Eternal glory to the keepers of the sea

Gac Ma Soldier Monument at Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Area, Cam Hai Dong Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province.

Our forces at that time were naval officers and soldiers of transport ships and island construction engineers, with only hoes, shovels, crowbars and infantry guns in their hands, but they were resourceful, creative, brave, proactive, restrained to the maximum extent, strictly implemented countermeasures, calmly and cleverly handled situations to maintain the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. However, the enemy brazenly, regardless of justice and reason, suddenly launched a military attack, sank and burned three transport ships, occupied a number of our reefs and islands, and 64 officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy heroically sacrificed themselves, remaining in the middle of the ocean to protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Those who directly participated in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland at that time, some stayed to continue to contribute to building the army, the Navy later, some returned to civilian life to build their homeland and country. One thing we feel in common every time we meet veterans who were once marine soldiers at that time is the pride and honor in the noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers - Navy soldiers" who are not afraid of sacrifice, hardship, and sacrifice their blood and bones to protect every inch of land and sea of ​​the Fatherland.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offers flowers to commemorate martyrs who died in the Gac Ma battle. Photo: Chinhphu.vn

At 4:00 p.m. on March 13, 1988, ships HQ 604 and HQ 505 maneuvered to the designated positions at the two reefs of Co Lin and Gac Ma, and dropped anchor safely. Early in the morning of March 14, officers and soldiers of the 83rd Engineer Regiment (now the 83rd Engineer Brigade) on ship HQ 604 deployed to move supplies to Gac Ma reef to build structures to protect the island. Immediately, three Chinese warships approached, turned their guns on ship HQ 604 to threaten and used loudspeakers to demand that our officers and soldiers leave the Gac Ma area.

At 6:00 a.m. on March 14, the enemy ship sent three aluminum boats carrying 40 soldiers with weapons and equipment to land on Gac Ma reef where our forces were. Lieutenant Tran Van Phuong, Deputy Commander of Gac Ma island, of Brigade 146, Naval Region 4, commanded soldiers and construction engineers to resolutely fight to protect the flag, protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland and heroically sacrificed. Engineer soldier Nguyen Van Lanh immediately rushed in to hold the flag, surrounded his comrades to protect it, determined to protect the island to the end. Stabbed in the shoulder by a bayonet, comrade Lanh fell down but still held tightly onto the flagpole with both hands to keep the national flag flying.

Unable to threaten our troops to withdraw from the reef, the enemy fired artillery directly at ship HQ 604 and our troops who were on duty to build and protect the island. Ship HQ 604 was severely damaged and could not weigh anchor and push the reef; a number of our officers and soldiers were killed and wounded. Despite the artillery shells fired at the ship, Captain Vu Phi Tru calmly commanded and encouraged everyone on board to fight in self-defense while rescuing the wounded and repairing the ship. Ship HQ 604 caught fire and sank into the sea. Captain Vu Phi Tru and many officers and soldiers on board heroically sacrificed their lives.

At Co Lin Reef, ship HQ 505 commanded by Captain Major Vu Huy Le and Deputy Political Captain Senior Lieutenant Vo Ta Du brought soldiers to plant two national flags on the reef. After discovering that ship HQ 604 and our forces at Gac Ma were being shelled, Major Le ordered the ship to weigh anchor. Two enemy warships fired shells at ship HQ 505, immediately Major Le ordered the marine soldiers to point their bows at Co Lin Reef and open full speed to rush to the reef. Ship HQ 505 has become a solid landmark affirming the sovereignty of the Fatherland on Co Lin Reef.

"We want future generations to never forget March 14, 1988, never forget those who fell for their homeland, never forget Gac Ma, a part of the flesh and blood of the Fatherland" - Veteran Colonel Vu Huy Le, affirmed.

Veteran Colonel Tong Xuan Quan, former Political Commissar of Brigade 162, Naval Region 4; in 1988, he directly fought on Len Dao Island. At that time, Lieutenant Tong Xuan Quan was the Youth Assistant of Squadron 1, Brigade 125, and was assigned by his superiors to ship HQ 605 as Deputy Political Captain. He and his teammates received the mission before Tet Nguyen Dan (Mau Thin 1988) to Cam Ranh, then moved to the Truong Sa sea area. Ship HQ 605 was captained by Captain Nguyen Lenh Son.

Veteran Colonel Tong Xuan Quan recalled: That day, after completing its mission at Da Dong Island, the ship HQ 605 was ordered by its superiors to move to Len Dao Island to take up the task of guarding it. Early in the morning of March 14, the ship commander ordered the crew to lower the boat to plant two national flags on Len Dao Island. Then, at more than 8 a.m. the same day, an enemy missile escort ship from the direction of Gac Ma Island came and fired artillery directly at the cabin of the ship HQ 605 and many bullets into the side of the ship. When the ship HQ 605 caught fire, the officers and soldiers on board put out the fire but could not save them. The captain ordered the crew to leave the ship and swim to the island to bandage the wounded and protect Len Dao Island, then continued to transport the wounded to Sinh Ton Island.

The battle in the early morning of March 14, 1988 of the officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy - the marine soldiers in the Gac Ma, Co Lin, Len Dao archipelago went down in national history as an indelible mark in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. Among them, 64 officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy heroically sacrificed their lives to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland, shining examples of revolutionary heroism, adding to the glorious tradition of the Vietnamese people.

The image of Heroic Martyr Lieutenant Tran Van Phuong, Deputy Commander of Gac Ma Island, before his death, bravely wrapped the national flag around his body and encouraged his comrades, "Do not retreat, let your blood color the national flag and the glorious tradition of the Army Corps" has inspired today's youth to continue protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

Lieutenant Colonel Vu Anh Tuan, Assistant to the Personnel Department, Navy Political Department, son of Hero Vu Huy Le; Captain Nguyen Tien Xuan, Assistant to the Operations Department, Staff Department, Brigade 955, son of martyr Nguyen Mau Phong, Commander of Gac Ma island; Senior Lieutenant Tran Thi Thuy, professional soldier, security clerk, Brigade 146, daughter of martyr Tran Van Phuong... are shining examples of revolutionary heroism, "The previous generation of fathers, the next generation of children/have become comrades in the same march".

People visit Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Area.

Following the example of previous generations, officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy - today's marine soldiers, whether on the mainland or on remote islands, on each patrol ship, radio station, and high mountain station, have been promoting the tradition of the heroic Vietnam People's Navy, striving to compete in good training, high combat readiness, closely coordinating with functional forces in performing tasks, always holding their guns firmly, not being passive or surprised, ready to receive and successfully complete the task of protecting the sovereignty of the sea, islands, and sacred continental shelf of the Fatherland.

Hoang Sa and Truong Sa have always been an inseparable sacred part of the Vietnamese Fatherland. Each coral reef, each grain of sand, each branch and blade of grass here bears the image of the sacred soul of the mountains and rivers, soaked in the sweat and blood of generations of Vietnamese people.

In recent years, every time our ships visit the islands in the Truong Sa archipelago, passing through the above mentioned sea area, they hold a memorial service for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Truong Sa archipelago. Having the opportunity to attend the memorial service, I, as well as the members of the working delegation, felt the vast sea warming up, as if the souls of our heroes had returned...

The Fatherland at the forefront always has you. The army and people of the whole country always look towards Truong Sa, join hands and contribute to make Truong Sa today always strong in defense, good in lifestyle, beautiful in landscape and environment, exemplary in military-civilian solidarity.