Soldiers on Truong Sa archipelago are on duty to protect the national sovereignty over seas and islands. (Photo: VNA)

The victory demonstrated Vietnamese naval soldiers’ staunch fighting spirit and aspiration for peace in protecting national sovereignty over seas and islands.

Lieutenant Colonel Dao Manh Hong, leader of Detachment 1, Regiment 126 of the Vietnam Naval Commandos, who is now Deputy Head of the Economic Department of the Hai Phong Veterans Association, recalls: “Being naval soldiers, we were proud to be assigned the mission to liberate the archipelago, a sacred land of our Fatherland. At that time, we didn’t think about the possibility of dying, just how to complete our assignment.”

The liberation of Truong Sa archipelago and other islands in the East Sea was important to  the Spring 1975 General Offensive and Uprising to liberate southern Vietnam and unify the country.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Cuong, commissar of the Truong Sa Brigade, said: “The army and people of Truong Sa archipelago promise to unite to overcome any difficulties, succeed our predecessors, and practice heightened vigilance and combat readiness.”

“We will do our best with rescue and recovery work and be a firm support for offshore fishermen. And we’ll do everything we can to build a strong archipelago with regard to defense and readiness to fight to protect national territorial waters in any circumstance,” Cuong added.