Crossing the ocean to Truong Sa

On the deck of Ship 561 (Brigade 955, Naval Region 4) in the windy East Sea, Journalist Luu Quang Pho (editor of Thanh Nien Newspaper) confided: “On the night of the 30th of Tet nearly 30 years ago, the call via VSAT network (prefix 099) wishing me a Happy New Year right at the time of New Year's Eve from Mr. Tran Dinh Tac, Commander of Truong Sa Island at that time, made me so surprised that I choked up. Many years later until Mr. Tac passed away due to a serious illness, every year Mr. Tac called me right on the occasion of Tet.”

Surely this is the reason why Mr. Pho was on this train, as well as colleagues from all over the country, to Truong Sa with full of love...

The first time in 1996, journalist Luu Quang Pho went to Truong Sa on the water tanker HQ-936, which has now been handed over to the Naval Academy.

“The sun, rain, waves, and wind made the ship rock violently, the propellers sometimes spinning in the air. Everyone was sick, but we always had hot rice and sweet soup on time. There were so many passengers on the ship that the officers and soldiers had to evacuate to the deck to make room,” Mr. Pho recalled.

At that time, when they arrived at the islands of the Truong Sa archipelago, there were almost no trees. To grow vegetables, the soldiers had to plant them in high pots of earth, and grease the bottom with gun grease to prevent rats from climbing on them, because there were a lot of rats there. But here, the working group was still offered vegetables by the brothers, and they even gave them the rare fresh water on the island.

During the business trip, Mr. Pho took many photos of the island soldiers. When he returned to Nha Trang, he printed them and sent them to the island for Mr. Tac to deliver to the soldiers...

That “initial” affection, together with Mr. Tac’s annual New Year’s calls from the middle of the stormy seas during the sacred moments of heaven and earth, was the motivation that urged journalist Luu Quang Pho to go on three more business trips to Truong Sa. And today, I had the chance to go with him, so even though I was only on the ship, I was able to “absorb” the affection of Truong Sa.

Like me, Journalist Truong Xuan Canh, Dak Lak Radio and Television Station, has a dream and desire to go to Truong Sa. What is special is that he lives and works in Buon Me Thuot, the land of coffee.

“Buon Me coffee brand has gone all over the world, so why shouldn’t my hometown coffee specialty be one of the familiar drinks of officers and soldiers of Truong Sa. Not only fulfilling my dream of being a journalist, on this trip I also brought 60kg of coffee raised from donors as gifts for the soldiers stationed on Truong Sa archipelago,” Canh shared. Even though he was seasick, his eyes were still shining with happiness, his joy seemed to double with this trip.

From the time I saw off the working group at the military port, and then on the journey through the waves, I still noticed an "old soldier" who was always quietly carrying a camera, working like a professional cameraman.

When asked, I found out that it was editor Ta Ngoc Hai, working at Binh Dinh Radio and Television Station! "I have been a journalist all my life, I really like the experience but I have not had the chance to go to Truong Sa. In 2009, I was on the list to go but suddenly got sick so I had to stay. After that, I did not register anymore because I wanted to give the opportunity to go to Truong Sa to my colleagues. January 2024 is the right time to retire, I thought I would miss my appointment with Truong Sa but my retirement date was postponed by three months according to my Party member's profile, so my agency created conditions for me to go to Truong Sa on this occasion," Mr. Hai excitedly shared.

I am happy with your joy and just hope that when we retire, all of us journalists will have enough health and enthusiasm for our job like Mr. Hai!

Stories about our "fate" with Truong Sa helped us overcome the seemingly endless seasickness.

After 254 nautical miles with more than 30 hours of experiencing the waves and rough seas of the year-end monsoon, Truong Sa Island - the center of Truong Sa Archipelago appeared in the middle of the ocean, making all of us burst with emotion.

Commander of Truong Sa island, Chairman of Truong Sa town People's Committee, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Phu led the officers, soldiers, and people lined up and waved to welcome us.

Even though we met for the first time, we were all Vietnamese, standing on the sacred land of the Fatherland. Everyone shook hands and felt the closeness and affection like blood relatives.

The first activity when setting foot on the island is to offer incense to commemorate the heroic martyrs at the Truong Sa Heroic Martyrs Memorial.

Journalist Nguyen Duy Tuan, Ha Giang Newspaper, shared: “Having worked many times at the foot of Lung Cu Flagpole, the northernmost point of the Fatherland, today I am even more proud and moved when standing in front of the Monument to the Heroic Martyrs in the vast sea of the Fatherland. Whether in the rugged mountains of Ha Giang or the stormy Truong Sa, we can feel the love for our homeland and country always permeating our souls. Everywhere is our homeland, built and nurtured from the blood and bones of many previous generations!”

The island is home, the sea is homeland. In Truong Sa archipelago, destinations include: Truong Sa Martyrs Memorial, Uncle Ho Memorial House, and pagodas, all of which are spiritual “milestones”, helping the delegation feel like they are returning to their “origins” of homeland.

Journalist Trang Doan, Song Lam Magazine, was moved: “In the middle of the ocean, I still got to visit beloved Uncle Ho, the father of the nation, the great son of Nghe An. The emotions were so touching, as if I was in the beloved Sen Village!”

I was listening to the waves of Truong Sa crashing against the embankment, the sea breeze rustling through the rows of maple trees. The sound of the waves and the wind has been the same for thousands of years. I suddenly remembered the lyrics of the late musician Hong Dang: “The sea sings a love song, the sea tells the story of the homeland. Each love, each life.” In the love song of the sea, many members of the working group found their fellow countrymen, the cadres, soldiers, and Nhan people on the island. They were talking to each other in their hometown accents, with their love for their homeland embedded in their love for the Fatherland, in the middle of this sacred sea and island./.

*Transporting hundreds of tons of goods and necessities to Truong Sa Archipelago on the occasion of Tet Giap Thin 2024.*

*Fishing boats take shelter at Truong Sa island port.*

*The national flag flies in front of the sovereignty marker in the center of Vietnam's Truong Sa island.*

The milestone is not only a construction marking sovereignty, but also a symbol, expressing respect and gratitude to previous generations who sacrificed to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

*Truong Sa officers and soldiers passed around letters from the mainland to read.*

Overcoming many storms, letters from the mainland reached the soldiers of Truong Sa, who guarded the sea and sky of their homeland day and night. Author: Hong Dat-Lan Phuong