"Touching" the Spratly Islands

In May, the sky over Ho Chi Minh City was filled with early morning sunshine. A gentle breeze blew across the Saigon River, carrying the salty sea air from the distant ocean. At Brigade 125, Region 2 of the Navy, the No. 21 working group from Ho Chi Minh City offered incense to commemorate the heroic martyrs of the "No Number" naval convoy before beginning their voyage to visit and encourage officers, soldiers, and people in the Truong Sa archipelago and the DK1 platform.

A place for forging young soldiers.

At exactly 8:00 AM on May 11th, the KN-290 ship, carrying 231 delegates from the Ho Chi Minh City working group, sounded its horn three times, signaling its departure from the port and beginning its special voyage. Waving hands from the mainland gradually faded into the distance, giving way to the vast expanse of water and the endless blue of the Vietnamese sea and sky.

After nearly two days of sailing, the ship stopped in the middle of a clear blue sea. From the deck, we saw two sturdy houses – a refuge amidst the vast ocean. Located north of the Truong Sa archipelago, Da Thi Island is a submerged island that endures harsh weather conditions year-round. It is also one of the two furthest islands in the Truong Sa archipelago.

The Ho Chi Minh City delegation presents gifts to officers and soldiers on Da Thi Island. Photo: THU HOAI

Boat after boat carried the delegation from the ship to the island. On each boat, the delegates were almost silent, their eyes fixed straight ahead, with only the waves lapping against the sides and the salty sea breeze whistling past. When they were only a few dozen meters from the island, a striking red inscription on a blue wall suddenly appeared: "The island is our home, the sea is our homeland."

Amidst the vast expanse of the sea, in this wild and harsh place, the naval soldiers have truly made the sea their homeland, the island their home. The delegates' eyes welled up with tears, some not from the sea, but from the salt that streamed down their cheeks. The officers and soldiers of Da Thi Island lined up in their wind-stained uniforms. Strong hands reached out to greet each person, their skin tanned, their smiles warm: "Are you tired from your long days at sea?" The warmth of the officers and soldiers on the island touched everyone's hearts without them even realizing it.

The first image I saw when I sat in the boat was young soldier Tran Van Duong holding a flag, guiding the boat to shore. Duong had been serving on Da Thi Island for nearly five months. Before joining the navy, Duong worked in information technology – a job closely associated with computer screens, the internet, and the fast-paced life of a modern city. Performing his duties on a remote island, Duong had prepared himself for months of hardship. But what surprised him was the heartwarming abundance of resources.

“The facilities on the island are much better than I expected, only lacking internet. At first, I felt a little homesick and lonely,” Duong confided. Amidst the vast ocean, the 25-year-old, with a smile as warm as the morning sun, has learned to live more responsibly towards his beloved homeland. “I enjoy welcoming delegations to visit the island the most. Seeing the ships in the distance makes me so excited. It feels like reuniting with my loved ones,” Duong said.

After leaving Da Thi Island, the group continued their journey to Co Lin Island, a place with its own unique stories and emotions. Co Lin is an island that is submerged in water when the tide rises. As Co Lin Island gradually emerged on the horizon, we encountered a truly beautiful scene: pure white seagulls perched on the stilts.

A few birds spread their wings and soared into the air, circling near the boat before landing gently, as if welcoming the visitors from afar. As the boat docked at the island, I and a few colleagues hurried towards the sovereignty marker on Co Lin Island. From there, we could see directly across to Gac Ma Island – where 64 officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy bravely sacrificed their lives in the naval battle on March 14, 1988. The distance was only 3.8 nautical miles; the sea was still blue, the sky still clear, but the memory of the day when their blood mingled with the water never faded.

And then, by that landmark, I met a young soldier – very young. Nguyen Quoc Thang (born in 2005, from Khanh Hoa province), had been stationed on Co Lin Island for almost a year. He stood guard in a solemn posture, his hand firmly gripping his rifle, his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead. The sun rose higher, the heat scorching his skin, and sweat soaked his shirt.

After Thang finished his task, I quietly asked, "Have you ever felt scared?" "No, I'm not. Standing guard here is a source of pride. Young soldiers like us are constantly encouraged by our seniors, honing our skills and always ready to take on any mission." Amidst the vast ocean of Truong Sa, there are soldiers like Thang, not yet twenty years old, living amidst the storms and waves to fulfill their vow to protect our beloved sea and islands.

Ten years in the face of adversity.

We met Major Nguyen Van Thang (born in 1984, from Hung Yen province) at a very special moment – ​​as he was carefully stamping the red seals of Co Lin Island onto each national flag. These flags would accompany the delegation back to the mainland, as a sacred part of the island sent back to his homeland. Major Nguyen Van Thang has been working on Co Lin Island for 9 months. Before that, he had worked on Co Lin Island for 18 months, in conditions that were still very difficult – housing was not well-maintained, fresh water was scarce, vegetables were a luxury, and the soldiers' daily lives were still very lacking.

Major Nguyen Van Thang stamped the Co Lin Island seal for the delegates.

"Lin District is very different now than it used to be. The landscape is greener, cleaner, and more beautiful, the houses are spacious, and there's even a cultural center and a gym... for the soldiers to socialize and exercise. The spiritual life of the officers and soldiers is also much more comfortable and less strenuous than before," Thang shared.

Having spent over ten years serving in the Truong Sa archipelago, Major Nguyen Van Thang has become a familiar face on the submerged and above-water islands at the forefront of the waves. Recalling his first assignment to Truong Sa in 2014, he shared: “At that time, I didn’t have much idea what it was, I just felt a sense of excitement and tears welled up in my eyes. It wasn’t homesickness, nor fear, but something very sacred and special.”

Even though more than a decade has passed, he still vividly remembers his first day on duty at An Bang Island. “The day I arrived on the island was also the day a communications soldier completed his handover and prepared to return to the mainland. When we reached the pier, he hugged his comrade, the radio operator, tightly and sobbed uncontrollably. He was only 19 years old, yet our bond was so strong. That was my first lesson on the island, a reminder to always love, share with, and understand my comrades, especially the young soldiers who were on the island for the first time.”

According to Major Nguyen Van Thang, Co Lin is one of the islands with a particularly important strategic location, only about 3.8 nautical miles from Gac Ma Island - which is currently being illegally occupied. The distance is so close that it's visible to the naked eye, but this doesn't deter the officers and soldiers on the island; on the contrary, it strengthens their resolve and vigilance to the highest level.

According to Captain Nguyen Xuan Hoang, political officer of Co Lin Island, the island's Party committee and command always do a good job of ideological work, regularly instilling tasks so that officers and soldiers on the island understand their roles and responsibilities. Officers and soldiers are always in a state of highest combat readiness, without any fear of any hostile forces.

Besides their combat readiness duties, the soldiers on the island actively engage in physical training, playing volleyball, working out at the gym, singing karaoke, and also participate in agricultural production, growing vegetables, raising chickens and ducks… to improve their meals and alleviate their homesickness. On this remote island, it is the camaraderie and these simple activities that create a warm shared home amidst the vast ocean.

Rear Admiral Le Ba Quan, former Commander of Naval Region 2 (currently Deputy Commander of the Vietnam Navy), affirmed that the officers and soldiers serving on the islands and DK1 offshore platforms – the nation's frontline positions – are all individuals with unwavering political resolve, carefully selected for their character, professional qualifications, and willingness to sacrifice for their duty. Regardless of the difficulties and hardships, the officers and soldiers always maintain their resolve, remain united, absolutely obey orders from superiors, and are ready to fight to firmly defend the sacred sovereignty of the nation's seas and islands.

Rear Admiral Le Ba Quan also particularly acknowledged and highly appreciated the dedication and perseverance of the young soldiers and conscripted soldiers who are serving day and night in the most challenging environments. This is a worthy successor generation, possessing patriotism, resilience, and determination to safeguard every inch of the sea and islands inherited from their ancestors.

At the same time, we place high expectations on the younger generation, who will continue to uphold the traditions, constantly train and mature to contribute to building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Navy, and firmly protect the sacred sovereignty of the Vietnamese Fatherland at sea.

THU HOAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cham-vao-truong-sa-post799410.html