Relationship with the press

Mentioning Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang (former officer of Naval Region 2) is mentioning a talented writer with many prestigious journalism awards, making many professional reporters "take off their hats in admiration".

Born and raised in Nga Tan commune, a poor commune in Nga Son district, Thanh Hoa province, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang (pen name Mai Thang) has had extraordinary determination since his childhood. At the age of 18, with patriotism and a desire to contribute, the young man Mai Thang decided to follow the sacred call of the Fatherland and join the army. With his tireless efforts and eagerness to learn, he quickly achieved many outstanding achievements and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant at the age of 23.

In October 1994, after 5 years of studying hard at the Military Political Officer School (formerly Ha Bac), he was assigned to work at Battalion DK1, Brigade 171, Navy (under Naval Region 2). After 3 months of arduous training in the sunny and windy training ground, he officially set foot on ship HQ-624, heading to Phuc Nguyen 2A Platform (DK1/6) to receive his new assignment.

Mr. Mai Thang recalled: “The first night on the ship drifting in the waves, I could not sleep because of seasickness. Lying awake, I suddenly heard the soulful melody of the song “Gân lám Trường Sa” coming from the radio of the political commissar on the ship. Listening to each verse, each note, my heart was suddenly filled with emotions. The image of the steadfast, proud navy soldier on the remote island appeared clearly before my eyes. At that moment, I decided to write a diary about the first voyage of the soldier of the DK1 Platform".

So, with excitement and emotion, Mr. Thang picked up a pen to write down his feelings. At that time, he did not have much experience in writing, but the words just flowed naturally. The article was titled "In the heart of Truong Sa soldiers", telling about his feelings and the soldiers' feelings when they first heard the song "Gan lam Truong Sa" in the middle of the ocean. After finishing, he folded it neatly, carefully stamped it and sent the envelope back to the mainland.

“After three days of drifting on the waves, the ship HQ-624 finally brought us to the DK1 Phuc Nguyen Platform. As soon as I set foot here, I was overwhelmed by the harshness of nature on this remote island. Having been passionate about literature since my childhood, I decided to record these difficult but meaningful days in my diary.

In the middle of the vast ocean, I carefully wrote a picture of the daily life of the officers and soldiers at the DK1 platform. In the 90s of the last century, propaganda work about the sea and islands was not given much attention. However, with a patriotic heart and national pride, I boldly recounted the daily stories, the moments of sharing and helping each other of the brothers on the platform", Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang was moved when talking about old memories.

Talking about the first day he sent his “brainchildren” to the newspaper, Lieutenant Colonel Thang said: “I still remember the feeling of excitement when I first sent my articles by hand to the newspaper office. Without a computer, I meticulously wrote each word, pouring all my heart and emotions into it. After more than 2 months of waiting, I was overwhelmed with joy when I received a free newspaper from Tien Phong newspaper, on which were the articles “In the hearts of Truong Sa soldiers” and “Forever green on the rigs”. Those were my first articles, a great motivation for me to continue pursuing my passion for writing and to become involved in journalism from then on.”

With more than 25 years of experience in journalism, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Thang has always cherished and preserved the passion in his heart. For the former officer of DK1 Platform, journalism is not only a profession, but also a noble mission. Lieutenant Colonel Mai Thang is always aware of his responsibility in conveying accurate information, arousing patriotism and national pride in every citizen.

More than 600 specialized reports on the sea, islands, navy, Truong Sa, and DK1 Platform published in the mass media are proof of Lieutenant Colonel Mai Thang's tireless dedication. Each article is a different perspective, a vivid expression of the silent sacrifices and selfless dedication of naval soldiers in remote islands.

Sharing about his creative journey, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang said: “As a veteran of DK1 Platform, I understand better than anyone the silent sacrifices of soldiers on the islands. They are an endless source of inspiration, urging me to write these works. The love for the islands has been ingrained in my blood and flesh since I don’t know when, and I believe that I will continue to write about the islands, as long as I can.”

Treasure trove of awards that make "professionals jealous"

Although not a professional journalist, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang still achieved many resounding successes in the field of journalism, making many people in the profession admire him.

Standing out in the vast collection of journalistic works by journalist Mai Van Thang are pages filled with emotions about the sea and islands. Most notable are the 31-part reportage series “People at the sovereignty markers at sea” published continuously in Tin Tuc newspaper, or the series of articles “Immortal soldiers of the Fatherland in peacetime”, or the documentary series: “The war to protect Hoang Sa 40 years ago”.

In addition, reports such as “Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea - the Legendary Road”, “Fatherland at the Head of the Waves”, “Special Cemetery at Sea”, “Singing at the Eye of the Sea of ​​the Fatherland” have touched the hearts of many readers, arousing patriotism and a sense of responsibility to protect the sea and islands in every Vietnamese citizen.
In 2009, he won first prize in the writing contest “Elderly people learn and follow the moral example of Ho Chi Minh” organized by the Elderly Newspaper with the work “A veteran in search of comradeship”. This work touched the hearts of readers with its touching story about sacred comradeship, expressing the author’s respect and gratitude for previous generations.

A year later, he continued to affirm his talent when he won the third prize in the contest “Writing about the woman I love” organized by the Vietnamese Women newspaper with the work “Dear mother”. This work is a praise for the gentle, hard-working mother who always silently sacrifices for her family, a great source of motivation for the author in life.

Also in 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang continued to reap success when he won second prize in the contest “My path to the profession” with the work “When a soldier on a platform becomes a journalist” organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Journalists Association. This work tells the story of the author’s arduous, challenging but also extremely meaningful journey to journalism, inspiring those who are pursuing their passion for writing.

In 2013, he continued to affirm his position in the journalism community when he won second prize in the “Green Living” contest with the work “Green Vegetables on the Waves”. This work highlights the importance of environmental protection, especially the protection of the marine and island environment, calling on everyone to join hands to protect the living environment for themselves and future generations.

2014 marked an important turning point in the journalism career of Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang when he was honored to receive the Second Prize of National Journalism for the series of articles “March Memorial Song” of the Dai Doan Ket Newspaper Association. This is a worthy recognition for his great contributions in the field of journalism, contributing to the transmission of accurate information, arousing patriotism and national pride in every citizen.

Continuing his success, in 2015, he continued to reap success when he won the third prize in the contest “Studying and following the moral example of Ho Chi Minh” organized by Nhan Dan newspaper with the work “25 years of guiding the sea”. This work is a praise for the navy soldiers who silently dedicate themselves to protecting the Fatherland in remote islands, contributing to affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the sea and islands.

In 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang continued to affirm his position in the journalism community with many prestigious awards: He won second prize in the reportage contest on "Vietnam's Country and People" organized by Saigon Giai Phong newspaper; second prize in the short reportage contest "40 years of one heart" organized by Ba Ria - Vung Tau Radio and Television Station.

In particular, in the writing contest “Simple but noble examples” organized by the People’s Army newspaper, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang once again affirmed his talent when he won first prize with the work “Aunt Muoi, 25 years of silent charity work”. This work is a touching story about a woman who silently contributes to and helps soldiers on remote islands, expressing the author’s respect and gratitude for the noble hearts in the community.

In the same year, he continued to reap success when he won first prize with the photo work “Truong Sa Runway” organized by Gia Lai newspaper. This work is a testament to the majestic beauty of Truong Sa archipelago, affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands and conveying the message about the importance of protecting the country’s islands and seas.

"Passing the torch" to the next generation

Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang affirmed that journalism is a noble and meaningful profession, providing society with accurate and useful information, contributing to education, orienting public opinion and spreading good values.

However, he also shared that journalism is a challenging profession, requiring perseverance, effort and courage. To be successful, one needs to equip oneself with solid professional knowledge, practice writing skills, and collect and process information effectively.

In addition, it is also necessary to have a spirit of eagerness to learn, constantly improve knowledge and skills, and always update the latest information in the fields. More importantly, it is necessary to have the courage to face difficulties and challenges, dare to face dangers and always maintain a firm stance and professional ethics.

Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang also shared the story of his journey to pursue his passion for journalism. Initially, he encountered many difficulties, hesitations and worries. However, thanks to his determination, perseverance and intense passion, he gradually overcame the challenges and achieved many successes.
As a former platform officer with many years of experience working with the sea and islands and having written many journalistic works on this topic, Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang has profound views on the role of the press in propagating and raising awareness about the task of protecting the country's sea and islands.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang, the press can use its power to both convey accurate and objective information about the sea and islands, affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over the sea and islands on the basis of international law and reflecting the difficulties, hardships, and silent sacrifices of navy soldiers, fishermen, and islanders in the work of protecting the sea and islands.

Or simply to promote the spirit of solidarity and sense of responsibility of each citizen in protecting the sea and islands while arousing patriotism and national pride in every Vietnamese citizen.

Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Thang also said that the press needs to innovate its propaganda methods, using easy-to-understand language, close to life, combined with vivid images and videos to attract readers and viewers. The press also needs to promote propaganda on social networking platforms to reach more audiences, especially young people.

Thuy Dung - Phuong Uyen