Truong Sa lighthouse never turns off
These are 8 lighthouses on 8 islands and island points in the Truong Sa archipelago of Khanh Hoa province. Those lighthouses are not only landmarks for ships passing through the dark night in the vast ocean, but also affirm that they are landmarks of Vietnam's sovereignty over the islands. Those lights never go out, because they are lit by the endless love for the Fatherland of the officers and employees of the Maritime Safety Station II (belonging to the East Sea and Islands Enterprise) and the soldiers of Truong Sa.
Lighthouse illuminating sovereignty
Son Ca Island gradually appeared before our eyes after more than 2 days and nights of non-stop sailing. The first impression upon arriving at Son Ca was the towering lighthouse standing tall like a fortress in the vast sun and wind. Lieutenant Colonel Do Viet Hoa, Political Commissar of Son Ca Island, said: “Son Ca lighthouse is one of the 8 most beautiful lights on Truong Sa archipelago. The lighthouse is cylindrical in shape, with the task of both sending signals to guide passing ships and also being a lamppost to illuminate the sovereignty marker. What is special is that it was built behind the island's martyrs' cemetery. Every time we burn incense to commemorate the martyrs, looking at the lighthouse is like seeing the light of faith and love for the Fatherland. All groups of visitors to visit the martyrs at this cemetery, after burning incense to commemorate, look up at the lighthouse as if finding peace and pride.”
Song Tu Tay Island lighthouse stands tall from the sea.
Currently, on 21 islands and island points of Truong Sa, there are 8 lighthouses on the islands: Da Lat, An Bang, Da Tay, Tien Nu, Song Tu Tay, Truong Sa Lon, Sinh Ton, Son Ca and Nam Yet lighthouse is under construction. All 8 lighthouses on 8 islands and island points are maintained, repaired and replaced by engineers, officers and employees of the Maritime Safety Station II under the East Sea and Islands Enterprise. The construction of lighthouse stations on the islands began when the international maritime route was expanded at sea, and to meet the requirements of protecting the Fatherland in the new situation. In addition to the function of guiding ships passing through the international maritime route, each lighthouse is also a beacon marking the coordinates of the shoal, serving as a support point for Vietnamese fishermen and fishermen from other countries in the region to exploit and catch seafood in their sea areas.
Lighthouse on Son Ca Island.
If the lighthouse on Son Ca Island is cylindrical, with a base shaped like the Hanoi Flagpole, the lighthouse on Song Tu Tay Island is built in the shape of a tower, while the lighthouse on Da Lat Island is designed in the shape of an arrow. According to Mr. Tran Van Ngu, Head of the Sinh Ton Island Lighthouse Station, the construction of lighthouses has different structural shapes, depending on the geology and coral reefs. On Song Tu Tay Island, the lighthouse is built in the shape of a round tower on the east side of the island, welcoming the first rays of sunlight in the morning.
The lighthouse on Da Lat Island was built on a coral reef more than 300 meters north of the soldiers' residence. It has a steel structure with skewed holes to reduce wind acceleration. Mr. Mai Kha Duc, the head of the ship engine repair team, who has worked for many years at the Bien Dong Fisheries Logistics Company on Da Tay Island, said: "I have been to many islands and climbed the lighthouse. Each lighthouse has a different structure, but they have one thing in common: they send signals in the dark so that ships know where to go. If you go to sea in the dark, just seeing the light of the lighthouse makes you feel very secure when fishing. When fishermen's boats from the mainland come to exploit seafood, they always use the light of the lighthouse as a reference point. When boats lose their position or have broken engines, in the dark, just seeing the light of the lighthouse makes them feel secure and never worry about getting lost."
The silent "lightworkers"
To ensure that the lighthouses never go out, the officers, engineers, and employees of the Maritime Safety Station II must work day and night in harsh environments, constantly exposed to batteries, acids, machinery, and electrical conductors. Regardless of sun or rain, calm or stormy seas, and under all circumstances, the lighthouse must never go out. This is the “unchangeable” principle and a combat order. Because of the nature of their work, the islanders and soldiers call the officers, engineers, and employees of the Maritime Safety Station II “lighthouse workers,” and sometimes “lighthouse soldiers.”
The work of the lighthouse workers is no less silent and sacrificial. The lighthouses that shine forever through time and space also means that the lighthouse soldiers have more silver hair. Besides training in combat readiness to protect the lighthouse, the lighthouse workers must clean, preserve, and maintain regularly in extremely harsh climate conditions. Due to saltwater contamination, the lighthouses often rust, and if not maintained regularly, the lights can easily short-circuit and burn. In the midst of the scorching sun and the harsh wind, the workers climb to the top of the light pole to maintain it.
At that peak, just a small mistake can cause an accident at any time. When night falls, it is also the time when the lighthouse starts operating. The lighthouse workers have to take shifts from 6 pm the previous day to 6 am the next morning. In the moment of homesickness, the image of the aroma of the kitchen fire reappears in the subconscious. Soldier Tran Van Dinh from Thanh Hoa, a soldier assigned to the lighthouse on Son Ca island, shared: “Every night, looking at the lighthouse flashing in the sky, I feel that my Fatherland is so sacred. It is this Son Ca island lighthouse that has lit up my heart with love for the sea and islands. The difficult days in Truong Sa have trained me to be mature. The Son Ca island lighthouse will never go out.”
Mr. Tran Van Ngu, Station Chief of Sinh Ton Island Lighthouse Station, who has been working with 8 lighthouses on 8 islands for 18 years, shared: “The life of a lighthouse worker is like that of someone lighting a fire in the night. Every time I see the lighthouse flashing in the dark sky, I feel like it is the light of the Fatherland in the middle of the sea and sky. Each flashing light is the breath and life of the lighthouse workers.”
When asked about living conditions on the island, Mr. Ngu said: “Our lives have improved a lot compared to before, but our work is extremely hard. Lighthouse workers at lighthouse stations on floating islands such as Song Tu Tay, Son Ca, Truong Sa Lon have more advantages, but lighthouse stations on submerged islands such as Da Tay, Da Lat, Tien Nu, An Bang have much harder work. On stormy days, with big waves and strong winds, sometimes the waves hit the first floor, and every 15 minutes we have to take turns on duty and check the technical parameters. Before solar panels, we had to run the generator all night and stand guard. Under no circumstances can the lighthouse be turned off.”
Anh Ngu is from Hai Phong, he chose to work as a lamplighter on a remote island mainly because of his love for the sea and islands. Anh Ngu said: “I come from a port city, around my house is a whole Navy team, I want to contribute my youth to Truong Sa. Normally, I go home on leave once a year, but sometimes due to duty requirements, it takes nearly 2 years or longer to go back to the mainland. All the family work, taking care of children, old parents, and weak parents are the responsibility of the wife at home day and night.”
Truong Sa has now gradually changed its appearance, the lighthouse workers are not as hard-working as in the past, the lighthouse lights up the night sky with solar power. And not only Mr. Ngu, many young engineers, officers and employees working on the lighthouses in the middle of the vast ocean are also silently sacrificing their youth so that the lighthouses will shine forever in the sky and sea of the Fatherland.
According to Tin Tuc Newspaper - NT
