The aspirations and determination of Truong Sa.

Our journey to Truong Sa has come to an end, but the emotions remain as vivid as if it were yesterday. The day we set foot back on the mainland was also the day each of us was confronted with a wave of nostalgia...

In April, a delegation from the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, led by Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Member of the Central Military Commission, and Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army - began its voyage to the military and people of the Truong Sa archipelago and the DK1 platform.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, offers incense to commemorate the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: Phuong Dung

The army and the people share the same will.

After traveling hundreds of nautical miles, the first island appeared before us: Song Tu Tay. The first steps onto this frontier island, a part of our homeland, filled everyone with emotion and nostalgia. The warm handshakes and smiles of the soldiers and civilians on the island dispelled the seasickness. Our group was immersed in an atmosphere of exhilaration, sacredness, and overflowing with affection and faith. The distance between the mainland and the remote island had never felt so close.

Song Tu Tay Island, part of Song Tu Island Commune, is one of the three communes and towns of Truong Sa Island District, Khanh Hoa Province. Besides military units, the island is home to local residents, a temple, a meteorological and hydrological station, and a harbor capable of accommodating hundreds of fishing boats. There are even combined "6-in-1" classrooms. The children proactively offered to sing many songs about the navy and the island for the visiting delegation. Their innocent and clear voices instilled in the members of the delegation indescribable emotions; everyone felt reluctant to leave.

After visiting the school, the delegation visited and presented gifts to households living on the island. Whenever the island welcomes visitors, every household feels like they're celebrating Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Ms. Luu Thi Cam Hang, household number 4 on Song Tu Tay island commune, shared: "When we first arrived, life was difficult because we weren't used to the environment, but with the help of the Island Command and the strong solidarity among the militia, we gradually found that life on the island is no different from life on the mainland."

When mentioning frontier islands and sovereignty markers, one cannot fail to mention the spiritual milestones in the lives of the islanders. Of the nine temples in the Truong Sa archipelago, our delegation was fortunate to visit four major ones: those on Song Tu Tay, Son Ca, Sinh Ton Dong, and Truong Sa Lon islands. Along with other spiritual structures, the Ho Chi Minh Memorial House built in Truong Sa also holds immense significance. It serves as a place for traditional education and activities for soldiers and civilians on the islands. This helps everyone understand their responsibility to live, fight, study, and follow the moral example of President Ho Chi Minh, worthy of his advice during his visit to the Navy in 1961: "Before, we only had night and forests; today we have day, sky, and sea. Our coastline is long and beautiful; we must know how to preserve it…"

On Đá Thị Island, Đá Núi Le A, and other islands we visited, life is changing every day. Through years of implementing the policy of settling people in the Trường Sa archipelago, we have now built a community across the Trường Sa archipelago, developing economic and cultural life at sea. Most importantly, the military and civilians share a common will; each citizen is also a soldier, a landmark of sovereignty on this sacred Trường Sa archipelago, our beloved homeland.

The delegation visits Song Tu Tay Primary School. Photo: Phuong Dung

Silent sacrifices in peacetime

Every time we see images of submerged and above-water islands, especially when we step onto the islands and meet the officers and soldiers carrying out their duties on the islands and offshore platforms, an indescribable feeling wells up inside us. Their lives are filled with days of readiness for combat; hours of grueling training; studying and working; finding joy in the vegetables they can't bear to pick; boundless love for the mainland; and unwavering selflessness at the forefront of the waves. They are ready to dedicate their youth to the Fatherland.

The moments we witnessed on the front lines of our homeland were truly extraordinary. "Is there any place like our country / Wrote in blood a thousand chapters of red history?" – these two lines by poet Nguyen Viet Chien kept appearing and piercing my heart as I, along with the delegation, participated in the memorial ceremonies for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Truong Sa archipelago and the memorial ceremony for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the southern continental shelf of our homeland. Two memorial ceremonies on the same sea voyage. In that vast expanse, hearts have dissolved into the waves, yet for a thousand years the yearning for peace still resonates.

Right there in Sinh Ton Dong, we stood silently before the memorial altar for the mother of Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ky Hop, Political Officer of Sinh Ton Dong Island, 146th Brigade, 4th Naval Region. At that time, his mother had passed away more than a week earlier, but due to his duties, he hadn't been able to return home for the funeral. As he received incense from us, he prayed: "Mother, wise in life and sacred in death, please bless our mission so that it goes smoothly." Tears streamed down our faces. We truly understood what silent sacrifice means in peacetime, what it means to hide personal happiness and suppress private grief to fulfill one's duty...

The author (right) with a naval soldier on Len Dao Island. Photo: PHUONG LE

No matter how difficult the circumstances, they remain optimistic, confident, and willing to accept sacrifice and hardship to be loyal to their homeland; this seems to be the common spirit, the ideology flowing in the veins of the officers and soldiers of Truong Sa. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Lam, Political Officer of the Truong Sa Border Guard Post under the Khanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard, declared: "No matter what, we will always be united, overcome difficulties, hold our weapons firmly, and protect our sovereignty!"

Youth is like the sea! Our nation's yearning for peace has been paid for with the blood and tears of countless people. Here, there are young children still in their formative years, young men who have never held a girl's hand, men who have had to shift the burden of supporting their families onto their wives, and martyrs who will forever rest in the vast ocean waves...

Bringing love from the mainland to the front lines, our team only wanted to contribute everything we could to strengthen the courageous people here. On the day of the trip's conclusion, before returning to the mainland, each of us was given the "Truong Sa Soldier" badge on our left chests, an honor bestowed upon those who were visiting and working on the island for the first time. The fact that the island soldiers considered all of us, each member of the delegation, as Truong Sa soldiers made us feel deeply indebted to them, because they are the ones who truly deserve all the glory.

The songs sent back to the distant islands, the gifts returned to the mainland are flags stained with the sun and wind of Truong Sa, the DK1 platform, and the unwavering spirit of the naval soldiers who defend the islands day and night. "The whole country for Truong Sa, Truong Sa for the whole country," we will forever cherish the image of Truong Sa, of the DK1 platform, in our hearts, a place where every Vietnamese citizen trembles with emotion upon hearing the two words "Vietnam."

The aspiration to venture out to sea, the aspiration for sovereignty, and the aspiration for peace of the entire nation. We collectively call this the Truong Sa aspiration, the spirit that motivates us to study, work, and dedicate ourselves to the cause of national development, contributing to the firm protection of the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland.

As we visited each island, our delegation grew to appreciate the officers and soldiers who are guarding the islands day and night. Coming from diverse backgrounds, these soldiers share a common ideal. They carry with them optimism and a willingness to dedicate themselves to protecting our sacred maritime sovereignty.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su/khat-vong-y-chi-truong-sa-20231014194918457.htm