New Year's Eve at the DK1 offshore platform.

Officers and soldiers at the DK1/10 offshore platform sat together to watch the Tet Comedy Show and listen to President Vo Van Thuong deliver his New Year's greetings at midnight.

On the evening of the 30th day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon), the DK1/10 offshore platform in the Ca Mau shoal area was filled with the sounds of singing, talking, and laughter. Officers and soldiers gathered together to sing karaoke, participate in a "democratic flower picking" game, and raise their glasses to exchange New Year's greetings.

Thanks to digital satellite television, the soldiers on the offshore platforms can watch the Tet Comedy Show, other cultural programs, and eagerly await the moment when President Vo Van Thuong delivers his New Year's greetings to the entire nation.

From the afternoon, Political Commissar, Major Pham Van Sinh, announced that preparations for the New Year's celebration were complete. As a pre-New Year's Eve ritual, officers and soldiers cut each other's hair, showered, and tidied their uniforms to participate in the year-end program.

Besides the pot of sticky rice cakes boiled on the evening of the 29th of Tet, the soldiers on the offshore platform also slaughtered pigs and chickens, made pork sausage, cooked jellied meat, pickled onions and cabbage, and steamed sticky rice to celebrate New Year's Eve. The ingredients were transported by the Truong Sa 04 ship of the 2nd Naval Region Command more than three weeks ago, along with some food produced by the soldiers themselves. "We try to create the most joyful and abundant atmosphere for the soldiers, just like Tet on the mainland," Major Sinh said.

While enthusiastically sharing details of the Lunar New Year celebrations, the political officer's voice softened when mentioning the mainland: "We also have to put aside our families and personal feelings to be out here guarding and protecting the people during the Tet holiday. Our hometowns, wives, and children remain a constant worry for many soldiers on the DK1 platform when Tet and spring arrive."

Corporal Nguyen Tan Giau (left) and Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Phung Hai decorate for Tet (Lunar New Year) on the offshore platform, January 17. Photo: Quang Tien

After midnight, all officers and soldiers gathered to call their families to inquire about their health and wish them a Happy New Year. All 15 DK1 offshore platforms now have phone coverage, making it convenient to connect with the mainland. Soldiers at DK1/10 said they were luckier than their comrades on other platforms as they could make video calls home via the Vinasat system, seeing their wives and children busy visiting relatives, shopping, and decorating the house for the upcoming Tet holiday.

Lieutenant Nguyen Phung Hai, 40 years old, from Ha Tinh province, said that since working on the offshore platform in 2007, he has only returned home once to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with his wife and children. Like many other officers and soldiers on the offshore platform, he said, "We have to find a way to overcome the feeling of homesickness, especially during the last days of the year."

His daughter, who is in eighth grade, not only calls him daily to check on his health, but also buys him clothes as gifts every Tet (Lunar New Year). "This year she also bought a gift, and she'll send it to Dad when the ship arrives at the offshore platform," Mr. Hai said. In his personal locker at the platform, he keeps a collection of letters from his daughter, which he occasionally reads to ease his longing for her. In one letter sent to him during Tet, the little girl boasted about her progress in computer science and promised to draw a picture for him when he returned.

Like Hai, the picture of his three-year-old daughter, sent by his wife on the ship to the island, is a source of encouragement for Lieutenant Nguyen Van Nghiep, a 28-year-old radar operator from Nam Dinh province. At the end of 2019, his wife gave birth while Nghiep was on duty at the offshore platform, and he only returned home to visit his family when his daughter was eight months old.

"Ideally, men should be the support for women, but now women are the solid support behind us, allowing us to work with peace of mind in these challenging environments," Political Officer Pham Van Sinh said, expressing the sentiments of the soldiers stationed on the offshore platforms.

First Lieutenant Nguyen Phung Hai reads his daughter's letter. Video: Hoang Anh

This was also an unforgettable Tet holiday for Corporal Nguyen Tan Giau, who had only been at the offshore platform for less than a month. The bustling atmosphere of preparing for the Tet Eve celebration made the new recruit temporarily forget his longing for his mother and girlfriend.

After his father passed away, leaving only his mother and older brother, Giàu had to become independent from the 10th grade onwards. Having passed the entrance exam to the National Academy of Public Administration, the young man from Vũng Tàu worked various jobs, such as carrying trays and serving in restaurants, to earn money for his studies. However, Giàu only managed to stay in his first year; he couldn't continue his studies in his second year. He enlisted in the military, and after a year of training, he volunteered to serve on an offshore platform.

Corporal Nguyen Tan Giau (appears at 0:03) and other officers and soldiers at the DK1/10 platform decorate the space to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year) early. Video: Hoang Anh - Quang Tien

When Giàu left for the offshore platform, his girlfriend, Lê Thị Quỳnh Như, with whom he had been together for five years, came to see him off at the dock. They held hands affectionately, and Như promised to take care of his mother in his place so he could focus on his work. He urged her to take care of herself and wait for his return so they could discuss marriage.

"Don't marry a soldier, it's too hard," many officers and soldiers at the DK1 offshore platform gave the same answer when asked. However, after all that, their wives still feel proud to have a husband who serves on the island. And the soldiers, during their lonely and precarious times at sea, still remember their hardworking families back home with gratitude.

Nguyen Tan Giau with his girlfriend at the port authority of Brigade 125 in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, before departing for duty at the offshore platform, on January 9th. Photo: Hoang Anh

Three weeks ago, on the Trường Sa 04 ship, traveling nearly 1,000 nautical miles to the offshore platform amidst rough seas, Giàu suffered from seasickness and was bedridden for many days. But the 22-year-old said resolutely: "I'm not afraid of the storms of life, let alone the storms of the offshore platform."

DK1 (Economic and Scientific-Technical Service Cluster) consists of 15 offshore platforms located on the southern continental shelf of Vietnam, 250-350 nautical miles from the mainland. The platforms' mission is to establish lighthouses to inform fishing and maritime transport vessels navigating the area; to set up meteorological and hydrological research stations; to provide shelter from storms and rescue for fishermen; and to maintain and protect the sovereignty of the southern continental shelf of Vietnam, ensuring peace and security for resource exploitation on the continental shelf.

Hoang Anh - Vnexpress.net

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