Lesson 6: People who "take the pulse" of the sea and sky

(Baonghean) - Every weather forecast program on national television has a forecast for the Truong Sa archipelago. That information is directly related to the lives and livelihoods of fishermen and thousands of ships passing through this bustling shipping route. Few people know that to get that hourly and daily updated information is the silent sacrifice of those working in meteorology and oceanography in

Measuring the sea and sky

Our first impression when coming to Truong Sa Oceanographic Meteorological Station, Truong Sa Island was the young men. Listening to their voices, we knew that they came from many rural areas across the country but shared a passion for the profession of "measuring the sea and sky". At the end of the year, the Truong Sa sea was still rough, strong winds carried salty air from the sea, the atmosphere was as hot as fire, but Mr. Vo Thanh Tin - an employee of the station was still working hard in the meteorological garden with a notebook and pen, diligently recording data on temperature, sunshine time, rainfall, clouds, wind speed...

Mr. Vo Thanh Tin - officer of Truong Sa Meteorological and Oceanographic Station collects parameters.

Station chief Vu Duc Chung said: “Every day, the meteorological station monitors the weather 8 times at the following time frames: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, which means every 3 hours. Hydrological monitoring is 4 times at the following time frames: 1, 7, 13, 19. All data is immediately transferred to the mainland. When there are storms, we have to monitor continuously to grasp the fastest and most timely information to serve the forecasting work, on average once an hour”. The above workload is undertaken by 7 staff members of the station. All of them are in their 80s. In the small living room, the wall is hung with many pictures representing many different hometowns, as a way to implicitly “show off” the large meteorological family in Truong Sa who come here from all over the country.

Our conversation with the meteorological colleagues was suddenly interrupted, the whole room fell into a choking silence when talking about our colleague Hoang Van Nghia, born in 1986, from Nam Truc district (Nam Dinh). He fell to save the sea voyages of thousands of ships when he was not yet 24 years old. It was a day in mid-March 2010, on duty, Nghia brought equipment to Truong Sa island wharf to measure oceanographic data. That day, it was raining, the wind was blowing hard, a huge wave came up and swept him into the sea. The shift had been over for a long time, the whole station waited for Nghia to return but he did not return, so they rushed to look for him. A few hours later, Nghia's body was found, to the shock and endless grief of his colleagues, officers, soldiers and people on the island. Almost 4 years have passed, Nghia rests in peace on the sacred land of the Fatherland in the loving warmth of his colleagues, soldiers and people on the island.

And there are still many hardships, difficulties, and even dangers for the hydrometeorological officers in Truong Sa. Those are the nights of pouring rain, howling winds; the days of scorching sun, burning the skin and face; and there are also lonely, cold moments alone in the vast sea and sky. But they do not falter, all 7 meteorological officers today and generations of officers before are always steadfast in sticking to the station every hour, every minute measuring the sea and sky of Truong Sa.

Silent sacrifice

In the hydrological profession, whether on the mainland or on remote islands, due to the nature of their work, most of them have to be away from their families often. Station chief Vu Dinh Chung said: “Just like soldiers, meteorological brothers spend their free time growing vegetables, raising chickens and ducks, fishing to increase production, and improve daily meals. Living together for years, everyone is united, caring for, and loving each other like brothers in the family”. Of course, behind the shifts and production hours, in their stories, we still clearly feel the silent sacrifices that are difficult to put into words.

Like Vu Dinh Chung, for example. He is 30 years old this year, has no wife or children, and has been working for nearly 5 years. The young man's feet have passed through many KTTV stations in the South Central region before going to Truong Sa. His hometown is in Thieu Vien commune, Thieu Hoa district (Thanh Hoa), so he rarely has time to visit his family. In 2010, his mother passed away. After returning to mourn her, he returned to work and went to Truong Sa to take up the task for the past 2 years. This spring is Chung's third spring in Truong Sa. "Since my mother passed away, I have not been able to return to celebrate her death anniversary. I have been worried and thinking a lot! But because of the special working conditions, my family has encouraged me a lot. Last year, my father, despite his old age, went to Truong Sa to visit me as a relative. Family affection and the social benefits that the job brings help me stabilize my thoughts and feel secure working in Truong Sa."

Among the 7 brothers at the station, Vo Thanh Tin is considered the most "successful" because he already has a wife. Looking at his tall appearance, shiny dark skin, and typical seafaring voice, few people would have guessed that this young man from Binh Dinh was born in 1987. Like Station Chief Chung, this is the third time Tin has celebrated Tet in Truong Sa. Being away from his wife and family must be missed, especially at the end of the year when the spring sunshine gently awakens the square banyan buds on the island. Tin's love story sounds like a fairy tale. Because before becoming husband and wife, the two had a beautiful love that lasted 6 years. In 2011, when Tin was working in Phu Yen, the two got married. Three days later, he returned to his quiet job of "counting the wind and measuring the rain". Two months later, Tin continued to receive the decision to go to Truong Sa to work. Since then, more than 2 years have passed, all the longing, anger, and encouragement have only been through phone signals. But that is enough for those working on remote islands to feel secure in their work. “My wife is working in Ho Chi Minh City. Every day she calls to tell stories, and never forgets to encourage me to work with peace of mind. Recently, my wife called to say she was coming home for Tet. Another year, the family reunion will surely be very joyful,” Tin shared.

While talking to Tin, in the next room, the youngest member of the entire station, Nguyen Tan Trung, was carefully packing his belongings and clothes into a suitcase. Among them were branches of snail flowers. They were called so because the stems were made from square banyan branches on the island, and the flowers were made from snail shells. Trung said: "Since I came to Truong Sa to work, I have never seen my family, so I am very excited! This is a Tet gift I brought back to give to my family and friends to give them the flavor of the island." Looking at his tall figure and fair skin, it is impossible to believe that this 24-year-old meteorological "soldier" has worked continuously for 3 years at the Truong Sa Oceanographic Meteorological Station. Trung will follow the HQ 571 ship with us to the mainland to celebrate Tet with his family in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen. “It will definitely be fun to come home for Tet, but even before you’ve come home, you know that just by watching the weather forecast program about Truong Sa archipelago, you’ll miss the station, your brothers, and your job right away. Working as a meteorologist for a long time, you’ll also “catch” the “fickleness” of the weather, bro!” - Trung joked.

Article and photos:Thanh Duy - Dao Tuan