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| Lam Dong province delegation in Truong Sa archipelago in May 2025 |
Although I know that working in that place at the forefront of the storm is full of hardships, every time I put on my camera backpack, all my fatigue seems to disappear, leaving only a strong urge: to record the most authentic moments, the deepest emotions of beloved Truong Sa.
• EMOTIONS EXPLODE
I still remember clearly the first day I set foot on an island in the Truong Sa archipelago. The blazing sun, the salty wind and the sound of the waves like a symphony of the ocean welcoming the new soldier. But I am not a soldier, I am a journalist, carrying on my shoulder a camera with a bunch of lenses and a small laptop, in my heart is the fire of desire to explore and share.
The trip to Truong Sa is not only a work assignment, but also a pilgrimage to the sea and islands of the homeland, to the people who are guarding and protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland day and night. Anyone who has ever been to Truong Sa will always have a heart full of longing, affection, waiting, and hope for the day to return. And I am very lucky to be able to return to visit Truong Sa after 8 years.
Seven consecutive days of sailing over a thousand nautical miles, I eagerly followed the delegation of Lam Dong province, including 50 cadres, leaders, singers, and artists representing all classes of the province's people, to visit the sea and islands at the forefront of the Fatherland. I have been to Truong Sa before, also heard a lot about Truong Sa, read many articles about the island soldiers, but only this time, once again witnessing, listening, using my heart to empathize, did I truly understand the value of the two words "Truong Sa".
I will always remember the story of a young soldier in a poor rural area of Khanh Hoa province, who was working on Len Dao island. He confided that before going to the island, he simply thought of doing military service, but after setting foot on Truong Sa, he completely changed his mind. He said that Truong Sa is not just an island, but a part of the flesh and blood of the Fatherland, a place where he has responsibility and is very honored and proud to be sent here to protect and preserve.
She told me about the days of standing guard and patrolling under the scorching sun on Len Dao submerged island, about the sleepless nights guarding the sea and sky, about the simple meals but warm with comradeship and team spirit. But she and her teammates never complained, but were always proud of the work they were doing. Occasionally, we still saw strange foreign ships passing by and looking around, but she said that we were not afraid. Every time she saw the national flag flying over the island, she felt an invisible source of strength that gave her more motivation to believe in herself, love her country more, and overcome all difficulties and challenges.
On all the islands of the Truong Sa archipelago, I met young soldiers with such boundless enthusiasm and patriotism. They lived and fought in harsh conditions, but there was always a smile on their lips, and their eyes always shone with faith and optimism.
For me, the days working in Truong Sa were the hardest days, but also the most meaningful days. I had to race against time to record all the activities of the working group, while trying to interview and capture the most beautiful and authentic moments of the lives of soldiers and people on the island. I also felt the scorching heat of the vast ocean, overcoming it to get the sharpest and most vivid photos. I also had to try my best to record the most meaningful and emotional stories to have articles with full information, conveying the most vivid, meaningful and accurate messages about the people living and fighting in the sea and islands of the Fatherland.
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| The author took a souvenir photo at Colin Island |
• TRUONG SA HAS GIVEN ME MORE THAN A JOURNALISTIC TOPIC
If someone asked me: "Is working in Truong Sa tiring?", my answer would be: "Yes, very tiring!". The busy schedule of the working group kept me in a constant state of flux. We reporters not only had to complete the task of taking photos and collecting documents to report on the group's activities, but also had to take the opportunity to record the lives, activities, thoughts and feelings of the soldiers and people on the island.
We always try to be the first to set foot on the island to be able to record the most beautiful and complete angles of the activities. And we also want to be the last to leave the island, to have more time to interview the people and soldiers within the time frame allowed. Strangely, when taking pictures, moving around the island to observe and listen, I seem to forget the harsh sunlight and the bitter salty sea breeze.
If someone asked me: "Do you want to return to Truong Sa?", I would not hesitate to answer: "Yes!". Because for me, every business trip to Truong Sa is an opportunity to set foot on the sacred seas and islands of the Fatherland, to meet people who live for the Fatherland, for noble ideals, young people full of positive energy, extraordinary determination and strong will. I always long to talk to them, to listen to their stories. Because each of those stories gives me strength, faith, reminds me of the noble ideals of life, of my civic responsibilities.
I believe that not only me, but any journalist would like to visit Truong Sa once. Because there, we will feel more deeply the difficulties and hardships that the officers and soldiers are facing. Through the stories and will of the island soldiers, the love for the profession will also be multiplied. Coming to Truong Sa, I had unforgettable memories, and had the opportunity to understand more about the value of life, about humanity, about the sacred love for the Fatherland, and about comradeship, teammates, about the responsibility of each person for work, for the homeland.
Truong Sa has given me more than just a journalism topic. Truong Sa has given me valuable lessons about patriotism, sacrifice, will and determination. Truong Sa has helped me understand that a beautiful life is not always “rosy”, as long as we have faith and will, have a clear ideal in life, we will overcome all difficulties. The experiences in Truong Sa will always be valuable luggage on my journey as a journalist.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/xa-hoi/202506/ky-niem-100-nam-ngay-bao-chi-cach-mang-viet-nam-2161925-2162025-truong-sa-hai-lan-den-va-nhung-ky-uc-khong-phai-bab1ef4/
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