Eyes of the homeland

(Baonghean) -I went to Mat Island on a small wooden boat when the last calendar page of 2012 was about to end. The sea surface was a deep black. The sea was level 4 rough, the wooden boat slowly and patiently overcame each wave...

The story goes that, during the Hai Ba Trung uprising, there was a couple who were both generals under the two ladies. Her name was To Nuong, from Ha Tay silk village. When the enemy suppressed the uprising movement, the couple lost each other. She sailed to find her husband who was wandering in Ham Hoa (Dien Chau today) and the boat was swept by a storm to this small island. During the last days of her life on the island, when her strength was exhausted, To Nuong still looked back to the mainland, praying for her husband to live in peace. Admiring his loyal heart, the people named this small island in the sea of ​​Nghe An as Mat Island. As the years passed, Mat Island today has become the eyes guarding the peace of Nghe An.

The sound of the ship's engine softened and slowed down. Two islands appeared ahead, resembling the eyes of a young woman. The ship's captain shouted down: "We've arrived at the islands, prepare to dock." We were all alert and excited. On the pier, the officers and soldiers of Eye Island, in their neat uniforms, stood in a row in the rain to welcome the ship.

The cement steps go through the shoulders of giant rocks, the smallest of which can weigh hundreds of tons. I don’t know how the soldiers cleared the path to create this small path. There is a very strange, huge tree that grows over the big rocks, with roots hanging down. Suddenly there was a “khếc, khếc” sound from the tree, we looked up and saw some mischievous monkeys chasing each other through the roots.

The battalion command house is hidden under the trees, nestled against the cliff. I smell the scent of incense wafting in the wind. Following the scent of incense, my footsteps take me to the National Monument honoring the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the island. Leaning against the cliff, the majestic monument overlooks the white-capped waves that crash day and night at the foot of the island. I am silent before the white frangipani flowers, picked by the soldiers and placed on the altar. Here, the names and dates of those who heroically sacrificed their lives in the war against America are preserved as a testament, reminding future generations that: These islands, these meters of water on the sea surface all have the blood and bones of our fathers.

Following the winding path to the highest peak, rocks as big as houses stood precariously on the edge of the road, ready to fall down at any moment. It was cold, and in the watchtowers halfway up the mountain, the island soldiers still stood solemnly on guard, their eyes focused on the sea. At this place, there was a solidly built observation tower. The misty rain made me see nothing but a dark color on the sea. The wind was still howling, bringing a cold chill to my face. Major Lam - the island chief - led me to the stele that commemorated the event of August 17, 1968, when an enemy rocket hit the combat battery. Scattered around were deep marks on the rocks caused by bombs and bullets from years ago.

Mat Island is located about 18 nautical miles offshore. This is an important outpost, like an awake eye in the middle of the ocean. Mat Island is mainly large rocks, spread evenly across the island. The conditions for farming on the island are extremely difficult. The rock niches and rare spaces are utilized by soldiers, creating terraced vegetable plots, interspersed between the rocks.



Patrolling on Eye Island. Photo: Dinh Sam

For this reason, fresh water on the island is very scarce, mainly relying on rainwater. All rainwater on the island is carefully collected, utilized and flows through pipes into large underground tanks, stored for use during the dry season. In the living rooms and bathrooms, we see the words "Fresh water is a rare resource on the island".

In the afternoon, the rain had eased and the sea was no longer as rough as in the morning. We were chatting with the island's commanding officers when suddenly a fisherman and his son, carrying a batfish, entered the battalion commander's house. It was known that they were from Dien Chau district and had been saved by the soldiers of Mat island when their boat had a breakdown and capsized in 2010. Since then, every time Tet approached, the father and son would come to the island to find the soldiers with gifts from the sea that they had caught, in lieu of words of thanks to their benefactors. I learned that in addition to training and combat readiness, the Mat island mixed battalion also undertakes search and rescue work.

At night, I followed comrade Moong Van Bun to inspect the green vegetable beds on the island. Bun is a Khmu ethnic group, having just joined the army for a year, with the rank of private. Moong Van Bun also added that there are currently 7 comrades who are children of ethnic minorities in Western Nghe An such as Khmu, Thai, Tho who are on duty on Mat island. I asked Bun: "Tet is almost here, do you miss home?" With a gentle smile, Bun said: "At first, I missed home. In August, my unit gave me seven days off, but after only three days home, I returned to the unit because I missed the island so much."

As night fell, the wind began to pick up. The wind on the island was usually stronger than on the mainland. On the road around the island, soldiers were still regularly changing their patrols. Not far from the island, out at sea, were the lights of cargo ships anchored, nestled against Mat Island to avoid the wind.



Flag Raising Ceremony on Eye Island

On the morning of January 1, 2013, when the sky was already bright. All the officers and soldiers of Mat Island lined up neatly in the yard to welcome the new year. In front, the national flag fluttered in the sea breeze. Behind, the waves crashed against the cliffs, creating white foam. The eyes of the soldiers of Mat Island solemnly looked up at the national flag. I felt from those eyes, filled with steadfast oaths and determination. The Vietnamese national anthem was played majestically and proudly in the middle of the ocean.

I was speechless, because this was the first time I heard the Vietnamese National Anthem on my homeland island in the middle of the vast ocean. The same melody, the same lyrics, the love for my homeland and country mixed with pride suddenly welled up in my chest…

The Son