Tran Van Xuat has not been back to Truong Sa Dong Island in the Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratlys) since he completed his military service 29 years ago, but memories of the island still appear in his dreams.

The monument to Truong Sa Dong erected by Tran Van Xuat outside of his home in Da Nang City has become a point of pilgrimage for his former colleagues.

Xuat and 31 soldiers were sent to protect Truong Sa Dong – a 200m long coral reef located 260 nautical miles off Cam Ranh Port in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa – for three years.

Xuat, who heralds from a stone masonry village in the central city of Da Nang, erected a stone stele dedicated to the island in front of his house in memory of the time he served there, and as a place for his comrades to meet up every year.

The marble stele has become a point of pilgrimage for his 32-man company every April – the month they first stepped off the boat onto the island in 1984.

Life on coral reefs

Born into a family of 11 brothers and sisters, Xuat worked at his family business and fished in his free time.

He joined the navy at the age of 19 with a team of 10 other rookies.

"I remember that we arrived on Truong Sa Dong Island after a four-day journey. I could see a bunker on the island from 300m away because there were no trees or plants," Xuat recalled.

"We were barracked in a 100sq.m tent with 22 other soldiers."

The 48-year-old described how there was only one well on the island, but it was dry for most of the year.

"We used rain water from 2,000-litre tanks and were rationed to one litre each per day. Washing and bathing were impossible, and we had to struggle against the hot weather for most of the year," he said.

"Early rains in April were a godsend for us. We could drink as much water as we liked, and have proper baths," he said.

"We had to be careful with daily necessities because we only received provisions once a year. Fish and seafood helped ease the shortage of vitamin-rich food such as vegetables."

The former soldier said military training and their mission gave them a renewed sense of purpose to protect the country's sovereignty.

To alleviate the boredom and enrich the soldiers' diets, Xuat decided to grow vegetable – not an easy task on a dry, desolate coral reef.

A plot of purslane, a succulent herb, was cultivated using a drop of water from each soldier's provision every morning. It's thick leaves are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.

"We used to harvest every three months and share a plate of vegetables, but there was not much to go around," he remembered.

Dried fish and bird's eggs were stored for use during stormy days.

Weekends were the happiest time for the soldiers, and they used to play volleyball before enjoying the luxury of having three litres of water to bathe with.

"Saturdays were the best time for us when we gathered to hear bulletins from the Voice of Viet Nam through a radio set powered by a manual dynamo," Xuat said.

Home return

Having completed his military service, Xuat returned home in late 1987 to resume his career in stone masonry.

Non Nuoc Village where he grew up was known as a centre of stone arts in the central region, and the craft became prosperous during the tourism boom in the early 1990s.

"The trade provided for us and after 15 years I founded my own company, but the memory of my days on the island refused to leave me," he said.

"All the stories came flooding back, so I decided to arrange a reunion for us, and that was one of the reasons I decided to make the stele."

He managed to track down 26 of his old comrades, but was unable to locate the other five.

"It was difficult to remember all their details because it was so long ago," he explained.

But his efforts paid off.

Nguyen Ngoc Bo, one of the missing five, noticed the stele during a visit to the village.

The two veterans were overjoyed to be reunited, and reminisced about their time on the island together.

Xuat returns to Cam Ranh port twice a year to remember the hardship he endured during his term in the navy that he believes helped him to become a successful businessman.

The veteran also reserves a corner of his workshop for souvenirs that remind him of Truong Sa Dong Island.

"I often look at my military bag, uniform, handmade knives and shells taken from the island," he said.

"I hope to return there someday. I am honoured to have been tasked with defending the island from enemies, and it will always be in my mind and heart."

VNSS