New changes of Truong Sa Island District

Following previous generations, the whole army and people always give their hearts to the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago by joining hands and efforts to make Truong Sa strong in defence, good in lifestyle, beautiful in environmental landscape, and exemplary in the solidarity between the army and people.

Upholding traditions

In 2023, for the first time, Major Le Thi Minh Thuy from the Marine Surveying, Charting and Research Group under the Naval Staff fulfilled her wish by joining the working delegation to Truong Sa, where her father and comrades heroically fought and sacrificed their lives in the middle of the sea, to protect the country’s sacred sovereignty.

Professional military officer Major Le Thi Minh Thuy is the only daughter of martyr Le Dinh Tho. Comrade Tho was one of 64 officers and soldiers who heroically fought and died on March 14, 1988. When her father passed away, Thuy was only one year and nine days old. She could only know what belonged to her father through pictures and stories from her grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and teammates of her parents.

Going to the area where her father died, Thuy and other members of the working delegation held a memorial ceremony to gently drop paper cranes and flowers into the sea, paying tribute to her father and his comrades. She promised her father: "I will continue your dream of drawing charts of Vietnam's seas and islands."

Captain Vu Phi Truc, A Martyr and Hero of the People's Armed Forces, who was also Captain of Ship HQ 604, sacrificed his life when his children were very young. His children, Vu Xuan Dang and Vu Xuan Khoa, are now comrades. Captain and professional soldier Vu Xuan Dang is serving aboard Ship 501 under Brigade 955 of Naval Region 4. Dang spent time working for Brigade 125 under the Naval Region 2, where his father worked. Meanwhile, Captain and professional soldier Vu Xuan Khoa is currently Deputy Head of the Sales Department under the Newport Logistics Service Centre of Saigon Newport Corporation (Vietnam People's Navy).

Vu Xuan Khoa shared: “We always remember my mother’s teaching that we must continue the family’s tradition, follow the example of the heroic sacrifice of our father and comrades when on duty to protect the Fatherland’s sovereignty over the sea and islands”.

Leaders of the Vietnamese Navy, delegates and overseas Vietnamese talked with officers and soldiers on Len Dao Island in Truong Sa archipelago, Khanh Hoa Province, during their visit to Truong Sa in April 2023.

Truong Sa has been changing daily

Thanks to the attention of the Party, State, army, people and overseas Vietnamese, Truong Sa has been changing daily. In particular, the system of works serving people's livelihood and ensuring national defence and security has been firmly consolidated and repaired. Fishing villages and ship locks can ensure the provision of logistics and technical services for passing ships, especially fishermen participating in seafood exploitation in association with preserving and protecting sovereignty.

The Navy provides fresh water and free repairs to damaged vehicles. The fuel prices are sold at the price on the mainland. The clinics and medical centres have officers, nurses, doctors and military medical staff to ensure first aid and timely medical support for emergency cases. For severe cases, the Ministry of Defence will dispatch aircraft to the mainland for treatment. The schools and pagodas are enough to serve the local people’s demands.

Tran Van Minh, an overseas Vietnamese from Germany, who joined an overseas Vietnamese delegation visiting Truong Sa in 2023, said: “As an overseas Vietnamese living far from the Fatherland, through newspapers, radio, mass media and especially direct visit to Truong Sa, we are very proud of the changes in Truong Sa today. We also believe in the will, energy, and determination to firmly protect the country’s sacred sovereignty over the sea and islands. In addition, witnessing the scenery and people at the front of the ‘waves and the wind’ after this business trip, each member of the delegation will propagate the truth, the sentiments, sacrifices, and hardships of the soldiers and people on remote islands to Vietnamese expatriates who have not had the opportunity to visit Truong Sa. That is also the emotional connection between overseas Vietnamese and domestic compatriots".

Truong Sa is always not far in the hearts of Vietnamese people. Coming to Truong Sa, listening to the sound of bells from the pagodas, the voices of children during lessons, and the sound of birds in residential areas and military barracks, everyone feels like they are walking in the mainland.

In recent years, the Navy has launched a programme entitled “Greening Truong Sa”. The programme has a widespread influence throughout the country to help Truong Sa Island District become greener. With the severe weather and climate, high salinity, and strong winds all year round, it is necessary to have many trees to create forests in the middle of the sea. Many regions around the country have presented tree varieties with strong vitality to Truong Sa soldiers.

In 2023, the total amount of donations for the "Greening Truong Sa" Programme, and gifts to the soldiers and people in the islands and the DK1 Platform from the overseas Vietnamese community reached nearly 1.7 billion VND. In particular, the new movement of “Greening Truong Sa” has recently received a response from the local people, with the aspiration that the frontline islands of the country will be increasingly filled with green.

The Politburo’s Resolution No.09-NQ/TW dated January 28, 2022, on building and developing Khanh Hoa Province until 2030, with a vision to 2045, determined the construction and development of Truong Sa Island District into a socio-economic and cultural centre of the country at sea and a solid fortress for protecting the Fatherland’s sovereignty.

From the above resolution, the Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee has approved a project to develop Truong Sa Island District into a socio-economic and cultural centre of the country at sea. This is a solid basis to continue developing a comprehensively strong Truong Sa Island District, a solid defence area, contributing to protecting the nation’s sacred sovereignty over the sea and islands.