Tears in the middle of the ocean
The ship cut through the waves of the South China Sea. The March sea was a deep blue, and the wind blew fiercely across the deck. When the captain announced they were approaching the waters near the Gac Ma - Co Lin reefs, the atmosphere on board suddenly fell silent.
We ascended to the top deck, gazing out at the horizon. More than three nautical miles away lay the site of a tragic battle 38 years ago – 64 soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy fell defending the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland. Without a word, everyone fell silent. Amidst the wind and waves lapping against the ship's hull, many eyes were red with tears. In the vast expanse of the sea, the memories of the Gac Ma soldiers became clearer than ever.
Veteran Captain Nguyen Van Minh stood silently, gazing towards Gac Ma. He was one of the first to lay the foundation stones on the coral reef there nearly four decades ago. His voice lowered: “38 years ago, 64 Vietnamese Navy soldiers fought bravely and sacrificed their lives there. That battle has been recorded in the official history of the Vietnamese Navy. No matter how much time passes, no matter how history changes, that battle will forever be etched in the blue sea.”
The ship dropped anchor. Memorial wreaths were released into the sea. The white petals swayed gently on the water's surface before silently drifting away with the waves. Each wreath was a tribute, each petal a reminder. Mr. Minh whispered, "No delegation from the mainland to Truong Sa fails to stop in this area to pay their respects. Not everyone wants to relive the painful past, but how can we forget?"
Indeed, how can we forget the image of the Gac Ma soldiers forming an "immortal circle," hand in hand, protecting the national flag? How can we forget Tran Van Phuong, the soldier likened to "Pavel of Truong Sa," who, before falling into the depths of the sea, still shouted: "Fight to the last breath, shed your blood to glorify the traditions of the Vietnam People's Navy"? How can we forget the cry of soldier Tran Thien Phung: "Our country never teaches its soldiers to surrender"? And how can we forget Nguyen Van Lanh, the soldier whose shoulder was pierced by a bayonet while protecting the national flag, yet who returned to Truong Sa afterward, carrying the pride of a naval soldier? He once said: "If I must sacrifice, there is no sacrifice more noble than sacrificing for the Fatherland."
The white lily petals drifted further and further away. Beneath the deep blue sea, 64 soldiers remained buried for nearly four decades. Captain Nguyen Van Minh choked back tears: "When will the remains of these heroes be returned...?" The veteran's tears fell silently, mingling with the salty taste of the sea.
At 20, I stayed by the sea.
One afternoon in early March, I visited the home of veteran Nguyen Viet Chuc, former Captain of the HQ-07 ship of the 171st Naval Brigade. In his small garden, over tea under the shade of a tree, he told me about the soldiers of Gac Ma, "they came from many different provinces, were all very young, and most of them didn't have girlfriends."
He took a sip of tea, his eyes filled with sadness: “Some had wives but no children. Some only managed to tell their parents before leaving that they would get married when they returned. But they never came back.” A gentle breeze blew through the garden. The veteran turned away to hide his tears, “Those 64 soldiers will forever remain at sea… at the age of 20.”
Of the 64 martyrs who died at Gac Ma, Quang Binh (now Quang Tri) had the most – 13; Da Nang had 9; and Thanh Hoa and Nghe An each had 8. Remarkably, 46 of them were soldiers with the rank of private – young men just turning eighteen or twenty. They left their homes, their classrooms, their fields to go to the sea and islands. No one imagined that this voyage would become their final journey. But it was these young men in their twenties who created a symbol – a symbol of Vietnamese indomitable spirit.
Cultural heritage preserving the sea
Thirty-eight years have passed, the sea around Gac Ma remains blue, the waves still relentlessly crash against the coral reefs in the vast ocean, but the memories of the soldiers of that time have never faded.
In the history of the Vietnamese nation, the spirit of protecting the sea and islands is not new. From the heroic troops of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in the past, from countless generations of Vietnamese people who have crossed the sea to defend the islands throughout various periods, that spirit has become a part of the culture of national defense. The soldiers of Gac Ma in 1988 continued that tradition.
And the source of inspiration continues to be passed on to the younger generation. On the ships departing for Truong Sa, there are still soldiers in their twenties carrying backpacks, dreams, and their youth. Their baggage also includes memories of Gac Ma, a reminder that every inch of this sea and islands has been preserved with blood. And that very memory has become part of the culture of protecting the sea and islands – a spiritual value passed down from the older generation to the present day.
From the tragic pages of history, a heroic symbol was born. Gac Ma today is a source of pride. Amidst the vast ocean, where waves rise and fall day and night, the memory of the 64 soldiers remains. They have rested in the sea, but their spirit of defending the sea is a part of Vietnamese history. It is an enduring value that reminds future generations that: the Fatherland is eternal, and there is no sacrifice more noble than sacrificing for the Fatherland!
Commemoration ceremony for the martyrs who sacrificed their lives at Gac Ma.
=
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/chinh-polit/ky-uc-gac-ma-thuo-ay-210973.html
Comment (0)