"Celebrating Tet away from home for the first time made me a little homesick, but I have a different kind of joy here. Above all, I understand the meaning of my work: contributing to the preservation of the islands and seas, and ensuring peace for the people," young soldier Sung Sinh confided about his days celebrating Tet far from home.
Rear Admiral Vu Van Nam wishes good health to the soldiers of the naval squadron of Brigade 169 - Photo: VINH HA
Sung Sinh, a young soldier at radar station 485 of the 1st Naval Region ( Quang Ninh province), shared some personal feelings as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches.
Reaching the "eye of the sea"
During his visit to extend New Year greetings to officers and soldiers at Station 485 in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), Rear Admiral Vu Van Nam - Commander of Naval Region 1 - stated that Station 485 is a radar station located at a higher altitude than other stations in Region 1. He likened it to "the all-seeing eye of the navy" or "the eye of the sea".
The duty of radar operators is to observe and detect all foreign targets encroaching on our territorial waters. Information transmitted from radar stations is crucial for combat units to carry out their missions.
To reach the "eye of the sea" at Station 485, one must traverse a muddy, rocky path, cross numerous streams, and climb nearly 1,300 steep stone steps. Building a road up the limestone cliff is extremely difficult, especially transporting the materials. The stone steps were constructed by the soldiers at Station 485 themselves, making the process even more time-consuming.
Even a single person assigned to build just two steps had to carry materials up the stairs many times, then chisel and build. The stone steps were uneven, some steps significantly lower than others. Some sections were too narrow or too vertical, clearly showing the work of these amateur but determined "builders."
The soldiers spent nearly 10 years building that stone staircase. While it was still unfinished, the soldiers had to go up and down the mountain along a narrow path on the mountainside.
The stories of the soldiers who stay at sea become even more vivid when they accompany the group of officers and soldiers from Station 485 who are taking over the shift during the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year).
"The primeval forest is teeming with snakes. Before the road was built, nearly 10 soldiers were bitten by snakes and had to be carried down the mountain for emergency treatment. Transporting food and water during the dry season was also quite difficult. Every time the shift changed, the soldiers from the command post had to carry two cans of water and food, rice, and salt up the mountain. Even fast-moving naval soldiers took about two hours to reach the summit, while ordinary people could take three hours," a soldier from Station 485 said.
Soldiers maintaining the radar station 485 - Photo: VINH HA
"Because I am a soldier"
This is a familiar phrase from the young soldiers at Radar Station 485, when asked about overcoming difficulties to complete their mission and also overcoming homesickness while celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in a state of readiness for combat.
At Station 485, there are soldiers with over 20 years of military service, but there are also new recruits like Sung Sinh, who have only been in the army for one year and are celebrating his first Tet (Lunar New Year) away from home. Sinh says this is the most different Tet of his life. Instead of preparing for Tet with family, gathering with friends, or going to the market, Sinh is celebrating Tet with his comrades. A Tet with peach blossoms, banh chung (traditional rice cakes), a campfire, and collective activities, but all while maintaining a spirit of readiness for combat. This makes the young recruit feel both homesick and excited and proud.
"I miss home, but I comfort myself by thinking that I'm on an important and meaningful mission. Therefore, I have to be strong and try to complete the mission; I can't be negligent," the new recruit emphasized, adding, "Because I'm a soldier."
Sinh shared the secret that he "has a girlfriend back home." He said that at station 485, the phone signal is weak and the internet is also intermittent. To be able to call his girlfriend between shifts, Sinh has to find the best spot to get a signal. Sinh said he would call his parents and girlfriend after his shift during the Tet holiday. The young couple are in a long-distance relationship but trust each other. The girl told her boyfriend to focus on his duties while she waited for him.
Nguyen Xuan Tan, another young soldier, also had a memorable Tet holiday in the military because he was discharged right after Tet. His unit organized a banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake) making activity, and Tan was assigned the task. Although it was his first time doing it, Tan was quite skillful. Tan said this was his second Tet away from home and that he got to celebrate with his comrades.
"As a soldier, you can do anything, from growing vegetables and raising pigs to cleaning and cooking, while still being ready to perform your duties well," Tan said.
It was still early, but the meeting hall at the 485th Station headquarters was already decorated for Tet (Lunar New Year). As the pot of sticky rice cakes was placed on the stove, a bonfire was lit in the barracks courtyard. The festive New Year celebration included bamboo pole dancing, modern dance, and incredibly fun games. Everyone played and worked with all their might.
During the Tet holiday, Station 485 still had three shifts on duty. While the soldiers were happily celebrating the New Year below, other soldiers on the mountaintop were highly focused on their duties.
During an inspection of the duty roster at this station, the regional commander, Mr. Vu Van Nam, stated that the unique characteristic of soldiers stationed at radar stations is the need to overcome numerous difficulties and hardships. They must be on duty far from their families, the mainland, and even their command center. Radar soldiers on duty on New Year's Eve therefore experience very special emotions. They cannot leave their observation posts, guarding and protecting the peace so that everyone can celebrate Tet. Around them is only the silence of the mountains, forests, and the sea. But it is precisely because of this that New Year's greetings and responses from afar become incredibly meaningful and heartwarming.
"On New Year's Eve at the outpost, receiving New Year's greetings from my comrades and superiors, I was very moved," said one soldier. Another recounted hearing the voices of loved ones on New Year's Eve, a strangely warm feeling he hadn't experienced before his military life.
Wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) together to ease homesickness - Photo: VINH HA
Rice cake making competition in the combat squadron.
At Brigade 169 of the 1st Naval Region, the atmosphere leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) is also vibrant. According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duc Tho, deputy commander of Brigade 169, all ships in the fleet have rooms dedicated to celebrating Tet, decorated to resemble the festive atmosphere in Vietnamese families.
Soldiers at Station 485 tend the fire for making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) - Photo: VINH HA
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