Singing in the sky and sea of the Fatherland

For the officers and soldiers of Truong Sa island district, there is no more precious and touching gift than singing with artists from the mainland. Because when they sing, all sadness is gone and joy multiplied.

When listening to the artists sing, they blend in, like a thread connecting Truong Sa with the mainland. In addition to the material gifts sent by the mainland, the singing and lyrics of the Shock Art Team of Working Group No. 13 are the most meaningful and lasting spiritual gifts.

Practice on deck

This time, I followed ship 571 of Working Group No. 13 to visit the people and soldiers of Truong Sa island district and DK1/20 platform as a veteran of the Vietnam - Russia Joint Venture Vietsovpetro under the Association of War Veterans of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, assigned to be the leader of the shock art troupe - a rather difficult task, because the art troupes are all over the country, while training cannot be concentrated.

With many years of experience as a troupe leader performing in many places, I "directed from afar", asked groups in different provinces and cities to practice and exchange performances, "combine music online", and when they met in Cam Ranh, they would practice together.

At 7:30 p.m. on May 17, ship 571 of Naval Region 4 blew three farewell sirens and then sailed away into the night. While more than 200 members of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, the State Treasury, Hai Duong province delegates, and artists rested after a busy day of visiting, our art troupe went up to the upper deck of the ship to practice. Despite the night wind stinging our faces. Despite the dizziness from seasickness, more than 20 members of our art troupe still practiced diligently. Thanh Nga - a female artist from Phu My Fertilizer Plant said with emotion: "The first time I went to Truong Sa and sang for the soldiers, no matter how seasick and tired I was, I still tried my best. In addition to singing in the group, I will send the soldiers 3 songs "Gan lam Truong Sa", "Sao bien" and "Doi nguoi rung cay". Hong Tham - a reporter from Vung Tau Petroleum University also volunteered to join the shock art troupe to "send the warmth of the mainland to the soldiers of Truong Sa, DK1 through lyrics and songs".

According to the request of the Navy Political Department, the shock art troupe had to ensure 2 group performances with illustrated dances to perform on the night of May 19 on the deck of the ship to celebrate the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and on the stage of Truong Sa town on the night of May 21. How to dance? When the art troupe is mainly "U-age delegates" and veterans. Having been trained in choreography and staging, I gathered the art troupe and asked the core to volunteer. Everyone shook their heads, "I can still sing, but I can't dance." I called Phi Yen - an actress of the Ninh Thuan Province Song and Dance Troupe to encourage her: "Please try to dance a solo. I will practice for you as a couple." Phi Yen said "OK". Right in the officers' dining room, the chairs were folded up. 20 minutes later, the dance "Starfish" was born in the sound of the roaring waves. Ship 571 was still sailing straight to Truong Sa.

The song resounds far and wide, mainland and island

The first stop of the 571 ship was Len Dao Island. I was given priority to get on the boat first as a reporter and the leader of the Artistic Shock Team. Len Dao Island stood steadfastly amidst the vast waves. Only 3 nautical miles away was the beloved Gac Ma Island, which was illegally occupied by China in the March 14, 1988 incident. I turned my camera to Gac Ma. The surge of emotions mixed with indignation.

There were no stage lights, the sound was the island's "candy speaker". I held the microphone and went to the middle of the island and called out, "Officers and soldiers of Len Dao island. Let's sing. Let's sing songs about love for the sea and islands, for the homeland, the army and the Fatherland of Vietnam". "Our life is a military march, our life is a soldier's song, we sing loudly, endlessly through the days, flying over the mountains and forests of the border to the distant island". The lyrics were sung, and at the same time hundreds of arms were raised high to the song's lyrics. Regardless of officers, soldiers, or members of the working group, we held each other's shoulders and walked in a circle to the bustling music from our hearts, conveying the message "Truong Sa is far but not far", "The mainland is always beside the soldiers of Len Dao - a sensitive and resilient island in protecting the sovereignty of the Fatherland".

Hiding his emotions in his red eyes, Len Dao island leader - Captain Bui Quynh Lam, from Quynh Luu said: “Every time a group visits the island, we feel very warm. Singing and dancing with the brothers and sisters, our homesickness is lessened. This is the most impressive performance since I came to work on the island”. Captain Lam added: “Far from the mainland, we love each other like family. Training during the day, patrolling at night. We always think about our loved ones and fields. This season on Len Dao island is often hot and sunny, above 40 degrees Celsius. Despite the harsh climate, the officers and soldiers of Len Dao island are still united to excellently complete the assigned tasks”.

Truong Sa Dong is one of the five islands that Working Group No. 13 visited during the voyage. While the Head of the Working Group - Rear Admiral Doan Van Chieu, Political Commissar of the Navy, was working with the island's officers, we quickly deployed the performance stage. Suddenly, a "strange" rain poured down from somewhere. The musicians urgently moved the sound to "hide from the rain". The rain had just stopped, when the song "Rain on the distant island" was sung by soldier Hoang Van Thai of the island, moving him. The lyrics "Rain, go, rain, the small island needs rain, rain, go, rain, we need rain" made me unable to hold back my emotions. Some members of the working group had red eyes. Once again, we held each other's shoulders in a circle, connecting arms in solidarity. The songs "Forgetting oneself for the people", "Life of the forest", "Connecting big arms", "Truong Son Dong - Truong Son Tay" were like a continuous flow that did not want to be separated.

The last performance point in the voyage to visit the military and civilians of Truong Sa, DK1 Platform was DK1/20 Platform (Ba Ke). Once again, we held hands and sang “No matter the wind or waves, we soldiers of the platform are there. Unstable, and precarious, the soldiers of the platform are not afraid of storms. In the middle of the ocean, we still love life, in the middle of the ocean and sky, we still love life, that’s how soldiers of the platform are…”, the emotional lyrics seemed to seep into our flesh.

Professional military captain Hoang Van Tai, a Radar employee who has been attached to the DK1 platform for more than 25 years, emotionally shared: “I have not been back to the mainland for more than a year. Last night, we anxiously waited for the ship to arrive. “Spring of DK” is a song that expresses the feelings and duties of our platform soldiers.”

Every party has a time to say goodbye. The soldiers of the DK1/20 platform saw the working group off to the docking platform. Before getting into the boat to return to ship 571, I put my arm around Tai and sang, “Not far away, oh platform, we will come back at the appointed time, to sing with you the spring of DK1, so that the Truong Sa and DK1 islands will forever be ours.”

Ship 571 blew its horn three times to greet the platform. We clearly heard the soldiers shouting loudly, “Goodbye, goodbye,” and then singing in unison, “The platform watches the clouds, one watch in the southwest direction. When the tide rises, we lie across the waves, waiting for the moon to rise, sharing a love letter. The sea and waves sing, dreaming of home.”

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