Sacred red color in the middle of the sea

For me, a Navy soldier, the patrol along the Vietnam - Indonesia maritime demarcation line of ship 98273 - Navy Region 2 on June 3, 2025 was an emotional voyage. During that voyage, in the midst of the storm, we soldiers both guarded sovereignty and rescued fishermen, accompanying them on every inch of the sea.

Mission without guns

That morning, while patrolling the demarcation line, we received a signal from the fishing boat KH96525TS of Khanh Hoa province, captained by Mr. Huynh Van Dan, reporting that a fisherman had an accident at work. Immediately, our boat changed direction to rescue him.

To serve emergency cases at sea, medical supplies such as antiseptics, anesthetics, needles, bandages, etc. are fully prepared and placed on a small table in the ship's corridor, ready for any situation.

When approaching the fishing boat, we identified the injured fisherman as Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh (residing in Khanh Hoa province) who had been injured in the head while working. The wound was long across the top of his head, bleeding profusely, causing Mr. Minh pain.

Sắc đỏ thiêng liêng giữa biển - Ảnh 2. — Image of the medical team of ship 98273 - Navy Region 2 rescuing fisherman Nguyen Thanh Minh of fishing boat KH96525TS

The emergency happened in the middle of rough seas, with waves crashing against the hull. We arranged for the patient to sit against the railing to maintain balance and perform first aid. Doctor Hanh, a member of the medical team, spread her legs in a V shape, knees bent, five toes flexed, holding on to her sandals to stand more firmly. I was beside her, also ready to stabilize both of them against the raging waves.

Treating and stitching up the wound was not easy, given the violent shaking of the ship. Despite the rough waves, Dr. Hanh remained calm and carefully treated the patient's wound. After nearly an hour, Mr. Minh's health gradually stabilized.

Mr. Minh and his wife have 3 small children, and the whole family's life depends on the trips you take. Listening to him, we were all sad, but time did not allow us to stay too long. After checking his blood pressure and heart rate, seeing that Mr. Minh was more stable, Dr. Hanh continued to give him more medicine and medical supplies to clean the wound, and at the same time gave him detailed instructions on how to take care of him. Before leaving, I quickly took 2 cartons of milk from the military medicine bag and gave them to Mr. Minh.

The rescue of fisherman Minh reminded me of the rescue of fisherman Danh Linh by fishing boat BT8777TS on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2022. At that time, there were also big waves and strong winds, fisherman Linh was seriously injured, lost a lot of blood, showed signs of heat stroke, vomited and fainted. It took 2 hours for Mr. Linh to escape from the critical condition. And this time, it was Dr. Hanh who treated the fisherman in distress.

There were no gunshots, no tense chases and collisions with foreign ships, but for us, rescuing people at sea was also a war. A war with waves, danger and time. We called it "a silent combat mission".

Accompanying every inch of the sea

For a Navy soldier, fishermen are companions. It is not only about rescuing people in distress, but also our duty to bring the law to the fishermen. There are days when we have to stitch up wounds in the morning and then in the afternoon we have to board fishing boats to hand out flags and propaganda materials.

Every morning, we use the intercom to greet the fishermen, to check the situation and to count which ships are at sea and which have returned. For ships that have not been contacted by radio, we try to find ways to contact or get information. Many nights, when foreign law enforcement ships operate near the area, the soldiers have to take turns warning the fishermen.

Sắc đỏ thiêng liêng giữa biển - Ảnh 3. — Propaganda Team of Ship 98273 - Navy Region 2 presented flags, medical medicines and some essential foods to fishermen.

During the patrol on June 3, after rescuing fisherman Minh, we received information that there were foreign military and law enforcement ships operating near the demarcation line. We immediately mobilized to patrol, support, and guide the fishermen. When approaching fishing boat BV95437TS in this area, we lowered the boat to visit, bringing with us the national flag, a few gourds, and some green vegetables as gifts for the fishermen.

We were greeted by Mr. Ho Than Phong (living in Ho Chi Minh City), captain of fishing boat BV95437TS. Mr. Phong is a true seafarer, tall, dark-skinned, with a clear voice. He said meeting a Navy soldier was like meeting a relative, as if forgetting all the hardships of the sea. "We will absolutely comply, you can rest assured" - Mr. Phong said.

After checking the fishing boat BV95437TS, we went a little further and came across the fishing boat of Mr. Thai Anh Trong (living in Vinh Long province), captain of the boat BT92747TS. Because we had just checked the day before, we did not board the boat but stopped and called over the radio, both informing about the situation of the foreign boat and asking about everyone's health. With the same gentle Western accent coming from the boat's radio, Mr. Trong said: "Don't worry, it's our sea, let's go." Having said that, Captain Trong also turned the boat to the North of the demarcation line according to our instructions. Only when his boat turned the waves and went far away did we feel secure enough to leave.

We continued our journey to find fishing boats flying the red flag with yellow star to propagate and mobilize. The flags we gave to fishermen were a source of national pride. In the vast ocean, the red flag with yellow star is a sacred symbol, a milestone affirming the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

In the late afternoon, when the last rays of the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, the scorching heat also subsided. The cool breeze seemed to wash away the fatigue and hardship after a long voyage.