The first flag-raising ceremony of 2026 on Hon Khoai Island (Photo: qdnd.vn)

This was the first flag-raising ceremony of 2026 for the officers and soldiers stationed on Hon Khoai Island. The ceremony was even more special with the participation of leaders, officials, and people who braved long journeys and rough seas to reach the island from different localities.

Le Xuan Giang, from the Information, Education and Mass Mobilization Department of Bac Ninh provincial Party Committee, said, “This is the first time I attend a flag-raising ceremony on Hon Khoai Island, in the southwestern waters of the nation. I am really moved. I used to be a soldier and had attended many flag-raising ceremonies. I feel deeply honored and proud to set foot on this island and attend the ceremony at the beginning of the New Year, when the entire Party, people and armed forces are striving to achieve socio-economic development goals.”

The Hon Khoai island cluster, comprising five islands, is the eastern gateway to the Gulf of Thailand. Hon Khoai is the largest island in the cluster and Hon Da Le island is Point A2, one of the 12 points on Vietnam’s baseline. Four forces are stationed on Hon Khoai island, including Radar Station 595, the Border Guard Post, the Lighthouse Station, and the Forest Ranger Unit.

Every Monday, Radar Station 595 of Regiment 551 under the Naval Region 5 Command holds a flag-raising ceremony combined with current affairs briefings. At the first flag-raising ceremony of 2026, attended by delegates from the mainland, the servicemen who have spent years far from home could not hide their emotions.

Major Bui Ngoc Dinh, Political Commissar of Radar Station 595, said, “The regular flag-salute ceremony is also a session to inform the officers and soldiers about the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies. The guests from the mainland is a morale-boosting for our personnel during the dry season, especially as Lunar New Year approaches. Welcoming guests, we feel like meeting our families and loved ones.”

The soldiers’ oath to “sacrifice everything for the Vietnam Fatherland” echoed in the hearts of those present. Everyone leaving the island will carry with them even greater admiration and pride for the soldiers who are steadfastly defending the nation’s seas and islands.