Danang children in Truong Sa

The city's working delegation visited and encouraged officers and soldiers who are citizens of Da Nang working on Song Tu Tay Island. Photo: TRONG HUY

Surprise gift

On the island, when fellow countrymen meet, each handshake, each voice, each smile is so precious and touching. Just hearing each other’s voices, we immediately rush to each other. “You’re from Hoa Tien? I’m from Hoa Tien…”. “Wow, you’re so dark. You haven’t been here for long. The island soldiers are different, they’re so tough”. “Oh, where is your house in Son Tra, Tho Quang?”…

These are conversations between members of the city's working delegation and cadres and soldiers who are children of Da Nang working on Song Tu Tay Island in the Truong Sa archipelago. Each handshake, each story revolves around the affection of the mainland sent to the distant island, from the distant island always looking towards the mainland to exchange affection, closeness, and love.

Handing over the phone box to Major Pham Hoang Trung, who is working on Song Tu Tay Island, Son Tra District Military Commander Nguyen Nhat Vu was sure that it was a smartphone sent by Trung's wife to her husband. But when the recipient opened the gift, he realized that it was only filled with seeds. The gift from the wife to her husband was simple, seemingly insignificant, but extremely valuable and practical for the soldier on the island in the middle of the vast ocean.

“The most valuable thing on the island is seeds, to sow and green the island, Truong Sa, including growing vegetables to serve daily needs. Seed gifts for the island are more valuable than smartphones,” said Mr. Trung.

“Hey, are you from Hai Chau? I’m from Hai Chau. Coming here to meet Hai Chau is the best thing,” Ms. Le Thi Thuan, Chairman of Hai Chau Ward People’s Committee (Hai Chau District), shook the hand of Major Nguyen Quang Vinh, who works on Song Tu Tay Island, and asked. Then, Ms. Thuan also shook the young Lieutenant Dang Van Duy Trung: “Hey, you’re from Hoa Tien. I’m originally from Hoa Tien. Let’s take a photo together. Coming here to meet fellow countrymen is so much fun.”

“Honestly, hearing the voices and laughter of my hometown is so warm. So close and passionate. Even though I often call home and hear familiar voices on the phone, meeting, hearing in person, holding hands here, in the middle of the ocean, is truly a different feeling. It feels both real and dreamlike,” said young Lieutenant Dang Van Duy Trung.

Every time we arrived at the islands, our group would look for our fellow countrymen there, so that after meeting and giving gifts to the soldiers and people on the island, we could meet, visit, encourage and chat. That was both the responsibility assigned to the group by the city leaders and the practical feelings and expectations of the group on the voyage to Truong Sa. “Meeting each other on the mainland is fine. Meeting here, on the islands of our homeland, is more enjoyable and meaningful. The feeling is very different,” shared one of the group members.

The spirit of a “livable city”

“I promise to the leaders and people of the city that we will always strive to complete all assigned tasks, demonstrate the determination and spirit of Da Nang, a livable city, and promote the spirit of citizens of a livable city,” Major Nguyen Quang Vinh shared.

Lieutenant Colonel, Political Commissar of Sinh Ton Island Hoang Van Cuong, who lives in Tho Quang Ward (Son Tra District), said that through the working delegation, the officers and soldiers on the island promised the leaders and people of the city, as citizens and children of the city, to uphold the tradition of the heroic homeland of Da Nang, determined to firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of our beloved Fatherland.

Senior Lieutenant Tran Minh Hieu, from Khue My ward (Ngu Hanh Son district), artillery squad 37 on Sinh Ton island, said that seeing the city delegation visit and meet fellow countrymen and ask in detail about life and activities made the brothers very emotional.

Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Xuan Binh, head of the city's working delegation, said that at each destination, the delegation conveyed the city's leaders and the people of Da Nang to the officers and soldiers on the islands, especially the officers and soldiers who are children of Da Nang city, with the best wishes, always healthy, brave, and trained to continue to protect the land, sky, and sea of the homeland.

“The delegation will bring back the sharing and trust of comrades intact to send back to the people of the city. So that these wishes will be more fully nurtured in each heart, each trust sent from the mainland to the distant islands in the next working trips of the city's leaders, cadres and people,” said Mr. Binh.

According to Mr. Binh, during this voyage, the city delegation visited and encouraged the children and people of the city who are working and performing duties on the islands in Truong Sa. Through that, they sent them their trust and encouragement so that the officers and soldiers could feel secure in their duties. The officers, soldiers and people on the islands said that Da Nang city always cares and creates the best conditions for their children who are currently training and performing duties on Truong Sa archipelago.

Through the trip, we witnessed firsthand the efforts, the attempts and the difficulties of the officers, soldiers and people on Truong Sa archipelago. The images and memories we had on Truong Sa archipelago are very precious for the delegation to cherish and bring back, so that the mainland always directs its love, responsibility and duty towards the beloved Truong Sa archipelago of the Fatherland.

TRONG HUY

Source: https://baodanang.vn/xa-hoi/202505/nhung-nguoi-con-da-nang-o-truong-sa-4007781/