Truong Sa joyfully welcomes the new year…

(Baonghean) - Unlike the mainland, the soldiers and civilians on Truong Sa Island and the DK1 platform welcomed the New Year 2015 in their own unique way, warm and peaceful but not boisterous, joyful but without a moment's neglect of their duty to guard the nation's seas and islands. In the midst of that vast ocean, alongside cultural, artistic, and sports activities, the soldiers on Truong Sa Island always held their weapons firmly...

Patrolling the area around Nam Yet Island - Truong Sa Archipelago. Photo: MT

As promised…we arrived at Truong Sa in the final days of the year, filled with pride and emotion. The soldiers and civilians on all 21 islands and islets, the frontier outposts of our nation's territorial waters, were enthusiastically participating in a "Promoting traditions, contributing talents, living up to the name of Uncle Ho's soldiers - naval soldiers" emulation movement to celebrate the New Year 2015 and prepare to receive the first shipment of gifts for the Lunar New Year 2015 from the mainland to these remote islands. Da Lon Island was our first stop on this sea voyage.

Sergeant Tran Van Nam greeted us warmly and with a smile right at the edge of the island:

Hello everyone!

- Hello comrade. How are you?

- Yes, the soldiers on the island are always healthy, they just lack the warmth of the mainland. Are any of you seasick? Is there an entertainment troupe here?...

- Yes, absolutely. Going to the island without the performing arts troupe to sing for the comrades wouldn't be fulfilling our mission. How many years have you been here, comrade?

- Yes, more than a year.

- Do you miss home?

- I do remember, but there were also many joys on the island. The happiest was welcoming the delegation from the mainland... On submerged islands, there's always a greater lack of affection than on above-water islands, you know!

Transporting goods and Tet gifts to the DK1 offshore platforms. Photo: NS

After firm handshakes, inquiries about health, and acknowledging fellow countrymen, Soldier Nam led us on a tour around the island. While it was called a tour, it was more of a firsthand look at the living quarters of the soldiers stationed there. In the cramped space of the submerged island, the beds were neatly arranged; gun racks, shoes, and sandals were neatly stacked... Soldier Nam explained: "Because it's so small, we have to keep everything very tidy, both according to regulations and ensuring we're ready to move immediately, especially during alerts and when practicing defense plans to protect the island."

In the final days of the year, the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands experienced rough seas and strong winds reaching level 7. Throughout the day, the sea was shrouded in mist and fog, severely limiting visibility. Despite this, foreign vessels continued to operate regularly. Soldier Nam stated: “Taking advantage of the rough seas and foggy conditions, foreign vessels intensified their activities. To maintain a firm grasp of the situation at sea, the islands have upgraded their combat readiness, enhanced sea surface observation to detect targets from afar, and promptly address any situation to avoid surprises.”

Unlike submerged islands, where recreational activities are limited to table tennis, chess, and card games, on above-water islands, due to their larger size and the presence of sports fields, roads, trees, bulletin boards, and billboards, all activities take place just like on the mainland.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Vinh, Political Officer of Truong Sa Lon Island, said: “To welcome the New Year 2015 and the Year of the Goat, in addition to recreational activities such as table tennis and chess competitions on the submerged islands; friendly volleyball, football, and tug-of-war matches on the above-water islands, all 21 islands and islets published wall newspapers celebrating the Party and the New Year. This is considered a sea and island festival to welcome the Year of the Goat and the 85th anniversary of the Party. In the last days of the year, with high waves and strong winds, and many foreign ships operating, we encouraged the soldiers to strengthen observation of targets at sea. With the motto: Enjoy the New Year, hold your weapons firmly, maintain unwavering faith, and never forget your duty.”

Vegetables on Truong Sa Dong Island. Photo: NK

Amidst the joy of welcoming the new year, soldier Le Van Truyen on Son Ca Island couldn't help but feel emotional. Sitting under a banyan tree, calling his mother in Ninh Binh, soldier Truyen recounted the days he spent crawling and rolling on the sand with his comrades, the constant longing for his family, and the boundless pride of standing guard in the howling wind and freezing mist, protecting the sea of ​​his homeland. “I arrived on the island at the beginning of March. This spring I'm celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) on the island. It's my first time celebrating Tet away from home, but my longing for the mainland is gradually fading because I call home every weekend to check on my mother and relatives. Who says soldiers in Truong Sa don't have a hard life? But it's something to be proud of! I find the training days incredibly meaningful. I've matured a lot since coming to the island,” soldier Truyen shared.

In harmony with the New Year celebrations in Truong Sa, the 15 DK1 offshore platforms also shared the same sentiments as the soldiers stationed far from home. Although they share the same "mission of guarding the islands and protecting the sea," celebrating the New Year on the platforms is different: "Because the platforms are built on coral reefs in the middle of the sea, without land and in cramped conditions, farming and improving living conditions such as raising pigs or growing vegetables are very limited. Fresh food mainly comes from fish caught from the sea. However, we still prepared a thoughtful New Year's Eve meal for the soldiers, mainly seafood. This year, we published a wall newspaper titled 'Celebrating the Party, celebrating the Spring, and achieving victory in the campaign.' This is a place for the soldiers to showcase their poetic talents and express their feelings," said Major Le Xuan Nam, commander of the DK1/7 offshore platform.

- What measures have you prepared to protect the offshore platform during the upcoming New Year and Spring holidays?

- "Enjoying the New Year without forgetting our duties," that's our unwavering motto. During holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year), the number of foreign vessels operating increases. The upgraded offshore platform is ready for combat, strictly adhering to duty rosters, maintaining vigilance to detect any unusual targets, and effectively handling all activities at sea. Search and rescue operations for fishermen are also being carried out.

At 25 years old, with 21 years serving on offshore platforms, this Lunar New Year of the Goat marks the 20th anniversary of Major Nam celebrating Tet at sea – a remarkable achievement for the commander of the offshore platform from Thanh Hoa province. “Celebrating Tet at sea makes me miss my wife and children, but it's also full of pride. Standing guard at sea during the Tet holidays, I truly feel the sacred mission of a soldier. My wife and two children in Vung Tau understand my duty, so celebrating Tet at sea feels as close as being on land.”

At the Phuc Nguyen platform, the atmosphere for welcoming the 2015 New Year was quite lively. “We’ve published a wall newspaper ‘Greetings to the New Year,’ organized a competition in unarmed drill and table tennis. The platform is finalizing preparations for the Party branch congress before the Lunar New Year. We are looking forward to the first ship carrying New Year's gifts from the mainland,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Minh Khoa, Political Officer of the DK1/15 platform.

Spring is arriving on every wave of Truong Sa and DK1 - where soldiers, clad in the blue of the sea, stand firm day and night, guarding the sea and islands so that the mainland can live in peace, and so that the heartbeat of the ocean harmonizes with that of Mother Earth.

Mai Thang