April, we will always remember Truong Sa!

Delegation No. 13 – “the ship of national unity” at the sovereignty marker of Truong Sa Island. (Photo: Hong Chau)

When the editorial office assigned me to participate in a trip to Truong Sa organized by the Naval Command in coordination with the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (Ministry of Foreign Affairs ), I felt both excited and a little anxious. Excited because it was my first time setting foot on the sacred islands of our homeland, but also worried about whether I would have enough strength to adapt to the harsh sun and wind at the forefront of the waves.

Fortunately, the sea was calm and the waves gentle during those April days, even though the sun was beginning to get intense. Our Task Force No. 13 departed from Da Nang on April 20th aboard the fisheries patrol vessel KN390, beginning our journey to visit, interact with, and present gifts to officers, soldiers, and people of Truong Sa island district (Khanh Hoa province) and the DK1/8 Que Duong platform on the southern continental shelf of our homeland.

This trip, named "The National Unity Train," brought together 160 delegates from various agencies, localities, and units. Notably, it included 17 delegates from the 15th National Assembly, 67 overseas Vietnamese from 26 countries and territories, and 4 members of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

After three resounding blasts of its horn, the KN390 ship bid farewell to the mainland, cutting through the waves and heading out to sea, beginning a week-long voyage (April 20-26) to visit six islands (Da Thi, Sinh Ton, Len Dao, Co Lin, Da Tay A, Truong Sa) and one offshore platform.

Bringing hearts far from home closer to their national roots.

For those of us from the mainland, the journey to Truong Sa was a sacred and emotional one. But for overseas Vietnamese who have been away from home for many years, the "National Unity Ship" not only takes them to the frontline islands of the Fatherland, but also represents a journey home with all their hearts – a return closer to their national roots, to their beloved motherland.

Sharing the same feelings as many other expatriates, Ms. Hoai Thuong – President of the Osaka Bamboo Vietnamese Community School, Association of Vietnamese in Kansai (Japan) – was deeply moved and proud upon arriving at this frontline outpost of the Fatherland. “Witnessing firsthand the lives, work, and silent sacrifices of the naval officers and soldiers who are stationed day and night at the forefront of the waves, we understand even more deeply the meaning of the word 'Fatherland'.”

"It's not just a place, it's our flesh and blood, our responsibility, our unconditional love." For Hoai Thuong, the trip is also "a journey of emotions, of national solidarity," and she "will carry the image of the resilient Truong Sa, the indomitable DK1 platform, and the heroic soldiers to spread to the international community and to the younger generation of Vietnamese people growing up in foreign lands."

Despite her advanced age, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngan (65 years old), a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Women's Association in the Kingdom of Belgium, volunteered to join this delegation because she feared "she might not have another opportunity to visit the soldiers."

She recounted: “Before the trip, many friends expressed concern and advised me to reconsider because of the remote location, my age, and my tendency to get seasick. Miraculously, once I boarded the ship, all my fatigue and anxiety gradually disappeared, replaced by joy and excitement. After this trip, I want to call on the community of women living in Belgium in particular, and throughout Europe in general, to visit Truong Sa. Truong Sa is an integral part of Vietnam, and overseas Vietnamese will always be an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation.”

Following the "fortunate" opportunity to participate in the Spring Homeland program earlier this year, becoming a member of the 13th working group to Truong Sa in the midst of the historic April days when the whole country was commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), Venerable Thich Phap Quang - Abbot of Truc Lam Kandy Zen Monastery (Sri Lanka) - described it as "a series of fortunate coincidences."

In a conversation with us, Venerable Thich Phap Quang said: “Before coming here, I had heard many stories about Vietnam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. If India is a spiritual land for Buddhists all over the world, a place everyone wants to visit at least once, then for me, Truong Sa is a spiritual place for Vietnamese people whose hearts are always turned towards their homeland.”

The green of life

This trip also marked the first time that the Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Nguyen Trung Kien, visited Truong Sa. The trip was even more meaningful as he joined the Committee in bringing a delegation of overseas Vietnamese to this frontline outpost of the Fatherland amidst a "nation-wide transformation, a challenging yet promising endeavor." Many overseas Vietnamese, returning to Truong Sa after many years, were truly amazed by the remarkable development of Truong Sa in terms of organization, infrastructure, and construction, but especially by the vibrant green of life there.

At Da Tay A Island, the sight of lush green foliage amidst the vast ocean moved many in the delegation. According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, "that is the green of life – the result of the sacrifices of naval officers and soldiers and the collective efforts of people nationwide."

He affirmed that Truong Sa is not only a frontline outpost protecting the Fatherland, but also a place to live, a place where children laugh, and a place where marine economic services will develop – embodying the aspiration to reach out to the ocean. “We have over 300,000 km² of land but possess up to three million km² of sea. Today's efforts in Truong Sa will lay the foundation for future generations to reach further, realizing the goal of becoming a maritime power,” he emphasized.

Overseas Vietnamese form a five-pointed star shape on the deck of the KN390 ship. (Photo: Hong Chau)

"This sea is ours, this island is ours."

Music has always been an indispensable source of spiritual nourishment during every work trip from the mainland to the remote islands. Amidst the waves and winds of the open sea, music, the melodies of songs and voices, is the bond that connects those on the home front with the soldiers on the front lines of the Fatherland.

Joining the group of artists this time was Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Phuong, a music teacher at Phan Sao Nam Secondary School in Hue City. A member of the Vietnam Musicians Association, she expressed her feelings of honor and pride in song in just one night after the ship visited Sinh Ton Island. Together with musician Xuan Minh, the song "Truong Sa, Land of Memories," composed by Ms. Thuy Phuong, was arranged, orchestrated, and filmed as a music video right on the ship. She performed it during cultural exchange events with soldiers on Da Tay A, Co Lin, and Truong Sa islands.

“The trip wasn't long, but it was enough to quiet my heart before so many great and simple things. I cried and was deeply moved listening to the stories of the young soldiers on the remote islands, their longing for home, their homeland, and their families,” Thuy Phuong shared. Those feelings inspired her to write the song "Truong Sa, Land of Memories" and she decided to sing it for the soldiers during the trip. And surely, after this voyage, she will have many more songs about Truong Sa and the sea and islands...

Besides "Truong Sa, a Land of Memories," many other songs such as "Truong Sa Forever in My Heart" (composed by Xuan Minh), "Proud Island Soldier" (composed by Tran Manh Cuong), "Truong Sa - Far Yet Near" (composed by Doan Phuong Hai), and "The Love of a Soldier" (composed by Vo Dinh Nam) were also composed and arranged by musicians and singers on this occasion to promptly bring songs and music to the soldiers. Amidst the sounds of waves and sea breeze, alongside the solemn and quiet moments of flag-raising under the fluttering national flag, the cultural exchange events brought a lively and joyful atmosphere, helping to strengthen the bond between the military and civilians on the mainland and the islands.

Throughout the seven-day voyage at sea, the song "Truong Sa Military Anthem" by composer Doan Bong, often sung loudly by the soldiers on Truong Sa Island against the backdrop of the vast ocean, gradually became a familiar tune on the "National Unity Ship." Almost every event, from cultural exchanges with the soldiers to meals on the ship's deck, accompanied by the sound of the waves, the lyrics and melody of "Truong Sa Military Anthem" resonated enthusiastically: "Day after day, night after night / We stand here protecting our homeland / This sea is ours, this island is ours, Truong Sa / Despite storms, despite hardships..."

The lyrics were passed from hand to hand, echoing everywhere – from bedrooms and hallways to the ship's deck. In the afternoons after a day of intense activity on the island, my six roommates and I would get together to practice singing, harmonizing with each other with great enthusiasm. Sometimes, as soon as we started singing, the room next door would join in, filling the ship with laughter and joy, everyone's eyes sparkling with happiness...

The week-long trip has come to an end, but the memories of that extraordinary journey remain etched in everyone's hearts, further reinforcing President Ho Chi Minh's teaching: "The plains are our home, and the sea is our gate. Can we protect our home without protecting the gate? Where will the intruders enter first? They will enter through the gate first. Therefore, we must educate our people to protect the coastline."