Memories of special banh chung of soldiers on the oil rig

After 5 years of studying at the Ha Bac Political - Military Officer School (now Bac Ninh province), in October 1994, I graduated and was assigned by the Navy to take up a position at the DK1 Platform Management Framework (now DK1 Battalion) with the position of "Deputy Political Commander of DK1/14 Platform". That winter, I stepped onto the HQ 624 ship and began to celebrate Tet away from home in the vast ocean.

At that time, very few people knew about the DK1 platform. Many people "conflated" DK1 and Truong Sa as one. Some people said that DK1 were "Vietsovpetro's oil and gas exploiters" so they were always "full of money". The DK1 platforms from 1994-2009 were called "Service Science and Technology Economic Station". The platform soldiers were called "staff" and were not allowed to call them "staff and soldiers" like now to "ensure military secrecy".

At that time, the life of the officers and soldiers on the oil rigs was very difficult. To have a traditional Tet in the middle of the stormy sea, 2 months before, which is the time it takes for a shift change ship, the oil rigs had to "telegraph" the mainland to buy sticky rice, vermicelli, and bamboo shoots. At that time, there was no separate ship carrying Tet greetings and gifts from the mainland to wish the oil rigs a happy new year like today.

A week before Tet, we received 2 kg of sticky rice and a package of dong leaves from ship HQ 636. To have a true New Year's Eve atmosphere, on the last afternoon of the year, 9 brothers sat together to wrap banh chung. Without fresh pork, we used canned meat braised with onions as the filling. To be fair and "for luck", 9 people wrapped 9 cakes and "competed to make the best cake". Lieutenant Nguyen Van Thanh, a professional military intelligence officer, was the quickest and most skillful person and was assigned to boil the cakes. The rest went to the balcony to fish in early spring. Whoever caught a big fish was considered "sea luck".

On the night of the 30th of Tet, the sea was pitch black. The northeast monsoon blew in, making the sea rough with strong winds and big waves. The DK1/14 rig shook with each wave.

Standing outside the railing of the fishing platform, the scent of Tet wafted from the fragrant banh chung. Occasionally, the secret service soldiers would shout, “The banh chung is ready, comrades, New Year’s Eve is coming.” There were young soldiers who were fishing and singing, “Tet, Tet, Tet, Tet, Tet, it’s here,” “I know this spring my mother is waiting for news from me, when she sees the apricot blossoms blooming on the fields,” “The platform in the clouds faces southwest, when the tide rises, it lies across the waves.” The emotional lyrics were “swallowed” by the sea breeze in the middle of the New Year’s Eve night. Some eyes filled with tears as they looked far out to sea, missing home so much that their hearts ached.

During the years 1994 - 2009, the 15 DK1 platforms did not have a satellite TV system for ships like today. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, we could not watch the President's New Year's greetings on TV. Our entire platform had a transistor radio that was slightly larger than a matchbox. To get a signal, the information soldier used a piece of wire to connect one end to the radio's antenna, and let the other end of the wire hang loose in the middle of the sea to "receive the signal".

Before the clock struck the next watch, we stood before the altar of the Fatherland, holding incense sticks in our hands and clasping them to our chests. Captain Nguyen Van Doan, Commander of the platform, said with emotion: “Tonight is the 30th of Tet. In this sacred moment, before the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh and the souls of the martyrs who heroically sacrificed, the officers and soldiers of the platform offered the altar of the Fatherland the Chung cakes of the marine soldiers.

We swear absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland and the people. We will not forget our duties during the New Year, determined to firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea, islands and sacred continental shelf of the Fatherland so that the people of the whole country can celebrate the New Year in peace and happiness." In that emotional moment, I caught a glimpse of Captain Doan's red eyes and the soldier's calm face.

At 2am, the generator was still roaring as if breaking up the waves that were crashing against the base of the platform. The wind blew through the cracks of the door, making a cold whistling sound. The spring mist on New Year's Eve covered the sea. We sat together on the floor, picking democracy flowers, reading poems, and eating banh chung that we had cooked ourselves. The reporter said, "This is the first time I've eaten banh chung with canned meat, how strange it is," and Lieutenant Thanh said, "In the middle of the ocean, 600 kilometers from the mainland, having banh chung to eat on New Year's Eve is truly a blessing."

The New Year's Eve passed very quickly, but could not hide the emotions of the officers and soldiers. Some went into their private rooms to look at the photos of their wives and children. Some soldiers took out photos of their parents and were deep in thought. Recalling the New Year's Eve in their hometown, with their parents, wives and children gathered together. Tears welled up in their eyes.

It has been 30 years. 30 years of many changes. The lives of the officers and soldiers of the DK1 platform are no longer as difficult and arduous as when it was first established. Every year when Tet comes, the 15 DK1 platforms still wrap banh chung to celebrate Tet according to traditional customs on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet. The only difference is that the filling of the banh chung, full of the love of marine soldiers, is not canned meat, but fresh pork in the middle of green beans.

This Tet Giap Thin 2024, 15/15 DK1 platforms will organize a green banh chung wrapping competition on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet. The salty banh chung cakes in the middle of the vast ocean not only affirm that the lives of officers and soldiers have changed a lot, but also demonstrate the soldiers' ability to overcome difficulties and master their lives in the most difficult places.

The green banh chung cakes are imbued with the love of the soldiers on the rig and imbued with the salty taste of the sea. And it will forever be a beautiful memory that will follow me throughout my life as a marine./.