Thursday, 15:00, 14/03/2024

Solemn incense offering to commemorate Johnson Reef fallen soldiers

VOV.VN - The Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee held a solemn ceremony at the Gac Ma Soldiers Memorial on March 14 morning to commemorate 64 naval men who sacrificed their lives in the Johnson Reef naval battle 36 years ago to protect the fatherland’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

solemn incense offering to commemorate johnson reef fallen soldiers picture 1 — On March 14, 1988, 64 Vietnamese officers and soldiers, mostly unarmed, laid down their lives in an unequal battle against Chinese troops equipped with modern weapons, in an attempt to protect Da Gac Ma (Johnson Reef) of Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

solemn incense offering to commemorate johnson reef fallen soldiers picture 2 — The March 14, 1988 battle has gone down in history as an indelible mark in the hearts of every Vietnamese. In the photo, leaders of Khanh Hoa province, former leaders of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, and leaders of the Fourth Regional Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy spent a moment of silence in commemoration of the fallen soldiers.

solemn incense offering to commemorate johnson reef fallen soldiers picture 3 — In his speech at the ceremony, Colonel Bui Van Ben of the Fourth Regional Command recalled the heroic and selfless examples of the navy force in that arduous battle, and vowed to stand firm to protect national sovereignty.

solemn incense offering to commemorate johnson reef fallen soldiers picture 4 — Major Colonel Tran Thi Thuy, daughter of martyr Tran Van Phuong, who was one of the 64 fallen soldiers, could not hold back her tears when seeing with her own eyes the portraits and war memorabilia of her father and other fallen soldiers.

solemn incense offering to commemorate johnson reef fallen soldiers picture 5 — To honour the fallen soldiers, the Gac Ma Soldiers Memorial was built from 2015 to 2017 in Cam Hai Dong commune of Khanh Hoa province. This place site has since become a ‘red address’ to educate present-day generations about the history of protecting maritime and island sovereignty as well as the heroic sacrifices of ancestors.

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