Hanoi (VNA)♈ - As Da Dong island stands imposingly in the vast sea, neighboring Da Tay Island serves as a firm “base” for fishermen operating from the central coast to the southernmost tip of the Motherland.

The country’s offshore islands represent the hopes and beliefs in the hearts of those from the mainland. On those islands, daytime and nighttime alike, there are husbands, fathers, and sons who must raise arms to protect every inch of the Motherland’s sea. Their minds remain firmly rooted in their home villages from across Vietnam.

Imposing East Sea

Working Team 11 tours Da Dong island and Da Tay island. As the Da Dong stands imposingly in the vast sea, the Da Tay serves as a firm “base” for fishermen operating from the central coast to the southernmost tip of the Motherland. Along with the mission of training and standing ready to fight off offenders, officers and soldiers on the two islands take an active part in the rescue work and provide practical assistance for fishermen. They implement the operations of the Vietnamese Navy serving as a mainstay for offshore fishermen. As night falls, seen from afar, the two islands look like sparkling “lighthouses” full of vitality in the middle of the vast sea and sky. Da Dong is located 253 nautical miles from Cam Ranh peninsula and about 19 nautical miles to the east of Da Tay, but 10 nautical miles to the west of the Chau Vien island which is illegally occupied by China.

Da Dong boasts conditions very favourable to unload supplies from ships to the island. The weather conditions in the dry season from February to May are very harsh. It counts more than 300 sunny days a year, and the humid winds often cause damage to equipment, weapons, and growth of vegetables on the island.

Twenty-three-year-old Le Huu Quoc said he has been on the island for three months and has accustomed to life there. The material infrastructure on the island is sufficient, the soldier said, adding water for the daily life there is filtered from the sea and soldiers take turns to farm their vegetables in their leisure time in the afternoon.

Commander of Da Dong Island, Capt. Nguyen Van Linh said over recent years, the island has been equipped with systems of containers that ensure 100% of the need for water for daily life. Bags of earth are transported from the mainland to the island for vegetable cultivation which also sees the application of the dripping technique. Holding a key position, Da Dong is dubbed a “lighthouse” that links the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people to Truong Sa – a sacred land of the Motherland in the middle of the sea.

Da Tay Political Commissar, Col. Le Ngoc Lam stressed that all the officers and soldiers take the island as their home, the sea as their native villages, and their comrades in arms and civilians there as their brothers.

“Red” address for fishermen

Da Tay is now home to 16 civilian households, and Col. Nam said they all have a profound conception of their mission of residing on the island. Over the recent past, leaders of various levels have provided them with attention and full material and spiritual assistance to make their life there similar to that on the mainland. As for education of residents’ children, study conditions and environment are always ensured and updated, Col. Nam said, adding their academic scores are very high. On education, the children enjoy good study conditions and environment, with updated information and content. Along with Da Dong, Da Tay has become a “red address” for fishermen to rest and take medical care, and this gives them confidence while operating in the Truong Sa Archipelago. The island measures 15 km in length and about 3 km in width, with a lake stretching about 6 km in the middle. This makes the island suitable to provide support for fishermen to take refuge during storms, as well as fisheries logistical support.

Truong Khac Dinh, Director of the Fisheries Logistical Service Centre of Da Tay Island under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said they provide fresh water, ice, oil, food, maintenance service, and rescue for ships operating on the sea. Last year, the centre provided nearly 283,000 litres of diesel oil, 29 tonnes of food, 116,000 blocks of ice, and 2,427 cu.m. of fresh water free of charge for fishermen, while the maintenance team provided free maintenance and towing services to 40 ships. In the first quarter of this year, it provided 100,000 litres of diesel oil, 2 tonnes of food, 26,000 blocks of ice, 463 cu.m. of fresh water, and maintenance and towing services to five ships./.