More than three decades on the island
During a visit to wish Tet to officers and soldiers at Hon Khoai island (Dat Mui commune, Ca Mau province) of Naval Region 5, I met Major Professional Tong Van Dung, staff of Radar Station 595, Regiment 551, Naval Region 5 - a soldier who has spent almost his entire military life attached to the island.
Starting work off Hon Khoai Island in the 1990s, Major Tong Van Dung has been attached to Radar Station 595 for more than 30 years. Major Dung's daily work is on duty, observing, detecting and tracking targets at sea, ensuring the radar system always operates smoothly.
Talking about the early days of going to the island to perform duties, Major Dung said that living conditions were still difficult. The road to the station at that time was just a small, steep trail, with sections just enough for a motorbike to pass through, and they could not avoid each other. Professional tasks in the early years also faced many challenges when equipment was still rudimentary.
Over many years of work, Major Dung has witnessed the clear changes of Hon Khoai island. "Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, the facilities on the island have been gradually invested and upgraded. Currently, roads have been widened, houses are more spacious, electricity and water are basically guaranteed. Compared to the difficult early years, the living conditions of officers and soldiers today have improved significantly" - Major Dung shared.
Along with professional tasks, in recent years, the unit has always focused on promoting increased production to improve the lives of soldiers. Due to limited land area and being affected by saltwater, farming on the island faces many difficulties. "Despite difficult conditions, officers and soldiers still take advantage of each piece of land to grow green vegetables such as: cabbage, water spinach, beans, cucumbers, gourds... seasonally. In addition, the unit also organizes duck, pig, and cow farming in appropriate quantities; animal feed is mainly transported from the mainland to the island" - Major Dung said.
More than 20 times celebrating Tet away from home
More than three decades of Major Tong Van Dung working on the island also means dozens of Tet holidays away from home. Most of the years he celebrates Tet with his comrades on the island. Soldiers consider each other as relatives, eating together, being on duty together, celebrating New Year's Eve together, so homesickness is also reduced. From those simple Tet holidays, comradeship and comradeship on remote islands become even closer, becoming a source of encouragement for soldiers to continue to firmly stick to the front lines.
According to the regime, officers and soldiers are allowed to return home on leave once a year, but due to the long travel distance and prolonged travel time, family reunions are usually only about 10-15 days" - Mr. Dung said.
In the rear, Major Tong Van Dung's wife is a teacher, a solid spiritual support. The understanding and sharing of the family helps him feel secure in his work and firmly stick to the island. Once, relatives came to visit the unit, witnessing firsthand the difficulties in the remote island, thereby further sympathizing and encouraging him to complete his tasks.
“Being a soldier means clearly defining your responsibility. Wherever the Party and State assign tasks, you must be determined to complete them,” Major Dung shared. Over time, Hon Khoai island has become not only a workplace, but also his second home. Every road, every curve, every steep section from the beach to the station are deeply imprinted in his memory, to the point that he can remember every walkway vividly.
Throughout his military career, Major Dung has been attached to many comrades of forces stationed on the island. Among soldiers in the front lines, comradeship and comradeship are always strong. In particular, there are friends from the same hometown of Thanh Hoa, working together for many years, experiencing Tet away from home, sharing each other's difficulties and shortages, creating a deep bond.
As the person with the longest seniority in the unit, Major Dung regularly cares for and encourages young officers and soldiers who have just come to the island. He recounts the difficult years before to make the soldiers more confident. From being still unfamiliar and missing home, many young officers gradually adapted, were assured in their work, and strived to complete the assigned tasks well.
In 2026, Major Tong Van Dung reached retirement age, eligible to return to the mainland to celebrate a complete Tet with his family for the first time in many years. However, the soldier who has been attached to Hon Khoai island for almost his whole life has chosen a different decision: He wrote a letter of resignation to continue working.
I am still healthy. This island is like my second home, I still want to be attached to work and contribute" - Major Dung said, with a decisive voice.
After more than three decades of sticking to the frontline island, for Major Tong Van Dung, Hon Khoai is not only a working area but has become a "blood and flesh" part. The old soldier's decision to stay is not noisy, not ostentatious, but contains the full sense of responsibility and love for the sea and islands that has followed him throughout his military career.
