Being imbued with Uncle Ho’s thought on patriotic emulation, over the past years, the Naval Service has stepped up the Determined to win emulation movement, successfully fulfilling every assigned task, firmly defending national sacred sovereignty over seas, islands and continental shelf, deserving the confidence of the Party, the State and the people.

As the core force in combating to protect the country’s seas, islands and continental shelf, since its inception, the Naval Service has been imbued with Uncle Ho’s teachings on patriotic emulation. Grasping the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policy and law, and resolutions, directives, orders, and guidance by the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence and competent offices on the emulation and reward work, the Service’s Party Committee and High Command have focused their leadership and direction on performing this important work under the motto: wherever troops are stationed, there exists the emulation work to create a breakthrough in carrying out the central task. Thanks to practical, creative, effective measures in accordance with the particularities of each office and unit, emulation movements have created the synergy for the Service to successfully fulfil the tasks of combat and protection of the national sovereignty over seas, islands and continental shelf as Uncle Ho ever taught: Everyone emulates, every sector emulates, we will certainly defeat the enemy.

In the anti-US resistance war for national salvation, the Service’s Party Committee and High Command focused on directing the emulation movements towards the settlement of difficulties and the building of spirit of determination to fight and to defeat the enemy. As a result, in spite of small force and obsolete materiel, our Navy courageously, creatively fought to expel the US destroyer Maddox, shot down and damaged several US aircraft, thereby bringing about the glorious victory of the first battle (2^nd and 5^th of August, 1964). Bringing into play that victory and seriously implementing the movement “Determined to emulate in defeating the US aggressors”, the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) together with the North’s military and people defeated the two wars of sabotage by the US Air Force and Navy. It is noted that following the movement “everything for the beloved South”, No-Number Ships of the Service overcame numerous difficulties to opportunely transport materiel to the South’s battlefield, forming the legend of “Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail”, greatly contributing to liberating the South and reunifying the country.

In the period of national construction and protection, the Determined to win emulation movement has become a key driver for Naval cadres and troops’ successful fulfilment of every task. The more difficulties and hardships they face, the more clearly Naval troops, particularly the forces performing the task on the high seas, demonstrate the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Naval Soldiers” in the new period. The Determined to win emulation movement has been turned into typical revolutionary actions by the Service. During the movement, cadres and troops have been striving to achieve new peaks, perfect the virtues and personalities of a revolutionary soldier, study and follow Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, and successfully implement the Campaign “promote tradition, devote talent, deserve to be Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Naval Soldiers”. That has really laid a foundation for the VPN to successfully conduct training, maintain discipline and combat readiness, avoid letting the Homeland falling into passivity, resolutely, persistently, cleverly deal with the situation in the sea, and maintain peace and stability for the country’s development, thereby deserving the faith of the Party, the State and the people.

Maj. Gen. Tran Hoai Trung giving rewards to units having outstanding achievements in the Determined to win emulation movement in 2017 (photo: baohaiquanvietnam.vn)

To earn those achievements, over the past years, the Naval Service has closely organized activities to enhance the Determined to win emulation movement, centrepiece of which has been the work of education to build motive for the sound emulation, and to raise awareness, responsibility and political determination of cadres and troops, and to promote the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Naval Soldiers”. It should be noted that the Service consists of various components and forces while many of its units operate independently on different seas and islands and often face difficulties, dangers, and even sacrifices. Therefore, the Service’s Party Committee and High Command have directed units to stay close to the situations and employ various forms and methods of education in line with the particularities of each unit. At the same time, units have been asked to formulate plans for education in accordance with each group of troops and topic and phase of emulation; to promote the role of party committees, commanders, commissars, councils for emulation and reward, and mass organizations. During the course of implementation, due attention has been paid to education via meetings about special topics, knowledge competitions, forums, dialogues, story telling and film watching shows. Grounded on higher echelons’ guidelines, policies, resolutions, directives, and campaigns on the emulation and reward work, the Service has directed its affiliates to focus on grasping the task, educating glorious traditions of the country, Military and Service, and successfully implementing the policies regarding military cadres and their families, thereby arousing the honour and pride of “Naval Soldiers”, creating the motive for emulation, and raising a sense of responsibility, consolidating willpower and loyalty to the Party, Homeland and people among cadres and troops. Despite difficulties and dangers, Naval troops have always placed their absolute faith in the Party’s leadership, the State’s management and the Military’s combat strength, while keeping up the spirit “Once troops are still alive, ships, islands and oil rig protection posts will remain” and maintaining readiness to fight and sacrifice for Homeland’s seas and islands.

The Determined to win emulation movement by the Service has focused on staying close to and successfully performing the political task, and improving the quality of training and combat readiness. On a yearly basis, the Service’s Party Committee and High Command have directed its affiliates to grasp the political task and major campaigns by the Party, the State and the Military as well as the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle and the Campaign “promote tradition, devote talent, deserve to be Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Naval Soldiers” to identify the topics and contents of the Determined to win emulation movement. Emulation has been aimed at the tasks of defending national sovereignty over the Homeland’s seas, islands and continental shelf, and building a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern Service. The movements, such as “Working hard on the training ground will help reduce losses on the battlefield”, “Passionately training regardless of weather conditions”, “Hardships today, victories tomorrow”, have created a vibrant emulation atmosphere across the Service, greatly contributing to enhancing unit commanders’ capability of command, staff, and coordination, building up troops’ faith in materiel, improving their mastery of materiel as well as their level and capability of combat readiness, meeting the requirements set by the task of managing and protecting the Homeland’s seas, islands and continental shelf in any situation.

Besides, the Service’s Party Committee and High Command have directed its branches and mass organizations to step up emulation in association with the implementation of their task. In response to the emulation movement “Military Logistic Branch follows Uncle Ho’s teachings”, the Navy’s Logistics Branch has been active in providing timely, sufficient logistics support for all operations of the Service, particularly the task of combat readiness, and studying to provide ration for cadres and troops of Naval Submarine Force and Commando Force. There have appeared many models of “Typical Naval Logistics” contributing to making the Service comprehensively strong. The emulation movement on building and managing regular, green, clean, scenic camps has been conducted effectively. As a number of the Service’s units are stationed on islands, the Service has directed these units to improve soil conditions and make best use of soil for agricultural production. As far as mass organizations are concerned, the Service has launched many emulation movements of practical significance, such as “Naval youth pioneer and unite in achieving feats of arms and defending the Homeland’s seas and islands”, “Women help one another develop family economy”, “One engineer one thesis, one trade union team one initiative”. Those movements have made a drastic positive change in virtues, morality, and lifestyle, and created a sense of unity and dedication to job among cadres, youth union members, and members of other unions, contributing to making mass organizations strong.

In addition, the Determined to win emulation movement has been closely combined with the implementation of other movements and campaigns by sectors and localities, such as “All people unite in building cultural lifestyle”, “Day for the poor”, “The whole country join hands in building new-type rural area”, thereby creating the synergy, contributing to the Service’s successful fulfilment of the political task. During the emulation movements, the Service’s affiliates have well performed the function as an army for work, particularly the work of propagating the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy on sea and island in localities, with a focus on isolated, remote, coastal ones. In the past 10 years, the Service has cooperated with provinces and cities across the country in enhancing the work of propagation by signing coordinated regulations on propagation of sea and island with 53 provinces and cities and 15 Central offices, contributing to raising awareness and responsibility of sectors, people and political system towards sea and island, tapping all possible resources, and creating the synergy to defend the Homeland’s sea and island sovereignty.

In the time to come, the situation on the East Sea will continue to witness complex developments. Perceiving Uncle Ho’s teachings, the Naval Service’s Party Committee and High Command will continue to direct its affiliates to successfully carry out the emulation and reward work and seriously, deeply, synchronously implement the Determined to win emulation movement, with importance attached to making the Service politically strong and improving its synergy and combat power. In any circumstance, cadres and troops of the VPN will be absolutely loyal to the Party, the Homeland, and the people, successfully accomplish the task of safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity, particularly national sovereignty over seas, islands, and continental shelf, and maintain peace and stability for marine economic activities and national development.

Maj. Gen. Tran Hoai Trung, Commissar of the Naval Service