(TN&MT) - In 2022, I had the opportunity to return to Truong Sa with Working Group No. 2 of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army during a visit and inspection of the island and DKI Platform.
Right before the departure date, the weather forecast from the Hydrometeorological Center said that the East Sea was about to welcome two unseasonal tropical depressions. Depressions mean rough seas, with big waves and strong winds. However, after considering all situations, with very careful preparation, the Navy Command and the Head of the working group were determined to carry out the trip as planned.
Two days of rough seas, strong winds and huge waves passed, and everyone gradually got used to the waves. In the middle of the vast ocean, without phone or internet signals, people seemed to be isolated from the modern world. It was okay, because that brought about the opportunity to communicate and integrate into a group that previously, when they were on land, no one knew anyone. Everyone understood that only solidarity and mutual support could help them overcome and win all hardships and challenges. Then all emotions suddenly burst out, when small islands appeared one by one in sight.
Vietnamese homeland soul
The islands are scattered and sometimes clustered on the Truong Sa archipelago. The impression of the islands that the delegation visited, such as Son Ca, Nam Yet, Sinh Ton, and Truong Sa Lon, are the rows of green trees. The phong ba, bao chan, mu u, and banyan trees, with their strong and resilient vitality like the spirit of the island soldiers, have adapted to the arid soil and harsh climate in the middle of the ocean, enduring the passage of time, growing proud green canopies, spreading shade, each thick row blocking the waves and wind from the sea, protecting and sheltering the children of Vietnam.
On Sinh Ton Island, Sinh Ton Pagoda has a quiet appearance, nestled among the storm-proof maple trees, appearing vaguely in the thick layer of rain, reminiscent of the peaceful image of the mainland on the island. On a rainy afternoon on Sinh Ton Island, in the space there is only the sound of falling rain and the sound of waves, the temple bell suddenly rings in the quiet space with the scent of agarwood. That is enough to make people's hearts sink, close their eyes and imagine that they have returned to a peaceful, quiet homeland. Suddenly, we come across an elementary school, the curved temple roof nestled among the green foliage. Sinh Ton Commune Elementary School looks quite spacious. The whole school has only about ten students, but there are 2 teachers: Mr. Pham Xuan Dieu and Mr. Nguyen Cong Khoa. Because the students are scattered across different ages, the two teachers have to share the knowledge from grade 1 to grade 5. The curriculum here is the same as on the mainland, and there are also extracurricular hours, but the number of people is small so the students do not experience many mischievous pranks. The family still lives on the mainland, so after teaching hours, Mr. Dieu and Mr. Khoa have dinner together, waiting until summer break to return to the mainland to bring out books and school supplies for the new school year.
That said, on the island, from residents, teachers, government officials to soldiers..., everyone lives together, united as one, creating a strong bond, sharing with each other everything from vegetables, fish, from material to spiritual, to have enough strength to cope with nature, overcome difficulties in daily life, stick to the sea and the island, become a support for fishermen, a sovereignty landmark, firmly protecting the territorial waters of the Fatherland.
After nearly 5 years of teaching on the island, the love for the sea, for the innocent children, for each tree of the Ba Ba tree, the Banyan tree, for the sound of the waves and the salty sea breeze, the salty sea just kept growing in Mr. Dieu's heart. To the point that during a month of summer vacation on the mainland, crowded in the city, his lungs seemed unable to bear the smell of gasoline and dust, because they were used to breathing the clean air of the ocean...
Shining the spirit of island soldiers
Unlike other floating islands, Da Lat Island was formed on a coral reef below sea level. When the tide rises, the coral reef is submerged, and the buildings on the island stand alone in the middle of the vast ocean; when the tide goes down, the water only covers the coral reef, from which a clear emerald green water appears, clearly seeing schools of fish swimming around, clumps of seaweed mixed with intertwined coral branches at the bottom of the water..., a surprisingly beautiful scene. However, because of that, entering and leaving the island must be extremely careful, otherwise the boat will run aground or crash into the coral reef. As a submerged island, Da Lat does not have a single piece of land, so planting trees on the island seems impossible.
However, when stepping foot on the island, the first image that catches our eyes is a lush green coconut tree taller than a person, planted in a small pot. Next to it are pots of frangipani and bougainvillea blooming in full bloom. Each tree here also carries a fairy tale. The origin of the coconut tree is from a coconut that drifted to the wharf, which was picked up by the island soldiers and then planted. After 4 years of careful care, the tree has grown that tall and green. It is also a testament to the strong vitality in the harsh conditions of nature. The story of the coconut tree reminds me of the fairy tale Mai An Tiem, of the spirit of determination and extraordinary will of the island soldiers, despite facing the storms and winds of the sea all year round, they still steadfastly cling to the sea to maintain sovereignty, keeping intact every inch of land and sea of the Fatherland. Overcoming all hardships and challenges, the steadfast and indomitable spirit of Uncle Ho's soldiers, of the Lac Hong lineage, always shines.
The army and the people are like fish and water.
In Da Lat, I met Lieutenant Nguyen Van Phuc - a radar officer - a young man with a radiant smile. Pointing to the nearby ships, Phuc said that many fishing boats anchored here. It takes about 2 days from Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan to reach the fishing grounds in Da Lat. After fishing, fishermen often stop by the island to ask for fuel, fresh water, and medicine. Every time they visit the island, the people bring the soldiers the seafood they have just caught; in return, the soldiers also share vegetables, fruits, food, and provisions with the people. This shows that the relationship between the army and the people is always as close as fish and water, and the soldiers are loved and trusted by the people wherever they are. With soldiers guarding the island, fishermen can confidently go out to sea and fish in the fishing grounds, which is the clearest confirmation of the sovereignty of the Fatherland's sea and islands.
Also at Da Lat, I witnessed a touching and unexpected reunion between two friends: Captain Bui Xuan Long of the 12th Army Corps and Captain Hoang Van Thao - Political Commissar of Da Lat Island. They had a close friendship for 5 years at the University of Politics. Now, one from the mainland was visiting the island for the first time, the other had been assigned to guard the remote island for many years. After a moment of surprise when they recognized each other, even though their faces were still covered by masks, there was a tight hug of joy between the person from the sea and the person from the land. What could be more touching than unexpectedly meeting a loved one in the middle of the ocean?
On Phan Vinh B island, a group of officers and soldiers were holding guitars and singing loudly. The small yard turned into a stage, the marines became "singers" absorbed in the song. "Sing forever the marching song", "Uncle is marching with us", "Life is still beautiful"..., no one paid attention to the scorching sun of the sea, only the sound of guitars and singing mixed with the sound of the waves resounding to the horizon.
One of them is Captain Nguyen Duc Tam - an anesthesiologist at Military Hospital 5 in Ninh Binh, who has been working on Phan Vinh Island since August last year. During his first Tet on the island, he missed home and felt sorry for his wife who had to struggle to take care of the twins, even with the help of her grandmother. Many times, he missed his children and their chirping voices so much that his heart ached...
Also a military medic, Lieutenant QNCN Vu Cong Dat - an anesthetist technician in the 7-person medical team of Military Hospital 103 was assigned to take up duty on Son Ca Island right before Tet 2022. When he left, his little daughter was just 3 months old. Dat's first sea trip was more than half a month of experiencing the storms on a troop replacement ship in the middle of a rough sea season. But Dat didn't have time to be sad. The work of the Son Ca Island medical team was quite busy, with appendectomy, peritonitis, and first aid for injuries for soldiers from neighboring islands and fishermen in distress in the surrounding fishing grounds.
Nurture the green shoots forever
On this trip, Colonel Nguyen Trang Minh - Deputy Director of the Military Science and Technology Institute - Ministry of National Defense and Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tam - Deputy Director of the Tropical Environment Institute (under the Military Science and Technology Institute) brought many practical products researched and produced by the institute to serve the daily life of officers and soldiers on the islands and rigs, such as: Grease remover on the surface of ships; Body shampoo (for salt water, fresh water); Laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid (for salt, fresh, hard water)... Extremely practical, because in the salty seawater environment, conventional cleaning products like on the mainland are not effective. In addition, there are other specialized products such as: Survival life jackets; SUTAB/SUTAB-SOB energy pills; KPAP functional foods; Tube rations...
In particular, there is an indispensable product in each gift for the islands, which is biofertilizer. This type of fertilizer is suitable for plants grown in harsh soil areas such as Truong Sa archipelago, helping plants grow well and yield high yields. That is why when visiting the islands and rigs, everyone is surprised by the lush green vegetable gardens, despite the salty sea air, strong winds, and scorching sun... From bags of biofertilizer, bags of humus, packages of seeds, the tiny seedlings from the mainland, through many days of drifting waves, through the hands of the island soldiers, have sprouted and grown into lush vegetable patches, trellises of squash and cucumbers full of fruit, and pots of green plants that are pleasing to the eye...
Epilogue
The time before Tet every year is when the ships change troops, the ships bring Tet gifts from the mainland to the island. Many officers and soldiers will return to the mainland to celebrate Tet with their families, after a long time away from home. Many other soldiers will also celebrate their first Tet at sea. Although far away, they always have their comrades, their Fatherland, the whole nation with one heart, the loyal soldiers guarding the sea!
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