl from Dat Do faced the enemy without "a whole heels". Nguyen Van Troi - a young electrician has turned the moment of imminence of death into a call to awaken millions of hearts. Ten girls of Dong Loc Intersection - all in their eighteens and twenties, were lying in the ground to keep the blood circulation for the Southern battlefield.
Luong Khanh Thien, Be Van Dan, Cu Chinh Lan, Tran Van Phuong on the island of Gac Ma in the future... and thousands of names whose each name is a flame, each name is an immortal son of this Fatherland. Those people never age in national memory, in the sacred soul of rivers and mountains, because they have chosen to spend their entire youth for the Fatherland.
From the path of war to peace - youth continue to pave the way for the country. When the sound of war guns has retreated to the past, the S-shaped strip of land has entered a difficult construction period. And once again, the young man was called out for the name - not to hold guns, but to build a new Vietnam.
The roads of youth - the bridges of the people's hearts
During 40 years of renovation, the youth has left its mark in tens of thousands of works, specifically:
In the 2017-2022 period, the Youth Union at all levels registered and implemented more than 34,000 youth projects. More than 150,000 km of rural roads have been expanded, concreted or repaired. 20,000 bridges and culverts were built from the sweat and efforts of young people. More than 120 million trees were planted in the "For Green Environment" programs, contributing to creating new lungs for the country.
In each rural area, each village, people can point to you a project with the footsteps of young people: a suspension bridge across the floodwaters of Muong Dang village (Dien Bien); a newly opened concrete road in Tra Don commune (Nam Tra My); the project "Dien Khong den den road to the countryside" in the Southwest.
Young intellectuals move towards difficulties
Youth in the integration period not only takes advantage of strength but also of intelligence. Every year, young people across the country have more than 300,000 initiatives and science - technology topics recognized and applied. More than 40,000 young volunteer intellectuals have been sent to remote areas, border areas, and islands to develop new rural areas, transfer science and technology, build economic models, and guide people to develop livelihoods. More than 600,000 young entrepreneurs are creating young, high-tech enterprises, contributing to making Vietnam a bright spot for startups in the region.
Today's youth, if they do not carry goods to cross mountains like their father, are also "paving the way" in new spaces: digital space, creative space, international space.
When natural disasters come - young people are always the force at the forefront
During the days of prolonged floods in Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, Lam Dong and many Central - Central Highlands provinces at the end of 2025, the whole country once again saw familiar images but always moved people's hearts: union members and young people wading in the rushing water, old men's hands, children's hands, eyes looking at each other firmly between the whirring wind and the rushing flood water. In any landslide, deep flooding or isolated residential area, people see first the shade of a volunteer blue shirt, a young Border Guard shirt, and a red shirt of the Red Cross youth.
No longer the story of a single locality, that spirit spreads throughout the places suffering heavy damage: from Buon Don (Dak Lak) where the water rose more than 2 meters in just a few hours, to Ninh Hoa (Khanh Hoa) where the Dinh River overcame the historic flood peak; from villages in Krong Ana, Ea Kar, to communes along the stream in Gia Lai - where groups of young people have spent the night walking to reach people who have been isolated for many days.
Real stories - written with sweat and courage
Story 1: 150 young people from Ho Chi Minh City set out to provide relief to Khanh Hoa in the midst of the flood (2025). On November 23, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union decided to establish a team of 150 young volunteers, immediately set out to support the people of Khanh Hoa who were submerged in heavy floods. This is one of the largest squads mobilized in the past 10 years. In just 48 hours, the squad has provided more than 1,500 gifts, directly reaching deeply flooded residential areas in Ninh Hoa, Van Ninh, Dien Khanh.
Story 2: More than 1,500 Lam Dong union members support people in cleaning up after the historic flood (2025). After the particularly big flood in early November 2025, Lam Dong Provincial Youth Union mobilized more than 1,500 union members and young people to areas that were severely damaged. They clean mud, repair houses, collect garbage, support cooking, transport food - work without the sun or rain from morning to night. In some communes, wherever the floodwaters receded, young people were present to help rebuild each damaged house.
Story 3: Dak Lak youth stay up all night in deep flooded areas to take people out of dangerous areas (2025). During the major flood on November 21-22, 2025, in Krong Ana district (Dak Lak), the rapid response youth team of Binh Hoa commune spent the night on boats to each residential cluster, taking more than 200 people out of the floodwaters. The press recorded images of young men searching at night, holding flashlights, holding boat ropes, and many sections had to wade in cold water up to their chest to guide each elderly person to safety.
umbers to tell in the flood season
According to preliminary statistics from the Central Youth Union and the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control: More than 120,000 young people have directly participated in rescue, relief and support for flood areas in 2025 alone. More than 5,000 rapid response teams have been activated in 63 provinces and cities. The material value mobilized by young people to support people in flooded areas is up to approximately 300 billion VND. More than 2 million meals, hundreds of tons of rice, more than 10,000 life buoys, along with thousands of blankets, warm clothes, and medicine were delivered to areas deeply flooded or isolated.
These figures not only show the strength of young people in difficult times, but also demonstrate the depth of the culture of compassion that has become a tradition of the Vietnamese people.
Small stories but create great confidence
Union member Nguyen Thi Mai (Quang Ngai): On November 12, 2023, while evacuating people in Nghia Hoa commune (Tu Nghia district), Mai was swept away by a sheet of corrugated iron by the wind, flowing a lot of blood. But she temporarily covered the wound and returned with a group of young men to transfer rice and take the children to the flood shelter. She simply said: "The flood came so quickly, the people still need me."
Youth group of Ky Son district (Nghe An): The flash flood on September 2, 2022 in Muong Xen left many households stranded. 15 local young men took advantage of every minute of the pouring rain to tie a life rope, wading through the rushing water to pull 12 people out of the wooden house that was about to be swept away.
11th grade student Nguyen Quoc Toan (Quang Tri): On October 29, 2022, Toan - an 11th grade student - jumped into deep water to save three people whose boat capsized in Hai An commune (Hai Lang district). I said: "At that time, I didn't think anything, I just saw that they were about to sink".
Those stories, although small compared to the great work that young people across the country are taking on, still light up a simple thing: the kindness of Vietnamese people always begins from a young age. Regardless of the era, Vietnamese youth are still beautiful in their commitment, in their determination and in the way they put the People above themselves.
From the Ly Tu Trong generation to the COVID-19 prevention generation, from the ten generation of Dong Loc girls to the generation of ice and stream generation to save people in floods, it is still an unchanged spirit: when the Fatherland is in difficulty, young people move forward; when the People are in trouble, young people stay; when the country needs innovation, young people are creative.
That spirit is the glue that connects generations; is an endless source of energy for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland; is the political identity of Vietnamese youth.
Youth - a shock force in the new era
Today, Vietnam faces new challenges: fierce international competition, climate change, population aging, the need for rapid and sustainable development, the risk of fake news, high-tech fraud, non-traditional issues, extreme natural disasters.
And once again, young people step out to the forefront of the new era: On the digital transformation front, young people are the core. On the green economic - circular economic front, young people are the initiator. On the environmental protection front, young people are the pioneers. On the people's diplomatic route, youth is the bridge to bring Vietnam to the world. On the innovation front, young people are the fastest people. They are the generation of aspiration for 2045 - the generation with the great responsibility and mission that the Party and the People have sent.
Every era needs a generation of brave young people
Every time the country faces a challenge, people ask: "Where is the youth?".
And the answer has never changed: Youth are in the most difficult place.
Youth are in the places where the people need them most.Youth is where the Fatherland calls its name".
That spirit is faith, hope, the strength to help the nation overcome all events. President Ho Chi Minh advised: "Whether the water in the house is prosperous or weak, weak or strong, is largely due to the youth."
Today, when we see young people rushing to save people in floods, lighting bridges at night, researching new technologies every day, sticking to the villages every day to help people develop the economy... we believe that the future of Vietnam will be brighter, stronger, and more sustainable.
Because, in all circumstances, Vietnamese youth still keep their courage and soul:
What young people need.
It is not difficult to have young people.
