The place to train young soldiers
At exactly 8:00 a.m. on May 11, ship KN-290 carrying 231 delegates of the Ho Chi Minh City delegation sounded its horn three times to signal departure from the port, beginning a special voyage. The waves from the mainland gradually faded away, giving way to the vast waves and endless blue of Vietnam’s sea and sky.
After nearly 2 days of sailing, the ship stopped in the middle of a clear blue sea. From the deck, we saw 2 solid houses - a support in the middle of the vast ocean. As a submerged island located in the North of Truong Sa archipelago, Da Thi island has to face harsh winds and waves all year round. This is also 1 of the 2 farthest islands in Truong Sa archipelago.
Boat after boat carried the delegation from the ship to the island. On each boat, the delegates were almost silent, their eyes looking forward, with only the waves lapping against the sides of the boat and the salty sea breeze whistling past. When they were only a few dozen meters from the island, a red line of letters suddenly appeared on the blue wall: “The island is home, the ocean is homeland.”
Amidst the vast waves, amidst this wild and harsh place, the marine soldiers have truly made the sea their homeland, the island their home. The delegates’ eyes were stinging, and salty water that did not come from the sea ran down their cheeks. The officers and soldiers of Da Thi Island lined up in their uniforms tanned by the sea wind. Firm hands reached out to welcome each person, their skin tanned, their smiles warm: “Are you tired from a long day at sea?”. The affection of the officers and soldiers on the island touched people’s hearts without them even realizing it.
The first image I saw when I sat on the boat was young soldier Tran Van Duong holding a signal flag to guide the boat to the dock. Duong had been working on Da Thi Island for nearly 5 months. Before wearing the navy uniform, Duong worked in the information technology field - a job closely associated with computer screens, the internet and modern city life. Carrying out his mission on a remote island, Duong had mentally prepared himself for months of deprivation. But what surprised Duong was the heartwarming abundance.
“The facilities on the island are much better than I thought, except for the lack of internet. At first, I felt a bit homesick and empty,” Duong confided. In the middle of the ocean, the 25-year-old man with a smile as warm as the morning sun has learned to live more responsibly towards his beloved Fatherland. “I like the most when welcoming delegations to visit the island. Seeing the shadow of the ship in the distance makes me so excited. It feels like meeting my loved ones again,” Duong said.
After leaving Da Thi Island, the group continued their journey to Co Lin Island, a place with its own stories and emotions. Co Lin is an island that is submerged in water when the tide rises. Co Lin Island gradually appeared more clearly on the horizon, we encountered a beautiful scene, which was pure white seagulls perched on the poles.
A few spread their wings and flew into the air, hovered near the boat, then landed gently, as if welcoming visitors from afar. The boat reached the island, and a few colleagues and I quickly walked towards the sovereignty marker of Co Lin Island. From there, we could see straight to Gac Ma Island - where 64 officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy heroically sacrificed their lives in the naval battle on March 14, 1988. The distance was only 3.8 nautical miles, the sea was still blue, the sky was still clear, but the memory of the day when their blood mixed with the water has never faded.
And then, at that milestone, I met a young soldier - very young. Nguyen Quoc Thang (born in 2005, from Khanh Hoa province), had been attached to Co Lin island for nearly a year. He stood guard in a solemn posture, his hand firmly holding the gun, his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead. The sun was rising higher, the heat was burning his skin, sweat soaked his back.
Waiting for Thang to finish his mission, I asked quietly: "Have you ever felt scared?". "I'm not scared. Standing guard here is a source of pride. Young soldiers like us are constantly encouraged by our brothers, trained in bravery, and always ready to take on any mission." In the middle of Truong Sa sea and sky, there are soldiers not yet twenty years old like Thang - living amidst the storms and waves to fulfill their oath to protect the sea and the beloved islands.
Ten years at the forefront
We met Major Nguyen Van Thang (born in 1984, from Hung Yen province) at a very special moment - when he was carefully stamping the red seals of Co Lin island on each national flag. These flags will follow the working group back to the mainland, as a sacred part of the island sent to the homeland. Major Nguyen Van Thang has been working on Co Lin island for 9 months. Before that, he had worked on Co Lin island for 18 months, in difficult conditions - housing was not spacious, fresh water was scarce, vegetables were a luxury, and the soldiers' daily life was still lacking.
“Lin is now much different from before. The landscape is greener and cleaner, the houses are spacious and there is even a cultural house, gym, etc. for soldiers to live and exercise. The spiritual life of officers and soldiers is also much more comfortable and less difficult than before,” Thang shared.
Having been attached to the Truong Sa archipelago for more than ten years, Major Nguyen Van Thang has become a familiar face on the submerged and floating islands at the forefront of the wind and waves. Recalling the first time he received the decision to work in Truong Sa in 2014, he shared: “At that time, I did not have much to imagine, I just felt my heart flutter, my eyes filled with tears. It was not homesickness, nor fear, but something very sacred and special.”
And even though it has been more than ten years, the first day he received his assignment on An Bang Island still makes him remember forever. “The day I arrived on the island was also the day the information soldier completed the handover to prepare to return to the mainland. When he reached the pier, he hugged his comrade, the information officer, tightly and cried uncontrollably. He was only 19 years old, but we had such close feelings. That was also my first lesson on the island, to remind me to always love, share, and understand my comrades, especially the young soldiers who were on the island for the first time.”
According to Major Nguyen Van Thang, Co Lin is one of the islands with a particularly important position, only about 3.8 nautical miles from Gac Ma Island - which is being illegally occupied. The distance is so close that it can be seen with the naked eye, but it does not make the officers and soldiers on the island falter, on the contrary, it makes the will and vigilance always maintained at the highest level.
According to Captain Nguyen Xuan Hoang, political commissar of Co Lin island, the island's Party Committee and commanders always do a good job of ideological work, regularly informing the officers and soldiers on the island to clearly identify their roles and responsibilities. The officers and soldiers are always in the highest state of combat readiness, without any fear of any hostile forces.
In addition to the task of being ready for combat, the soldiers on the island also actively exercise, play volleyball, go to the gym, sing karaoke, and increase production, grow vegetables, raise chickens and ducks, etc. to improve their meals and dispel their homesickness. On the remote island, it is the camaraderie and simple activities that have created a warm common home in the middle of the sea and sky.
Rear Admiral Le Ba Quan, former Commander of Naval Region 2 (currently Deputy Commander of the Navy) affirmed that the officers and soldiers working on the islands and DK1 platforms - the outposts of the Fatherland - are all people with strong political will, carefully selected for their qualities, professional qualifications and willingness to sacrifice for their missions. No matter how difficult or arduous the circumstances, the officers and soldiers always maintain their will, unite as one, absolutely obey the orders of their superiors and are ready to fight, firmly protect the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland.
Rear Admiral Le Ba Quan also particularly acknowledged and appreciated the spirit of dedication and the will to overcome difficulties of the young soldiers and conscripts who are on duty day and night at the forefront. This is the worthy successor generation, carrying within them patriotism, resilience and determination to preserve every inch of sea and island left by their ancestors.
At the same time, we have high expectations for the younger generation, who will continue to promote tradition, constantly train and mature to contribute to building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern Navy and firmly protect the sacred sovereignty of the Vietnamese Fatherland at sea.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cham-vao-truong-sa-post799410.html
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