The home front of a naval soldier.

(Baonghean) - They are fathers, mothers, and wives who day and night look towards the distant islands, hoping their husbands and sons will hold their weapons firmly, protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They are always a solid support for the naval soldiers, allowing them to confidently fulfill their duties in the face of harsh conditions at sea…

After much searching, we finally found the home of Lieutenant Nguyen Xuan Tuyen, a member of the Coast Guard Region 2, in Thai Binh hamlet, Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc district). A beautiful woman greeted us with a gentle smile. Knowing we were journalists wanting to hear about the feelings of the home front of the naval soldiers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen choked up: “We dated for six or seven years before getting married. Now our son is two years old. From the time we fell in love until we got married and had our child, we haven't been able to spend much time together. My husband wasn't there during childbirth, but I always encouraged him to rest assured and serve the country, assuring him that his parents were there to support him. That made my son and I happy. Recently, the situation in the East Sea was tense, and when he managed to call home, I still had to reassure him, ‘Our child is very good,’ to put his mind at ease.”

They've been married for almost three years, but they've been separated for so long, their love encapsulated in tear-stained letters. "Last month when he came home, I still saw those crumpled letters, carefully kept by him," said Ms. Huyen. Their adorable son, Hai Dang, was named Hai Dang, with the hope that he would be like a bright light in the vast ocean. He's only met his father twice, but he's already imprinted his image and love in his memory. "Just recently, when one of his father's comrades came to visit, he thought his father had come home and ran to hug him, calling his name. When he realized it wasn't his father, he shyly smiled," Ms. Huyen recounted.

Wife and children of Lieutenant Nguyen Xuan Tuyen - Coast Guard Region 2. Photo: TN

When China illegally deployed the Haiyang-981 oil rig on the continental shelf, within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, and continuously engaged in aggressive actions against Vietnam's maritime law enforcement forces, Lieutenant Nguyen Xuan Tuyen and his comrades on board the CSB 2012 coast guard vessel were tasked with approaching the rig, both persistently persuading China not to provoke aggression and protecting Vietnamese fishing boats operating far offshore. Upon learning that the CSB 2012 had been rammed and damaged on the left side by a Chinese coast guard vessel, the whole family was very worried watching the news on television. However, when they received information that the coast guard officers on board were safe, Ms. Huyen and her parents breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, when he called home, before he could reassure his wife, Ms. Huyen encouraged him: "Just focus on your work; this is when the country needs you…"

Not far from the home of Lieutenant Nguyen Xuan Tuyen is the residence of Lieutenant Nguyen Trung Thanh, a Coast Guard officer from Region 2. Their house was recently built, spacious and sturdy, thanks to the help of close friends and family. Since Lieutenant Thanh's ship, CSB 4033, was rammed by a Chinese vessel while on duty, damaging its right side, engine, and other equipment requiring repairs, he was allowed to go ashore and call home only once. For over a month now, his family has received no news from him. His wife, Phan Thi Tuyet, works at the local health station and is busy all day, but since the incident at sea, she has been constantly following the news and informing her parents-in-law. Although very worried, she remains steadfast in her belief and encourages them, saying, "The situation is still stable. Parents, please trust in the resourcefulness, calmness, and courage of your husband and his comrades!" Before being stationed in the waters off Da Nang, Lieutenant Thanh spent seven years on Phu Quoc Island. During that time, Tuyet managed to take care of the children, manage the household, and look after her husband's parents so that her husband could focus on his work.

When we visited, only Thành's mother and two children (one four, the other just two) were home. Pointing to the certificates of merit—"Outstanding Young Face of the Youth Union of the Coast Guard Region 2," "Advanced Soldier"—framed and proudly displayed in the living room, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loan, Thành's mother, said: "He's fulfilling the duties entrusted to him by the Fatherland and the people, so I always encourage his wife: 'As the mother and wife of a soldier, you have to know how to sacrifice, my dear.'" When asked if he missed his father, his son, Nguyen Xuan Khanh Huy, innocently replied: "I want to become a superhero to go to sea and help Dad chase away the Chinese ships."

Leaving Nghi Thai – a region with many volunteer soldiers serving on remote islands – we visited the home of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, currently serving in the Truong Sa Dong archipelago. His small, peaceful house in Hamlet 5, Phuc Tho commune (Nghi Loc district), nestled behind a green bamboo grove, was filled with the laughter and chatter of neighbors. For more than 10 days, since the news and media simultaneously reported on the tense situation in the East Sea, neighbors have taken turns bringing pots of black bean sweet soup and boiled peanuts to Mr. Hung's house, both to get the information and to encourage his family. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Ai, a former Navy soldier under the Hai Phong Command, with the calm demeanor of someone who has experienced battle, shared: “Let us remain steadfast and trust in the dialogue and negotiation policies of the Party, the Government, and the Vietnamese maritime law enforcement forces!” As for Hung's wife, Hoang Kim Lien, despite having given birth only a few months ago, she remained very calm because she had prepared herself for and been ready to accept any situation since becoming the wife of a naval officer.

Also in the heroic Nghi Loc region, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with the family of Comrade Vo Van Kinh – Deputy Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region 2. His wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai, is a teacher at Nghi Tan Secondary School (Cua Lo Town). For the past few days, she and her two sons have been constantly watching the television to follow the developments in the East Sea. Knowing that her husband is on duty in the area where complex developments are occurring, although she feels a little nervous and worried, she remains strong to encourage her two sons (in grades 10 and 5): “Dad will be back in a few days. The officers in his unit say he’s still healthy and is actively working on propaganda and dialogue to get China to withdraw.”

As a commander, Comrade Kính's unit could only communicate with the mainland via the Vinasat communication line. Therefore, only the unit on land stationed in Da Nang received news from the comrades stationed in the waters where China had illegally placed its oil rig. Whenever he managed to send a message back to the mainland, he never forgot to tell his comrades: "Please tell my wife and children that I'm still healthy, and everything out at sea is under control!"

In conversation with us, Ms. Hai expressed her belief that "the Party, the Government, as well as the fisheries inspection force and the coast guard will certainly find appropriate solutions to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty." Her eyes were filled with confidence as she looked towards the sea, where her husband and his comrades were standing firm, day and night protecting the beloved sea and islands of the Fatherland.

For the "home front" of naval soldiers, expressing patriotism at this time means diligently managing household affairs, becoming a strong "support system," and providing strength so that their husbands can confidently stay at sea and fulfill their duty to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity. As we bid them farewell, we are reminded of the heartfelt poem a naval soldier sent to his beloved wife back home: "My dear wife, do you hear the sea? / Sometimes roaring, sometimes murmuring tenderly / These days, in every Vietnamese person / The sea surges, the sea churns / Rest assured, my wife!... I remain steadfast on the distant islands..."

Thanh Nga - Khanh Ly