Footprints of Uncle Ho's youth in the Southwest sea and islands

The voyage of the KN-290 ship brought the delegation of cadres and youth of Ho Chi Minh City to the southwestern sea and islands and returned with many warm feelings from the mainland to the border areas of the Fatherland.

Delivering sentimental gifts from leaders and people of Ho Chi Minh City to the islands - Photo: AN VI

Accounting for 1/3 of the total number of trips to the Southwest islands, the young people of the city named after Uncle Ho left many impressions and beautiful images with the delegates present on the voyage led by Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee - Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Phuoc Loc.

Looking at the soldiers of the DK1 platform standing tall in the middle of the sea and sky of my homeland, I feel that I need to try harder because what I am contributing and dedicating is nothing compared to the soldiers who are on duty in the middle of the ocean.

Mr. NGUYEN THANH PHONG (Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of An Lac Automobile Mechanical Enterprise)

Quiet but aggressive

As the core of the team throughout the trip, most of the members carried walkie-talkies with them. Mr. Nguyen Nhat Bang (Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of the University of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City National University) was in charge of logistics, so even when sleeping, he did not take off his walkie-talkie to remind each other to do the activities.

Every day before the ship's wake-up call, Mr. Bang would prepare the gifts and, together with the soldiers, carry them to the ship's side and transfer them to a small boat to take to the island. On calm sea days, it was still bearable, but on stormy days, with heavy rain, sometimes the waves rose up to a meter, making the transportation even more difficult.

"It requires a bit of meticulous preparation, there are certain difficulties, but the joy of knowing that I am contributing to bringing the affection of the leaders and people of Ho Chi Minh City to the soldiers gives me more motivation to do my best, without feeling any pressure," Mr. Bang confided.

There was very little time to prepare, but there was a lot of work at each island, from visiting, giving gifts or serving entertainment... all were done by the city's young people, bringing lots of laughter and affection from the mainland to the island.

Meanwhile, right on the ship, there were many warm bonding activities also undertaken by the blue shirts. Quite special on this voyage, the friends worked hard in the kitchen to make banh gio, banh chua and also helped the soldiers cook for the whole group.

At the end of the day, the members sat together to review the day's activities and prepare for the next day. On this trip, the young people of Ho Chi Minh City gave the soldiers many books and documentary images to create the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space. In addition, they also gave a map of Vietnam associated with the campaign "Proud of a strip of land and river", a bookcase for children, Ao Dai fabric, Tet gifts...

A meaningful journey with youth

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union Tran Thu Ha said that being assigned by the city leaders to be the core organization of activities on the ship as well as each island and DK1 platform is an honor for the city's youth. In response to that trust, they proactively approached information and learned from the experiences of the departments of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and the City Women's Union when they were in charge of previous trips.

Activities were planned in detail for each hour, each session, each day, with clear assignments for members. The City Youth Union launched a campaign for children to draw pictures, write letters and New Year greeting cards to officers and soldiers. In particular, the song "Our ship glides to the beloved Southwest, the red hearts of Uncle Ho's city resounded throughout the journey" was a product ordered by the City Youth Union to be written specifically for this voyage.

"With 1/3 of the delegates visiting the soldiers and people in the Southwest coastal area this time being members of the Youth Union and young people of the city, it shows the great attention of the city's leaders for the young generation. This is an opportunity that is not easy to come by, so each young person participating is exemplary, completing the best work, but also feels that they need to continue to strive to contribute more to the upcoming development of the city," Ms. Ha shared.

The Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union said that the task of protecting the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland is always a difficult, complicated task and is becoming more and more difficult. "Ho Chi Minh City, including the city's youth, will always be united, stand side by side and be a solid rear for the border and islands, making efforts for the homeland's islands and seas, for the frontline of the Fatherland" - Ms. Ha said.

Feel the love of the Fatherland

Returning from the trip, Deputy Secretary of District 12 Youth Union Le Thanh Dat said that participating in the cruise was an honor and pride for a Youth Union officer like him.

"What I remember most is the image of the children on Tho Chu Island warmly welcoming the working group and loving them very much. This island is also considered a youth island with many meaningful projects and tasks that the youth of Ho Chi Minh City have carried out in recent times. Meeting them, I feel like all my fatigue is gone," said Mr. Dat.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong (Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of An Lac Automobile Mechanical Enterprise) said he still felt excited even though he had set foot on land, like the indescribable feeling when he received the information that he would be joining the delegation of Ho Chi Minh City on this trip. Being assigned to ensure the activities of the delegates and organize the program on a ship in the middle of the sea for the first time, Phong said he was very nervous.

Mr. Phong shared that he tried his best to complete the tasks he had received and assigned to him as best as possible. He only regretted that the time he spent on each island was too limited, so he had little opportunity to talk much with the soldiers.

"I especially remember the early morning moment on the DK1/10 platform, standing in the middle of the vast sea and sky of the Fatherland, I could clearly feel the difficulties and hardships of the soldiers on the platform and see that the difficulties I encountered were nothing," Mr. Phong confided.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dau-chan-tuoi-tre-tp-bac-noi-bien-dao-tay-nam-20241121225515198.htm