Warmth on the first day of spring

• January 21, 2010 10:05

(Baonghean)After nearly two hours battling the waves, we finally caught sight of the green color of the Heroic Eye Island amidst the vast ocean. The ship docked, and the soldiers, lined up neatly, greeted us with bright eyes.

Eye Island, with its deep green vegetation, stands resilient amidst the sea. Photo: Nam Xuan

Every ship that arrives is greeted in the same way by the soldiers on the island, with warm handshakes and embraces.

With an altitude of 218 meters above sea level and an area of nearly 3 square kilometers, Mat Island stands resilient in the open sea, like the strength of the island soldiers guarding the sea and sky of their homeland.

Lighting incense to commemorate the souls of martyrs on Mat Island. Photo: NX

On Mat Island, on August 17, 1965, soldier Ho Sy Chau, despite being wounded, used his body as a gun mount to shoot down an enemy AD6 aircraft with his crew; on March 31, 1965, comrade Ho Kim Giao sacrificed his life still in a ready-to-fight position after he and his comrades destroyed an F.105 aircraft...

During the brutal years of the war against the Americans, facing a shortage of fresh water, the soldiers on Mat Island shaved their heads to conserve water.

With the initiative of building a stepped stone embankment, the soldiers have been able to produce 100% of their daily vegetables themselves and assist fishermen in their fishing trips. Photo: NX

Round stones are piled up to collect rainwater for household use.
and watering the vegetables. Photo: NX

Today, sturdy and majestic houses have been built on the island, and the steep, multi-tiered road leading to the summit and encircling the island has been paved with concrete. Soldiers from the Island Mat Combined Battalion (Nghe An Provincial Military Command) are steadfastly guarding the sea and sky day and night.

Nam Xuan