In the salty darkness off Phu Quy in 2015, as strong currents washed away the pinpricks of light from submerged flashlights, Major Hoc (Naval Commando Brigade 126, Vietnam People’s Navy) suddenly froze.

Before him, what appeared to be a scrap of fabric caught in the aircraft wreck turned out to be a parachute, and a fallen comrade inside.

At that moment, a mix of grief and resolve defined the essence of a military diver. They live ordinary lives on land but summon steely courage underwater to face the harshest realities.

Searching for comrades 

In 2015, two Su-22M4 aircraft of the Vietnam People’s Air Force collided during a training exercise over Phu Quy Island, Binh Thuan, on April 16. Brigade 126 was tasked with search and rescue. Fifteen special forces members, including Major Hoc, plunged into the sea in darkness. Despite towering waves, strong currents, and harsh depths, they refused to falter.

On the first day, they marked the general area of debris and located some items related to the pilots and aircraft, but strong water flow prevented them from securing the site. 

On the second day, Major Hoc dived in the final shift (4-5 pm) and located the aircraft wreckage, but his team’s air supply ran out.

Per diving protocol, consecutive shifts are prohibited at such depths. Yet, determined not to lose the trail, Major Hoc requested to continue. “With complex terrain and strong currents, I reported to Brigade Commander Tran Van Khuong and search team leader Tran Nhat Lac, requesting to dive again to mark the exact location for the next shift,” he said.

After four grueling days, they recovered aircraft fragments and found a pilot’s incomplete remains. “We were relieved to find our comrade, but it was an unforgettable pain. It was a mix of choking grief and pride, knowing we gave our all to complete the mission,” Major Hoc recounted.

Eight years later, the memory resurfaced during the April 2023 Bell 505 helicopter crash in the waters between Lan Ha Bay (Hai Phong) and Ha Long (Quang Ninh). The helicopter, VN-8650, crashed in the late afternoon, killing all five aboard. 

That night, Major Hoc and his team mobilized through the night, reaching the site by midnight. From 1.30 to 4am, they searched through thick, muddy water. In the pitch-black night, the divers’ hands sifted through aircraft debris.

After a two-hour rest, they resumed the diving and found one body. Major Hoc, alongside diver Dong Van Minh, found the entire aircraft, including the black box, which was handed over for investigation.

“I still remember the meal after searching for the Bell 505 victims, the one with pig’s leg soup. I was haunted, couldn’t eat, and just had rice with some greens,” Major Hoc recalled. 

He noted that each rescue mission is unique, unlike fixed training drills. Duty, skill, and mental fortitude determine success.

These tragic missions stand as vivid proof of the spirit “wherever it’s hardest, that’s where naval commandos are.”

Thousands of days of training

Born in 1981 into a poor family in Kien Xuong, Thai Binh (now Hung Yen), Do Quang Hoc experienced hardship early. His father was a war-disabled veteran, and his mother suffered from Agent Orange-related health issues.

A high school teacher inspired him to apply for armed forces schools. But due to his circumstances, he became a factory worker in Southern Vietnam in 1999.

A chance visit home during Tet changed his life. Encouraged by acquaintances to enlist, Hoc volunteered for Commando Unit 126 under the Special Forces.

Over the first 13 years, he served in various units. In early 2014, he joined Naval Commando Brigade 126 under the Vietnam People’s Navy.

Becoming a military diver required 3-5 years of continuous training, physically, tactically, and mentally.

The diver training at Naval Commando Brigade 126 is known as “the steel forge.” Hundreds of grueling days transform a recruit into an elite commando with the “five excels”: diving, martial arts, shooting, combat operations, and hardship endurance.

Every deep dive carries risks: water pressure, fierce currents, equipment failures can be deadly in an instant. But the strength of Major Hoc and his comrades lies in their iron will. Each dive tests their resolve, pushing them to surpass themselves and uphold their duty to the nation and its people.

Thanh Hue - Hoang Ha