Mourning the fallen soldier of the oil rig

(Baonghean.vn) - It is not only during wartime that there are losses and sacrifices, but even in times of peace when the guns are silent, there are still soldiers of the DK1 platform who fall into the mother sea. Professional First Lieutenant, Radar operator Duong Van Bac sacrificed his life at the DK1/11 platform (Tu Chinh 3) while on duty checking and reinforcing the platform's equipment when he was just 40 years old. Bac's sacrifice once again shines a light on the indomitable will to stick to the sea, the sense of responsibility and the love for the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

DK1/11 rig is small in the face of vast waves and wind,

Professional Lieutenant Duong Van Bac (right) before going to DK1/11 platform - November 2013,

Tears fell the day I welcomed you home

At 6:00 a.m. on October 9, the naval port of Squadron 812, Naval Region 2 was filled with grief. A large number of officers and soldiers of Battalion DK1, Squadron 812, and Radar Regiment 251 quietly waited on the wharf for ship KN-812 to bring the body of Senior Lieutenant Duong Van Bac back from the DK1/11 platform.

The body of a Northern soldier covered with the national flag, in the arms of his comrades

We lined up on the wharf, looking out to the sea, where the KN-812 ship carrying the body of our comrade was slowly approaching. Our hearts were filled with grief and sorrow for our young comrade, unable to speak. Unable to hide his emotion at the sacrifice of his younger brother and comrade, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen The Dinh shared with red eyes: “Comrade Bac was an exemplary and excellent party member of the unit. He was enthusiastic, energetic in all his work, and always trusted by his comrades. In every position, he always completed his tasks excellently. For many years, he was an emulation soldier of the unit.” Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Toan, Political Commissar of Radar Regiment 251, former political commissar of Battalion DK1, emotionally said: “Bac is very emotional, his comrades always consider him as family. Although his family is in difficult circumstances, his father died early, his mother is old in the countryside, and his two children are still young, comrade Bac always tries to complete his tasks. If the unit does not assign him a task, then that's it, but if he is assigned a task, no matter how difficult it is, he will complete it.”

The KN-812 ship blew its whistle, dropped anchor, and we approached the edge of the wharf. Here was Bac's body. On the mantle, the white military uniform, shoulder boards, and proud military rank were still intact. Bac's wife, Vuong Thi Tram, cried bitterly: "Brother Bac, I'm here. My mother and I are waiting for you to come home", then fainted. The eldest son, a third grader, cried: "Dad Bac, where are you? Last week you talked to me on the phone, you promised you would come back, Dad". In the arms of his uncle, the two-year-old child also felt the pain of losing his father. He cried out, "Dad Bac, come back to me".

The body of the Northern soldier was taken to his family for the funeral on a refrigerated truck.

In the pain of losing her own relative, her sister Duong Thi Hoa cried: “Bac is the 9th child in a family of 10 siblings. When he first joined the army, Bac wrote to me and asked: “What does it mean to live beautifully, sister?” I said, living beautifully means living with ideals and dreams. Bac also said, “living beautifully means not being indifferent to life.” When he went to study at Radar Intermediate School in Cat Lai (HCMC), he wrote to me: “I have realized my ideal of life. That is the ideal of living beautifully for the Fatherland. I am a soldier, living beautifully means holding a gun firmly to protect the homeland, right sister?” Now you can no longer let me call your name, Bac,” Ms. Hoa choked.

Captain Bac's wife, Vuong Thi Ha, fainted when she saw her husband's body.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Minh, Vice Principal of Phuoc Thang Primary School, said: “Last November, before going to the oil rig, he and his wife came to my house to visit. He even joked, “Please let me leave my wife on the mainland. I will come back next year. But…” Ms. Minh was speechless.

Sacrifice is not only in wartime

Lieutenant Bac (far left) at the Party cell congress at Phuc Nguyen 2 platform

At 3:30 p.m. on October 7, 2014, professional First Lieutenant Duong Van Bac and soldier Dao Van Diep were on duty to check the obstacle system under the docking platform. Due to big waves and strong winds, Bac slipped and fell into the sea and was drowned. Immediately after that, the DK1/11 platform alerted for rescue and mobilized search forces. Afterwards, Bac's body was pulled up to the docking platform, given first aid by a doctor on the spot, and then transferred to the accommodation. During this time, the platform's doctor coordinated with the military doctors of Region 2 and the doctors of Military Hospital 175 on the mainland to actively provide first aid. Despite the dedicated treatment of his teammates, he did not survive. At 8:00 p.m. the same day, First Lieutenant Duong Van Bac died.

Two children (blue shirt and red shirt) welcomed their father's body on the pier.

The iron chest has accompanied Northern soldiers for more than 15 years at DK1 platform.

Lieutenant Bac is from Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district, Nghe An province. He enlisted in the army in February 1995. After studying at the Naval Technical College (Cat Lai, Ho Chi Minh City), Bac was assigned to work at DK1 and has more than 15 years of service at different platforms. On November 12, 2013, Bac went to DK1/11 platform to perform his duty and has not returned to the mainland to visit his wife and children.

Currently, Lieutenant Bac has a wife named Vuong Thi Tram, who works as a clerk at Phuoc Thang Primary School in Vung Tau City (BR-VT). They have two young sons, the older one is in third grade and the younger one is only 2 years old. The family is facing many difficulties.

Lieutenant Bac's altar at his private home

In response to the sacrifice of Lieutenant Duong Van Bac, units of the Navy Region 2 organized donations to help his family. The Board of Directors of Phuoc Thang Primary School sent a group of teachers to be on duty and encourage the family. The memorial service for Lieutenant Duong Van Bac was held at his private home in Ward 12, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

Since its establishment, the Economic-Science-Service Cluster (DK1) has had 8 officers and soldiers sacrificed, of which 2 bodies were found, and the bodies of 6 officers and soldiers remained at sea.

Mai Thang

(1086 30/4 Street, Ward 11, Vung Tau)