The first time I set foot on the island, I was not overwhelmed by the harsh sunlight or the salty taste of the sea breeze, but was moved by the image of the navy soldiers standing tall like “living landmarks” in the middle of the ocean. In the vast space of the storm, they still stood there, steadfast, resilient, steady in hand, eyes on the distant sea, guarding every inch of the sacred island of the beloved Fatherland.

Amidst the waves, I stood still and watched, feeling my heart tighten. In a place that seemed to have only rocks, sunlight and wind, our soldiers and people still quietly built a life with all their love for the sea and islands. A vegetable bed covered by a net, a few chickens in a homemade coop, flower bushes stretching out in the sun and wind... It was not only a garden, a color, but also a simple but proud affirmation: Truong Sa is home, the sacred flesh and blood that cannot be separated from the motherland of Vietnam. I understood that protecting the island was not only holding a gun firmly but also keeping life, keeping every inch of the island breathing, having people, having love and the lasting presence of the nation. In each island soldier, I saw the image of patriotism that was not noisy or ostentatious, but profound and enduring.

First-year officers and students of Army Officer School No. 1 on Sinh Ton Island (Truong Sa special zone, Khanh Hoa province). Photo: VIET ANH

The moment that moved me most was when the delegation held a memorial service for the heroic martyrs who died for the sovereignty of the sea and islands. In the quiet background music, the lyrics: "Blood and bones build the shape of the Fatherland / Echoes of the ancient Lac Hong bloodline..." seemed to touch everyone's heart. I felt more deeply that each island, each wave, each inch of land here is preserved by the blood and bones of many generations of fathers and brothers. The Lac Hong bloodline has never stopped flowing, still silently transmitting the fire of love for the Fatherland to each Vietnamese child. In the middle of the vast ocean, my eyes stung when I saw the red flag with a yellow star - not only a national symbol but also the soul of the nation, flesh and blood, a living proof of the silent sacrifice of cadres and soldiers at the forefront. In that difficult place, the two words "Fatherland" were the driving force for them to overcome everything, always putting it first, first of all for the peace of the country and the people.

Truong Sa also gave me an understanding of the deep and warm relationship between the army and the people. The simple cultural exchanges, the tight handshakes, the tearful eyes when saying goodbye... All of them condensed into a sacred source of emotions. I cannot forget the image of the soldier passionately singing: "At the age of twenty, I have never made a date. In my dreams, I still call out to my mother...". I seemed to see myself in that song, also twenty years old, also yearning to contribute, also missing my mother dearly...

For me, Truong Sa is no longer a destination, but the starting point for a journey of maturity in both awareness and responsibility. From that moment, I knew that the ideal of Uncle Ho's soldiers is not only expressed in faith and the strength of discipline, but is also nurtured from the sacred vibrations of the sea and islands of my homeland. And from that place, a silent desire arose in me, simple but intense: "I want to hug the coral reefs / Echoing the waves of Bach Dang river" ("Truong Sa's Wistfulness", music: Le Duc Hung, poetry: Nguyen The Ky); I want to blend into the breath of the country, stand firm at the forefront of the wind and waves like the soldiers I met to continue writing the story of defending the country with my own military life.

Corporal NGUYEN DO VIET ANH, Army Officer School 1

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/ra-tham-truong-sa-them-yeu-to-quoc-846599