Tet (Vietnamese New Year) at the offshore platform.

Despite being far from home, the officers and soldiers on the DK1 offshore platforms still celebrated a warm Tet holiday amidst the vast ocean, in keeping with the spirit of: "The resilient offshore platforms celebrate Tet / Sovereignty firmly held, welcoming spring."

Enjoy the spring festivities but don't forget your responsibilities.

Special gifts

As a cherished tradition, during the Lunar New Year, the Command of Naval Region 2, Vietnam Navy, organizes delegations to visit and present gifts to officers and soldiers serving in remote islands and the DK1 offshore platform. These trips carry numerous gifts from the Ministry of National Defense , the Navy, various organizations, agencies, businesses, and the people of Vietnam, dedicated to the officers and soldiers protecting the southern seas, islands, and continental shelf of the Fatherland. To ensure the safety of the long voyages during the stormy season, the Command of Naval Region 2 has made meticulous and careful preparations, striving to overcome all difficulties to receive, store, and arrange the goods scientifically, ensuring that they arrive in perfect condition to the officers and soldiers on the remote islands and offshore platforms. Each gift represents the heartfelt sentiments of the military and people nationwide, sent to the officers and soldiers during the traditional Lunar New Year.

The DK1 Battalion, Naval Region 2, currently manages 15 offshore platforms in the southern continental shelf of the Fatherland. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trung Duc, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of the Battalion, said: "This year, two ships brought Tet gifts to the officers and soldiers serving on the platforms, totaling over 1,000 gift packages. These gifts, filled with the affection and efforts of many people, have been delivered directly to the officers and soldiers. With rice and banana leaves sent from the mainland, the officers and soldiers on the platforms will wrap beautiful, square, and delicious banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes)."

Letters from home sent to the offshore platform.

Along with Tet gifts, the soldiers on the offshore platform also received countless letters, filled with affection and longing from the mainland, including simple yet meaningful gifts from students across the country. These were letters and New Year's greeting cards made by the children themselves. Cherishing the letters and cards sent from the mainland, the soldiers on the platform were deeply moved, because the heartfelt messages not only expressed love and respect for the naval soldiers, but also the sacred feelings of the younger generation towards their homeland.

Enjoy the Lunar New Year but don't forget your responsibilities.

Thanks to the care and attention of the Party, State, and people from the mainland, the officers and soldiers on the offshore platforms celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) and enjoyed a warm spring festival. Despite being hundreds of nautical miles from the mainland, the traditional Tet atmosphere on the platforms remained joyful and warm with many meaningful activities. The meeting room was decorated differently from usual, reflecting the traditional Vietnamese culture of celebrating Tet. Along with couplets, trays of five fruits, green sticky rice cakes, candies, and sweets, Tet on the platforms wouldn't be complete without apricot and peach blossoms. The only difference was that these were paper and plastic flowers, handcrafted by the officers and soldiers themselves. In this joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, the officers and soldiers immersed themselves in the nationwide spring festival and Tet celebrations, experiencing a range of emotions.

Major Bui Ngoc Ha, Political Officer of the DK1/20 offshore platform, said: "Every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes around, the affection and gifts from the Command and the people of the whole country deeply move us, further motivating us to be ready to fight and successfully complete the assigned tasks, firmly protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands."

Springtime cultural exchange on the DK1/10 offshore platform.

Sergeant Do Thanh Sang, a soldier stationed at the DK1/17 offshore platform – a native of Hoang Hoa commune, Thanh Hoa province – is spending Tet (Lunar New Year) on duty at the platform this year, marking his first time celebrating Tet away from his family. Sang said: “Although I miss home and my loved ones very much, the care, encouragement, and support from the Party committee, commanders, and the officers and soldiers on the platform have eased my homesickness. Besides that, I am truly moved and proud to be fulfilling the duty of protecting the sacred sovereignty of our nation's seas and islands.”

Tet celebrations on the offshore platforms are incomplete without cultural and artistic activities that create a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere. Many talented individuals with skills in playing musical instruments, flutes, and singing can be found here.

Major Tran Van Luc, a native of Quang Ngoc commune, Thanh Hoa province, Political Officer of the DK1/10 offshore platform, shared: “The difference when celebrating Tet on the offshore platform compared to the mainland is that we must always maintain a high level of readiness for combat. On the occasion of Tet, together with the officers and soldiers at the forefront of the waves on the southern continental shelf of the Fatherland, I would like to send New Year greetings to all the people of the country and to the people of Thanh Hoa province, wishing them a peaceful and happy Tet.”

Celebrating Tet away from home, the officers and soldiers on the offshore platforms all maintain a steadfast mindset, as reflected in the couplet: "The resilient offshore platforms celebrate Tet / Sovereignty firmly held, welcoming spring."

Text and photos: Minh Thúy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tet-o-nha-gian-277166.htm