Going to the frontline island, on this day…

(Baonghean) - On a beautiful October day, we had the pleasure of accompanying a delegation from the Nghe An Provincial Veterans Association on a visit to the officers and soldiers on Mat Island and Ngu Island. For many years, this visit, encouragement, and gift-giving has become a regular activity of the Association. Surprisingly, despite having visited these beloved islands many times before, everyone in the delegation felt a sacred sense of anticipation…

Delegates from the Provincial Veterans Association delegation spoke with officers and soldiers on Ngư Island.

Departing from Cua Hoi pier, the small boat traveled 27 km across the sea, and Mat Island appeared, its white waves crashing against the steep cliffs. It is said that during storms, waves tens of meters high would crash, sending white foam crashing onto the island's edge. As soon as the boat docked at Mat Island pier, the atmosphere became lively with laughter, handshakes, and tight embraces between "father soldiers" and "son soldiers," between mainlanders and islanders. Upon arriving on the island, the delegation from the Provincial Veterans Association offered incense at the memorial monument commemorating the fallen soldiers: During the war against the US, Mat Island fought 297 air raids, 64 battles with warships, destroyed 10 destroyers, 2 cruisers, and one commando ship, rescued 3,210 boats, and saved 172 people in distress. “During the war, Mat Island was a heroic unit, an impregnable steel fortress, a place where the enemy feared both in the sky and on the sea. Today, the officers and soldiers on the island continue to hold their weapons firmly, ready to fight, absolutely not allowing themselves to be caught off guard by any enemy situation, absolutely protecting the safety of the homeland's airspace and sea, and becoming a solid support for fishermen amidst the stormy seas, worthy of the mission entrusted by the Party and the people,” said Captain Nguyen Thanh Thuy, Battalion Commander of the Mat Island Combined Battalion.

Among the delegation visiting the island were many veterans who had fought on Mat Island. Colonel Nguyen Van Nam, Chairman of the Nghi Loc District Veterans Association, was one of them. At 19 years old, still in the middle of 10th grade, in late 1971, Mr. Nam enlisted in the army and became a reconnaissance soldier, stationed at the 218m high point. Leading us to the old battlefield, Colonel Nam said that he participated in all the battles in 1972 and distinguished himself by shooting down one plane with a 12.7mm machine gun, earning him the title of "Determined to Win Soldier" from the Military Region. And, the old colonel's voice choked up as he said that it was on this very high point that three of his comrades had bravely sacrificed their lives…

At midday on the hilltop, the sun blazed down. The soldiers on guard duty on Mat Island felt better than anyone the harshness of the frosty winter and the lack of fresh water in the summer. We scooped up a mouthful of fresh water that the soldiers drew from a cool crevice in the rocks. Mat Island stands firm in the sea, having endured countless wars and witnessed much suffering and loss, and countless heroic women and brave men fighting side by side. The history of our country's development is closely linked to the protection of our seas and islands. The sea is rich in resources, but our seas and islands are also salty with the sweat and blood of our ancestors. And it can be said that whenever the East Sea "rises," the role of Mat Island and Ngu Island in Nghe An becomes even more strategically significant for the entire northern coastal region of Central Vietnam.

In the afternoon, as the setting sun cast its golden hues upon the ecological green of Mat Island, which has been, and continues to be, steeped in the heroic spirit of generations of officers and soldiers who have guarded this frontier island, protecting the sea and sky of the Fatherland and our homeland, the delegation of the Provincial Veterans Association – the "father soldiers" – bid a fond farewell to the "son soldiers" of Mat Island before heading to the heroic Ngu Island. With the same warm feelings, they gathered to inquire about the mainland and the island, sharing stories of the wartime battles on Ngu Island. We met and chatted with Lieutenant Tran To Ut, an officer from the Vinh City Command who volunteered to go to the island during the days when China moved the Haiyang 981 oil rig into Vietnamese waters. For Ut, that action was simply a soldier's duty when the Fatherland needed him, but for us, it carried the faith and pride of the mainland watching over the soldiers on the island. Officers and soldiers on Ngư Island enthusiastically reported to the delegation from the Provincial Veterans Association on their training in combat readiness, rescue operations for fishermen, and responding to needs on the mainland…

When Major General Nguyen Phong Phu – Chairman of the Nghe An Veterans Association – presented gifts and shook hands with each officer and soldier on Ngu Island, we noticed his eyes filled with love for the island's soldiers. Colonel Ha Tan Tien – Commander of the Nghe An Provincial Military Command – shared: "Like Mat Island, Ngu Island is a forward base of significant importance in the province's coastal defense operations. Although far from the mainland, the officers and soldiers on the islands never lack the support of the home front. Every year, many delegations visit to encourage the soldiers on the islands. This year, in addition to the Veterans Association delegation, there were delegations from the Nghe An Newspaper, Vinh City, the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union... Each visit gives the island soldiers a new lease of life, strengthening their resolve and ensuring their readiness for combat, supplementary training, overcoming storms and floods, and maintaining peace for the sea and islands of their homeland."

Then the time came for the Provincial Veterans Association delegation to return to shore. Silver waves rose behind the speeding ship, bidding farewell to Ngư Island. The hazy blue sea reflected off a part of the mainland, deepening the quiet moments of the old soldiers as they shared the hardships and sacrifices ahead with their younger comrades…

Text and photos:Thanh Son