The story of the seagulls' "home" on Da Lon Island

"Big Rock stands in the middle of the ocean/ No trees, no shade, no mother's lullaby/ Only coral in the mist/ Planting the national flag, steady as a reef..." Where waves connect to the horizon, Big Rock Island is a large coral reef, located about 32 nautical miles west-southwest of Nam Yet Island.

Amidst the white-capped waves, three outposts A, B, and C stand like three bright lights guarding the sea. The outposts are solidly built on coral reefs, several nautical miles apart, forming a tripod.

The climate in Da Lon is typical of Truong Sa: from February to May, the weather is dry, the sun is scorching, pouring fire on the roof of the post, on the shoulders of the soldiers, on every rice ration. But that is when the sea is calm, convenient for ships to travel.

Boat trips leave the ship to visit Da Lon Island.

Due to the harsh, salty waves, the pontoon that had been plunging onto the sandbank over the years became more rusty and silent, but few would have guessed that inside it there was a new life that was blossoming every day: the nest of seagulls.

In the middle of the harsh open sea, a pair of seagulls have found a peaceful place to guard their sky-blue eggs - the color of clarity, freedom and hope. When the sea roars, when the storm rages, the rhythm of life in the small nest still moves silently. The eggshell cracks on a stormy day, and from then on, the baby bird's eyes blink open to life: "In the heart of the ship rushing onto the sandbank/The seagull nest guards the sky-blue eggs/On a stormy day, the rhythm of life cracks/Opening sad eyes, fierce and calm".

Big Rock is a submerged island with many hardships.

The female seagull patiently incubated each egg while the male seagull swam across the ocean, bringing each small fish back to the nest. The baby birds sang their first song in the warmth of their mother seagull and the hardships of their father seagull.

On that rusty iron foundation, they grew up with all the simplest and greatest things: Life, love and the indomitable spirit like marines.

In reality, that small house was never a place of complete peace. Outside, there were still ferocious birds lurking, encroaching, and attacking day and night. From the first pair of birds, a whole flock of seagulls arrived. Big Rock Island suddenly became bustling with the sound of flapping wings, the desperate calls to each other in the blue sky and deep sea.

Pontoon anchored on the shoal of Big Rock Island.

The island soldiers considered the seagulls as close friends. Sometimes, the young soldiers also played around, curiously watching and admiring the eggs, only to be "chased away" by the whole flock of seagulls. Everyone understood that the love and life of seagulls was sacred and close like their own breath.

Sometimes, in the bright sunlight and the rhythm of the waves, the seagulls also quarrel. However, if a strange bird invades their territory, the whole flock immediately gathers and fights together without retreating.

The old Pontoon became a home for seagulls.

Where the sea and sky merge into one vast expanse, seagulls spread their wings like soft strokes on a blue background. Their graceful bodies and wide, white wings spread out like crescent moons, gliding freely, freely, and proudly in the space.

The sea breeze blew through each layer of feathers, the bird's wings still calmly balanced in the sky, as free as the ocean itself that nurtured it. Sometimes, the seagull swooped down close to the water's surface, its wings almost touching the waves, the sunlight reflecting on its back like gold. Sometimes, the seagull flew high, raising its head to face the headwind, its eyes sharp but calm, ready to overcome any storm.

A pair of seagulls spread their wings in the middle of the ocean.

The beauty of the seagull lies in its strong yet graceful form and in the beauty of a bird that has spent its entire life attached to the sea, living with storms. In the flight path of the seagull, there seems to be an echo of freedom, the breath of the wind and waves, and the silent pride of choosing the sea as its home.

On the outpost islands, where all around are waves, howling winds, and vast seas, the friendship between humans and nature becomes even more special. Seagulls become close, intimate, and loyal friends of the marine soldiers.

Spread your wings in the vastness.

The seagulls seemed to have been there forever, so when the young soldiers arrived on the island with backpacks heavy with love for the Fatherland, the seagulls naturally gathered around, then stayed, lingered, and kept the island soldiers company through each windy season.

There were young soldiers who woke up early in the morning, holding some dry food in their hands, and a moment later they saw seagulls circling, calling to each other, wanting to share their portion. In their free time, the soldiers relaxed by watching the happy seagulls, calling out the names of each familiar bird. Seagulls were not afraid of people, they landed on the roofs, on the railings, and sometimes even in the island kitchen. The soldiers could never bear to chase them away, for them, seagulls were friends, a part of life on a remote island full of hardships but also no less romantic.

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Seagulls catch small fish and bring them back to their nests.

Seagulls are also talented "weather forecasters". Looking at the birds' high or low altitudes, how they glide, flap their wings, and their different levels of calls, the soldiers know that the sea is about to be rough and a storm is approaching. At times like these, the whole island responds quickly, while the seagulls quietly accompany the people.

On a calm day, the sea is still, each bird soars high, drawing beautiful, dreamy flight paths in the clear blue sky, bringing a sign of peace.

Every morning immersed in the dawn, every afternoon with the endless wind, the soldier let his soul follow the distant birds. In the eyes of the soldiers guarding the sea and sky, in the free-flying form of the seagulls, there seemed to be a common point: the love of the sea, the perseverance and determination to the end.

Take off on the waves.

At the forefront of the wind and waves, the chirping calls and bright smiles of brave soldiers always echo along with the soaring rhythm of seabirds. During our business trips to Navy units, we were quite surprised to discover that there were soldiers named Seagulls.

The more you travel and meet, the more you understand that a name is not simply a random choice but contains the love, pride, and aspirations of parents for their children with an unceasing longing for the Fatherland.

The contrasting yet poetic colors.

Seagulls are known as birds of freedom, belonging to both the ocean and the sky, never knowing fear like the soldiers calmly and steadfastly clinging to the ocean. Many people know seagulls through their flights between the ocean and the sky, through their free appearance, but rarely see the shape of their home.

The tiny homes, precariously perched on the edge of the waves in the heart of an old, rusty pontoon, seem to be temporary and barren, but they become miracles. Life sprouts, love is nurtured, where the instincts of fatherhood and motherhood appear touchingly through the story of birds.

The image and story of that home soothes homesick hearts, becoming a symbol of beauty hidden deep in hardship, silently and persistently.

There are now many seagull nests on the old pontoons.

We still remember the story of the home of teacher Do Thi Thom (Chuong My district, Hanoi city). In 2018, her husband, Lieutenant Nguyen Viet Tuong, worked on Da Lon island. In seven years of marriage, both times she gave birth, her husband was not by her side. The older child was eight months old when he returned. As for the younger child, the father was only allowed to hold the child when he was 15 months old when he came home on leave.

When returning to the mainland, Mr. Tuong, like many other marines, will always tell his parents, wife and children about the warm seagull nests that warm the hearts of the island's guardians.

Da Lon is one of the submerged islands with many hardships, life must be cherished through every drop of water and seedling, but love and hope have continuously blossomed, echoing to the mainland.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chuyen-mai-am-cua-hai-au-tren-dao-da-lon-post879910.html