The spirit of fighting to the death to protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland.

The battle to defend national sovereignty at Gac Ma awakened the hearts of Vietnamese people to the sacred duty of protecting the sovereignty of the nation's seas and islands. In the photo: Soldiers on An Bang Island guarding the island day and night (1984). Photo: Hong Thu/TTXVN.

Thirty-six years ago today, on March 14, 1988, 64 soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy perished in the deep sea while defending the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland in the East Sea. Their blood mingled with the ocean, creating an immortal monument to revolutionary heroism and love for the Fatherland's seas and islands.

Your blood mingled with the sea.

"We must not retreat. We must let our blood stain the national flag and the glorious traditions of the Navy" - these words of the heroic martyr, Lieutenant Tran Van Phuong, then Deputy Commander of Gac Ma Island, not only demonstrate heroic spirit but also the stance of a true master of the sea and islands, regardless of the circumstances.

National sovereignty is supreme and inviolable. Generations of Vietnamese people have poured countless efforts, blood, and lives into establishing sovereignty and preserving the sacred territory, seas, and islands of the Fatherland.

Hundreds of years ago, the outstanding sons and daughters of Vietnam overcame countless difficulties and hardships, sacrificing themselves in the vast ocean for the sovereignty of their country. Folk songs that remain to this day, such as: "Going to Hoang Sa, will they ever return? - The king's command, we are determined to go," are the most concrete evidence of their courage and the miracles they accomplished.

The courageous spirit of the older generation is being carried on by the younger generation. On March 14, 1988, 64 soldiers defending Gac Ma Island, in an unequal battle, perished under a hail of bullets.

In a place exposed to the elements, with limited weapons and no land or fortifications to protect them, but with love for their country and a determination to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland, the officers and soldiers of the forces on the three ships HQ 604, HQ 605, and HQ 505, and the forces protecting Gac Ma, Co Lin, and Len Dao islands, have demonstrated unwavering will, courage, and determination to the end to defend the sovereignty of the Fatherland's maritime territories.

After threatening but failing to shake the morale of our officers and soldiers, the enemy warships fired their guns and cannons directly at our ship, causing the HQ 604 to catch fire and sink very quickly. At Gac Ma Island, the officers and soldiers clasped hands to form a circle to protect the national flag, determined to defend the island with their own bodies.

The event of 64 martyrs holding hands to form the "Circle of Immortality" to protect Gac Ma Island on March 14, 1988, despite enemy artillery fire, has become an indomitable symbol of patriotism.

Sixty-four soldiers defending Gac Ma Island set aside their dreams and aspirations, dedicating their youth to protecting these frontier outposts. Their blood mingled with the blue sea, their bones permeated the island's soil, and their names will be remembered by generations today and tomorrow.

My longing for you never fades, but I am incredibly proud.

The tragic day of March 14, 1988, took away the lives of our loyal sons and daughters. Thirty-six years have passed, but the pain and sorrow seem undiminished for the fathers, mothers, children, and comrades of the Gac Ma martyrs. However, when remembering those who bravely fell at sea, pride and honor remain ever-present in the hearts of their relatives and comrades.

The ship HQ 604 departed from the mainland for the Spratly Islands on a mission, just three days before the battle to defend sovereignty and was sunk by enemy fire at Gac Ma on March 14, 1988. Photo: Archival material/VNA

For example, Mr. Hoang Nho, from Hai Ninh commune, Quang Ninh district, Quang Binh province, the father of martyr Hoang Van Tuy, even during the most difficult times, would prepare a meal and take it to the beach on the anniversary of Hoang Van Tuy's death to pay respects to the 64 martyrs of Gac Ma. Even after his death at the age of 95 (on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year, Year of the Rabbit 2023), his children and grandchildren continued to commemorate the 64 martyrs of Gac Ma.

According to Ms. Hoang Thi Loan (daughter of Mr. Nho), the sacrifice of her younger brother Hoang Van Tuy and 63 other martyrs was a great loss. But this sacrifice also became a source of pride in the revolutionary tradition, and the family always teaches their children and grandchildren not to forget the noble sacrifices of previous generations.

Following in her father's footsteps, Tran Thi Thuy, daughter of martyr Tran Van Phuong, has become a naval soldier. Thuy shared: "My father's image is deeply etched in my mind. That's why, since I was little, I've dreamed of one day wearing a soldier's uniform, continuing my father's work, and carrying on the fine and precious traditions of my family. And now I can proudly say, I am a soldier, the daughter of a heroic naval soldier."

According to Ms. Tran Thi Thuy, her father died when she was still in her mother's womb. The female Captain only knows about her father through the stories of her grandmother and mother, along with his photograph and letters.

"Every time I visit the place where my father and his comrades fell, I feel both emotional and proud of my parents. Standing before the vast sea and sky, looking towards Gac Ma Island, I feel as if my father is standing there, looking towards me. Every time, I cry a lot, like a child who has been separated from their parents and family for a long time," Thuy said.

And "no one is forgotten and no one is allowed to be forgotten," that's the phrase the comrades, fellow soldiers, and veterans of Gac Ma always remind each other of. "When we went to Gac Ma Island together and faced the enemy's bullets, we formed a circle to protect the island. And when we returned to peacetime, we also formed other circles to support and accompany each other on this journey of camaraderie," said Gac Ma veteran Le Huu Thao.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, head of the Truong Sa Soldiers' Liaison Committee, said with a choked voice at last year's memorial service, the 35th anniversary of his comrades' passing: "The resting place of these heroes always causes endless sorrow for those who remain and also reminds us of a sacred sea region where their bodies are guarding, unable to return to their families."

That sacrifice also serves as a reminder to today's generation, those who are still alive, that they must not for a single moment forget or lower their guard regarding the sacred territorial integrity."

The documentary film "Truong Sa, April 1988" (directed by Le Manh Thich) was produced immediately after the March 14th event. The graves of the soldiers who died in the battles to defend Gac Ma, Co Lin, and Len Dao were placed on Sinh Ton Island.

Now, every ship sailing to Truong Sa performs a ceremony to commemorate the martyrs who fell in the battle of March 14, 1988. This is an affirmation that no one will forget the tragic Gac Ma battle, and no one will forget the soldiers who bravely defended a sacred part of the Fatherland's territory in the East Sea.

From the elderly to the young; from those who faced life and death in two wars of resistance to young people who have never worn a soldier's uniform; from those who survived the hardships of the sea and islands to those visiting for the first time, all could not hold back their tears when lighting incense to commemorate the martyrs. That memorial ceremony was filled with both sorrow and pride.

In 1989, the President of Vietnam posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Armed Forces to the collective of officers and soldiers of ship HQ 505, along with Lieutenant Colonel Tran Duc Thong, Captain Vu Phi Tru, Major Vu Huy Le, Lieutenant Tran Van Phuong, and Corporal Nguyen Van Lanh.

The Gac Ma incident on March 14, 1988, has gone down in national history as an indelible mark in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. The sacrifice of the officers and soldiers reminds generations to remember the spirit of self-sacrifice in defending the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Source