Radar Regiment 351 has been standing at the forefront of the storm for nearly half a century, a solid line of defense. There, each radar station is like a spark in the storm, quiet and proud. Not facing the enemy with weapons but with intelligence, courage and extraordinary perseverance. That seemingly dry work has a special beauty in it, the beauty of precision and tranquility of people living with time, but working with space.

They live in places that the topographic map notes as “high, remote and difficult”, but in their hearts, that is the most beautiful position to see the country. Each scan of the radar wave is a heartbeat. Each target on the screen is a reminder: Sovereignty is not only on the nautical chart, but in the never-closing eyes of those who guard the Fatherland’s sea.

The eye observation team at Radar Station 540 (Regiment 351) performs the mission.

I have been to all the radar stations of Regiment 351 in the past 2 years, the most impressive of which was Station 545. On the winding road leading to the top of the mountain, from afar, the Station appears quietly like a fortress in the sky, the antennas rotate slowly, reflecting the morning sunlight like the giant eyes of the Fatherland.

Major Hoang Van Tuong, Station Chief, welcomed us with a gentle smile: “Here, every day is the same: Wind, clouds and the oscilloscope screen.” Major Hoang Van Tuong said, then pointed to a small room with modern equipment. There, the oscilloscope screen was covered with tiny dots. “We jokingly call this room “the heart of the Station.” Each scan, each streak of light is the heartbeat of our Fatherland.”

In the narrow room, I heard the sound of the radar machine mixed with the sound of the wind whistling through the door. On the screen, small target points were recorded and meticulously marked. There were no gunshots or cheers, only absolute concentration and eyes that never left the screen. Captain Pham Van Tien, a radar employee at Station 545, said: “The first day I came here, I was very confused. But the longer I stayed, the more attached I felt. Here, we have teammates and oscilloscope screens, “magic eyes” as friends. We work with radar with a clear heart and nervous system. Just one second of distraction and we lose track of the target.” Major Hoang Van Tuong said in a warm voice: “That’s the way of this job. If we miss the target, we can’t feel secure. The feeling of protecting an entire sea area makes everyone stay alert.”

On the mountain peaks of the Central region, which the people at the foot of the mountain call “the roof of the wind”, every radar station of the 351st Regiment is like that: simple but resilient. The radar stations are like “divine eyes guarding the sea”, forming an invisible but solid line of defense. There, the silent soldiers turn loneliness into strength, and turn the sound of the wind into professional language.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Phuong Chinh, Deputy Political Commissar of the Regiment, said: “The brothers here have their own slogan: The islands are home, the sea is homeland, the oscilloscope is the battlefield, each target is a feat of arms. At first it sounds figurative, but after living here, you will see that it is true word for word.” Pausing for a moment, Chinh continued: “In peacetime, there are feats of arms without gunfire, but if you do not detect them early and do not report them in time, the consequences will be unpredictable. Therefore, each detected signal, each accurate information about the targets is a feat of arms without gunfire.”

In recent years, Radar Regiment 351 has been equipped with a modern long-range radar system. Officers and soldiers quickly mastered the technology, combining electronic tools and professional intuition. "No matter how modern the machine is, it still needs the hands and mind of a soldier," said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Technical Assistant and Head of the Repair Station while checking the radar equipment system: "Just a small signal mixed in the noise, but the soldiers still recognize that it is a real target. In this profession, the better you are at the machine, the more you have to be good at people." He smiled, his eyes sparkling on his face darkened by the sun and wind: "I still think that working on a marine radar is learning to listen to the breath of the sea", a simple but profound saying, as if summarizing the "soul" of the radar profession, the profession of "listening" to the Fatherland with electromagnetic waves.

Afternoon fell, the wind from the sea blew up the mountain. In the distance, streaks of clouds were dyed red by the sunset. At the foot of the mountain, the city lights were on. Tiny dots still appeared on the oscilloscope screen, the circular radar waves still rotated regularly, like the beat of a giant heart. Major Hoang Van Tuong silently stared at the oscilloscope screen and the hands of his teammates still quickly registered and assigned targets, his voice slow: "It will probably rain tonight. The fog is thick again, the on-duty crew must be very alert not to miss or mistake the target." He smiled, a smile that was both gentle and proud. At the end of the wind and clouds, the radar soldiers still kept their eyes on the sea day and night. In peacetime, they lived as if they were on the "disciplined, alert, and humble" front line. Each of their "white nights" was a dawn for the Fatherland. Each streak of light on the screen was a breath of peace . And while we sleep peacefully under the clear sky, in the heart of a peaceful country, in a far away place, sleepless eyes still follow every stretch of the Fatherland's sea.

Over the years, not only preserving the heroic tradition, the officers, staff and soldiers of Regiment 351 have also steadily stepped into the modernization journey. From the first difficult years, to receiving the high-tech long-range radar system, the officers and soldiers have mastered the new equipment, turning technology into strength, turning discipline into belief. That is the quiet created by discipline, sense of responsibility and love for the country trained into instinct. Perhaps, only radar soldiers understand what "time is not measured in hours, but in shifts". A day like any other day, regardless of holidays or Tet, loneliness gradually becomes a companion and simple joy is when the display screen is as calm as the sea after a storm.

They do not show off their achievements, but each time they detect a target early, each time they report in time to avoid being passive or surprised - that is a silent victory. In peacetime, they still live as in wartime: Always ready, always alert, always "sticking to the station, sticking to the radio, sticking to the sea". Those are achievements without gunfire, but shining with intelligence, sense of responsibility and infinite loyalty to the Fatherland. The tradition of Radar Regiment 351 is a continuous flow: From the first generation who built the Station in the middle of the barren hill, to the young generation today sitting in front of the digital screen, connected by an invisible thread called "faith in the Fatherland". From the Lao windy mountain peaks to the edge of the Central sea, in the middle of sleepless nights, they still sit there quietly, under the dim blue light of the oscilloscope, their eyes bright as a lighthouse, watching over the dawn for the country.

They understand that protecting sovereignty is not only about keeping every inch of land and sea, but also about maintaining peace, stability, and keeping the people's trust strong.

In the midst of a turbulent world , the radar soldiers of Regiment 351 (Naval Region 3) still choose to stand in the quietest place, so that the Fatherland can be most peaceful.  

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/trung-doan-351-ban-cua-mat-than-canh-bien-885617