Tears welled up when listening to "Far Away Island" (Journalist Huu Long - Reporter for Lao Dong Newspaper representative office in the Central region)
Since I was very young, I have read many books about the two sacred archipelagos of the Fatherland, Truong Sa and Hoang Sa - where countless generations of my father and grandfather have devoted their youth and blood to protect. Continuing the heroic tradition of the nation, young people today continue to preserve the sacred flesh and blood of the country.
Our delegation moved from Cam Ranh Port to Truong Sa in 2018. Each person in the delegation to Truong Sa brought gifts from the mainland to the soldiers who are protecting the sea and islands day and night. Due to the nature of my work, I decided to bring copies of Lao Dong Newspaper on the mainland as gifts for the soldiers on the island.
Surprisingly, those spiritual gifts are highly appreciated by the soldiers. I still remember the smile of the navy soldier when he held the daily Labor Newspaper in his hand. It turns out that, in addition to the lack of fresh water and green vegetables on the island, the soldiers in Truong Sa also want to gain more knowledge through newspapers, literary books, and art.
In my working life, perhaps the moment at night on Truong Sa Island is a memory I will never forget. That night, the sound of the sea breeze mixed with the song sung by the island's soldiers made many people excited. Truong Sa soldiers do not only know sunshine and wind, but they are also equally romantic when performing love songs about love for their country.
The lyrics "Here Truong Sa, there Hoang Sa archipelago stands tall, a shining epic" sung by a soldier made many people shed tears. Amid all the turmoil, there were people who cried when listening to the lyrics of the song "Far Island" by musician The Song. They cried, but they were tears of great pride because there were island soldiers who were always optimistic during hardships, united together to overcome difficulties to successfully complete the task of protecting island sovereignty.
Returning to Truong Sa after a business trip that year, we saw how vast and beautiful our country's sea and islands are. To mark this meaningful business trip, members of the delegation organized the publication of a book recording memories and images of soldiers and people on the island, their daily lives and moments. strain yourself to fight. The special book is always placed solemnly in the office of the members of the delegation and is cherished and preserved by everyone.
A trip full of emotions (Journalist To The - Multimedia Center)
Surely in every Vietnamese person, setting foot on the sacred islands of the Fatherland is something that everyone desires and I am no exception. On the journey to Truong Sa, each member of the working group experienced becoming a "soldier", "eating, sleeping, and resting according to the military's schedule".
The Khanh Hoa-01 ship (HQ 561) is a K122 class hospital ship belonging to the Vietnam People's Navy, and is also the ship that took us on the voyage to Truong Sa in May 2022.
During the trip, we lived in military discipline, all activities took place on time and according to the orders of the commander on board. "Alarm for all ships, alarm for all ships, alarm for all ships..." - the command of the commander of ship HQ 561 rang out at 5 a.m. every day.
That's when my colleagues and I in the delegation started a new day with operational equipment ready. We are also often the first to arrive on the islands and the last to leave. Because on each island and platform, we only had about 2 hours to visit the troops and people. Therefore, only by going early will there be enough time to fully capture precious moments about the lives, thoughts and feelings of the soldiers and people on remote islands, as well as the feelings of delegates in the working group.
During that trip I experienced all kinds of emotions. It is the feeling of pride when standing to salute the flag on Song Tu Tay island, or the feeling of surprise at the lush vegetable gardens growing amid the harsh sun and wind on sunken islands, floating islands, and truss houses. I was extremely impressed with the young soldiers who were only eighteen or twenty with tanned skin but always a smile on their lips, holding their gun firmly in their hands, bright eyes always facing the sea.
Then there are the screeching sounds in classrooms on floating islands, the children playing under the canopy of square eagles, maple trees or temples that always ring with bells, which are the spiritual fulcrum for our troops and people on remote islands... Actually, there are many beautiful things that can only be clearly felt when seen directly, but there is one thing, love of homeland and pride that everyone will feel. That is also what I want to
spread, convey everything I experienced and heard through pictures or videos during my days on the island.
Camera ready, overcoming operational waves (Journalist Tran Tuan - Readers' Union Board)
I was fortunate to be able to visit the Truong Sa archipelago with the delegation on a very special occasion, near the Lunar New Year. Joining the working group, overcoming hundreds of nautical miles amid rough seas at level 6, level 7, big waves, strong winds, overcoming seasickness, the moment of first stepping onto the DK1 Rig to operate, for I am an unforgettable mark.
At exactly 9 o'clock on September 1, 2024, after three whistles saying goodbye to the mainland, the Truong Sa 16 ship carried a working group of journalists, officers and soldiers of the Naval Region 2 Command and Tet gifts from mainland to DK1 Platforms. The first time I worked at DK1 Rig, a feeling of excitement swept through me. Holding the camera firmly in hand, I thought I was ready to capture the most vivid images and videos.
However, not long after leaving the port, my smile faded away. Big waves kept hitting the side of the ship, creating a feeling of stagnation and constant swaying. The voices, laughter and work of journalists gradually faded away as many people who had no experience at sea struggled with the feeling of seasickness. After 3 days of fighting with big waves, our working group was present in the sea area of Ba Ke cluster - the reef area with DKI/9, DKI/20, DKI/21 Platforms. Receiving the notice, my colleagues and I seemed to forget all about seasickness and fatigue and jumped up with our cameras to run to the bow of the ship to work.
However, the weather was still not favorable when the wind was strong and we were ordered to use the "hoisting people onto the gantry" option. This is also an unforgettable memory and makes us even more admire the soldiers who are on duty here every day. Only when I go, come, and encounter such difficulties do I understand more and more the efforts of the soldiers and officers who guard the sacred waters of the Fatherland to overcome difficulties day and night.
During the time on the rig, journalists and reporters participated in making Tet banh chung, visiting the production increase area, the area where officers and soldiers firmly held guns and binoculars guarding the sign... Each image , I wanted to record that moment so I could share it with those who have not yet had the opportunity to set foot here.
On the 10th day floating at sea, overcoming big waves, we were present at the DK1/18 platform, Phuc Tan cluster. At 7:00 a.m., the siren sounded, we gathered on the deck, right in the middle of the ocean to attend the memorial service for the martyrs who died on the southern continental shelf of the Fatherland.
Lieutenant Colonel Le Xuan Tam's voice - Head of the Mass Mobilization Department, Political Department of Naval Region 2 Command - was serious and sincere, as if confiding to his teammates: "We hope you all rest peacefully in the shadow of the waves." water, bless today and future generations to forever keep Vietnam's sea and sky peaceful; maintain the beloved sea and islands and continental shelf of our Fatherland...".
The music "Soldier's Soul" sounded, we bowed respectfully before the heroic spirits of the soldiers. In the distance, the DK1 marine soldiers also solemnly looked towards the national flag fluttering on the Truong Sa 16 ship. Their comrades died on these waters, and they, the DK1 soldiers, continued to stay there, through the seasons. storms, on the towers standing tall in the middle of the East Sea to protect the continental shelf.
Many people cried and shed tears when hearing about the heroic but silent sacrifice of the soldiers. And in me, since that moment, I have always been waiting to think that there are so many things we can do to join hands, to affirm that no one is forgotten, no one is alone in the midst of the storm - where Soldiers who devoted their entire youth to the country.
