The arduous journey to Truong Sa

"Riding the waves" out to sea

Working at the control station. Photo: Tien Dong

According to the schedule, the two ships 490 and 561 carried a working group of nearly 100 reporters and many officers and soldiers to wish the army and people a Happy New Year at 21 islands, island points and 33 military bases of the Vietnam People's Army in the Truong Sa archipelago. Reporters of Nghe An Newspaper were arranged to go on ship 490 to visit the northern islands, including Song Tu Tay, Da Nam, Len Dao, Co Lin, and Sinh Ton.

At Cam Ranh military port, after the Navy Region 4 Command finished organizing the farewell ceremony for the working group to Truong Sa, at exactly 4:30 p.m., the ships simultaneously sounded three farewell whistles and weighed anchor to leave the port. All members of the working group lined up neatly on the deck of the ship, waving goodbye to the mainland. Everyone was moved to tears.

At this time, while the ship was still in the bay, the reporters gathered on the deck, quickly writing news, articles and photos to send to the editorial office. When the ship was far from the mainland, the waves began to hit hard. Waves from 5m high crashed against both sides of the ship, causing the ship to shake violently. Night gradually fell, all around us was pitch black, only the sound of the engine, the sound of waves and the wind whistling through the cracks in the door. The ship was still riding the waves straight towards Truong Sa.

Soldiers on board monitor the voyage. Photo: Quang An

The brothers and sisters who were going out to sea for the first time seemed to have felt the harshness of the sea waves. The sudden arrival of the Northeast monsoon caused seasickness to come faster than many people thought. At the first dinner on the ship, the group of reporters from news agencies and newspapers had 50 people but more than half were missing, especially the female reporters. Seasickness made them unable to get out of bed. Some people only dared to sustain themselves with a little white porridge or dry food they brought with them. The first night at sea was truly an unforgettable experience for many people.

Survival Island in the Spratly Islands. Photo: Tien Dong

On the second day, when the seasickness had subsided, the group of reporters began to “explore” the ship and get to know the officers and soldiers. The funny stories and friendly sharing made the journey seem shorter. On board were hundreds of officers and soldiers who were on duty at Truong Sa. There were soldiers who were only eighteen or twenty years old, going to a remote island for the first time. There were also officers and soldiers who had been to the island many times, and this time they continued to brave the waves to reinforce Truong Sa. Whether it was their first time or many times, what they had in common was a strong love for the sea and islands of their homeland. They were eager to go to Truong Sa to share the difficulties with their comrades and people who were staying on the island day and night.

Meeting the Nghe people

From the reporter's lounge, we were at the ship's command deck. From here, looking far away, we could only see the vast ocean all around. Only by monitoring the screens and radar waves could we know where the ship was in the East Sea. It was even more honorable for us to talk to the Captain - Captain Tran Van Nhat, from Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu district, who has 15 years of military service, not to mention the time he was trained at the Naval Academy. This is the 4th ship he has had the honor of accompanying. In addition to the time he spent on duty at sea, as Captain, he must often be attached to the ship. He must regularly lead and direct the unit to carry out the work of preserving machinery, hull, organizing training, and preserving technical equipment.

Sharing about his missions on Truong Sa archipelago, Captain Tran Van Nhat said that for long voyages, there will usually be amaritime shift and engine operation shift. In addition to ensuring professional tasks, the ship often participates in search and rescue missions during the rainy and stormy season. Sometimes, when hearing news of fishermen in distress, from their duty positions, the crew immediately braved the waves to arrive on time.

Captain Nhat recounted that the last time the ship participated in a rescue was in 2020, when a fishing boat of Quang Ngai fishermen sank near Da Nam Island. After receiving the signal, the ship took about 6 hours to reach the location of the fishermen in distress. After that, it was able to rescue 6 fishermen and bring them safely onto the ship.

“When fishing boats are in trouble, they usually send out a distress signal. After receiving the distress signal, the shore station will immediately notify nearby rescue forces so that they can come to the rescue in time. However, because the distress signal can only be sent for a short time, right before the boat sinks, the rescue forces must follow the wind and currents to get to the location where the last signal was sent as quickly as possible. In the process of reaching the rescue location, a plan must be made on the nautical chart and the area to be searched. The ships will divide the area and combine with radar to approach the rescue location. Because if it is delayed, fishermen will be in great danger,” Captain Tran Van Nhat shared.

On this journey, we also met and contacted many officers and soldiers from Nghe An who went to Truong Sa to work. Captain Nguyen Ngoc Duong, from Nghi Phong commune, Nghi Loc district, worked at Brigade 146. After 25 years in the army, he had worked for 5 years on Truong Sa and Phan Vinh islands. This time he continued to reinforce Sinh Ton Dong island. Because he was so familiar with the waves of Truong Sa, before every meal, he went down to the kitchen to help the soldiers cook. Mr. Duong said, sitting on the ship was difficult, cooking on the ship was even more difficult. Many times, the food was already prepared on the table, just one wave that tilted the ship and all the efforts of the brothers went "down the river, down the sea". To cook a meal for everyone, many times the brothers had to hold on to the railing with one hand, andcarrying pots and pans. Despite the difficulties, we are always happy and united to complete the assigned tasks.

Although he has been to the island many times, including 33 island locations, every time Captain Nguyen Ngoc Duong comes to Truong Sa, he is filled with indescribable emotions. For him, dedicating his youth to Truong Sa, to the sacred archipelago of the Fatherland, is an honor and pride that he will certainly never forget.

After 1 day and 2 nights at sea, ship 490 brought our working group to Song Tu Tay island. However, due to the big waves reaching level 8 and level 9, approaching the island was very difficult. The head of the working group announced over the loudspeaker that reaching the island might have to wait 1 to 2 days after the sea calmed down. Upon receiving the news, everyone was sad. They could only encourage each other with the song "Not far away, Truong Sa/Not far away, Truong Sa/Still close to me because Truong Sa is always with you...".

Tien Dong - Quang An