 |
| A colleague (far right) during a mission at the DK1 platform |
Unforgettable moments in the field
Having had the honor of joining many missions with Naval Regions 3, 4, and 5 to do my work from such islands as Con Co, Ly Son, the southwestern island chain, and the Spratly Islands (Truong Sa), I still couldn’t sleep for several nights when I received the "orders" to go to the DK1 platform (under the management of Naval Region 2). My dream of reaching those sovereign markers on the southern continental shelf - at the farthest reaches of the homeland - had finally come true.
The KN 263 vessel carried the delegation from Naval Region 2 and nearly 40 journalists from various newspapers and broadcasting stations to visit, pass on Lunar New Year wishes, and deliver gifts from the mainland to officers and soldiers stationed at five DK1 platforms (DK1/10, 11, 12, 14, 15) out of a total of 15 DK1 platforms. The ship set out to brave the waves. After a journey of 350 nautical miles (about 700 km), KN 263 arrived at DK1/12 platform. During this trip, Captain Nguyen Dinh Nhat was assigned to take up the role of Deputy Commander of DK1/12.
 |
| The author during a reporting mission at sea and on Vietnam’s islands |
The loudspeaker announced: Due to dangerous waves and winds, the delegation and reporters cannot board the DK1 platform. Reporters must stay in place and avoid going to the sides or bow of the ship for filming or photography, to ensure safety. The sea was too rough to use small boats for transport.Navy soldiers focused on the task of “connecting” the rope between the ship and the platform to deliver Tet gifts. Captain Nguyen Dinh Nhat would also cling to the rope and swim across to the DK1 platform.
Inside me - a female reporter with “weak legs and soft hands” - was a mental battle between fear and worry and an intense desire to fully experience the raw, unfiltered reality to convey to readers stories filled with responsibility and emotion. After journeying hundreds of stormy nautical miles, I arrived for the first time at the DK1 platform area in a famously perilous sea zone during storm season; in which officers and soldiers arriving there to take on their duties approached the platform in scenes as breathlessly intense as in an action movie.
Throughout the years of guarding these sea and sky fortresses, 13 DK1 platform soldiers have heroically sacrificed their lives, with 9 martyrs forever resting in the depths of the sea. I knew I couldn’t let this precious opportunity pass - to witness with my own eyes the courage, determination, and resilience; to capture images of navy soldiers overcoming fierce waves and danger.
This journey had a special significance: one of Captain Nguyen Dinh Nhat’s comrades was none other than his own elder brother, Nguyen Dinh Duc, the Deputy Captain of the KN 263 vessel. Emotionally, Mr. Duc shared that he is deeply proud that both brothers are soldiers, following in the footsteps of previous generations - ready to sacrifice personal happiness, and even their lives, to stand steadfast with their comrades through every hardship at the frontlines, safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation’s seas and islands.
Throughout their military careers, when one was on duty in the Spratly Islands, the other was adrift on ships guarding the sea. Rarely did their paths cross - but this time, both brothers were on the same ship, part of the same mission. They - the soldiers who carry weapons to protect the peace of our skies and seas. I - a soldier who carries a pen - must remember and preserve this powerful, moving image:The moment when two blood brothers, also comrades-in-arms, parted ways at the edge of the waves.
Gripping the railing tightly along the side of the ship, I moved cautiously, step by step. Reaching the metal pole near the bow, I wrapped my left hand and foot firmly around it, pressing my whole body close to stay secure. Though the ship kept rising and plunging with each pounding wave, I felt an unexpected sense of peace - because two navy soldiers were silently by my side, always ready to support this “tiny” female journalist carrying out her reporting mission in the stormy battlefield at sea.
Engraved in the heart
KN 263 weaved its way through towering waves crashing over the ship, maneuvering carefully with the wind and current. Despite circling multiple times and attempting to toss the rope to the platform, waves repeatedly knocked it off course. A burst of cheers erupted when the rope-throwing finally succeeded. Tet goods and supplies, carefully wrapped in layers of plastic and tightly secured, were dropped into the sea, gliding along the rope through wind and waves before being pulled up to the DK1 platform, one package at a time. Finally came the moment of farewell between Captain NguyenDinh Nhat and his elder brother Nguyen Dinh Duc, along with the comrades aboard KN 263. Firm handshakes, heartfelt wishes for mission success, and simple, radiant smiles marked the emotional goodbye.
Just about 50 meters between the ship and the offshore platform, but the fierce waves make that distance dangerously challenging and arduous that any resilient and courageous soldier must overcome. Both those seeing off and those waiting anxiously follow closely from the moment Captain Nhat left the ship, holding onto the rope and jumping into the sea. When Nhat was swimming near the platform, a huge wave slammed sideways like a heavy blow; so strong that it made Nhat lose his grip on the rope. In that instant, his comrades went silent, even forgetting to breathe.
Amid the roaring sound of the waves, a tragic story flashed through my mind. Most recently, in December 2023, Captain Nguyen Tai Thi, Deputy Commander of the DK1/12 offshore platform, and Captain Do Tung Linh, Political Officer assigned to ship 202, were lost forever at sea, tightening the pain in my heart. Tears suddenly welled up as Captain Nhat calmly timed the waves and regained his grip on the rope. When that soldier was safely embraced by loved ones and greeted by the relieved, joyful breaths of his comrades, once again my eyes welled up with tears of happiness.
The ship tilted and rocked violently, making it impossible to use the camera hanging around my neck, but I was able to fully experience those precious, once-in-a-lifetime moments - touching the echoing waves that bear the names of the DK1 offshore platform soldiers who have remained in the depths of the sea, forever staying in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.