(VNF) - The construction of a memorial site dedicated to 64 navy soldiers who laid down their lives while protecting Gac Ma Island (Johnson South Reef) in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on March 14^th, 1988, is scheduled for inauguration on July 27^th (War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day).

The main statue at the Gac Ma memorial site. (Photo: plo.vn)

The memorial site is at East Sea Park, in the north of Cam Ranh peninsula, Cam Hai Dong Commune, Cam Lam district.

On January 18^th, a delegation from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) visited the construction site to examine the work progress and the major statue.

On March 13^th 2015, VGCL in collaboration with Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee held a ceremony to lay the first stone to build the monument. (Photo: khanhhoa.gov.vn)

Gac Ma soldiers’ memorial site commemorating 64 Vietnamese soldiers who fought to protect Gac Ma Island (Johnson South Reef), part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, on March 14^th, 1988.

Gac Ma contributed to Vietnam’s woeful and majestic history with the image of the soldiers who held each other’s hand to protect the national flag. “The Gac Ma circle of immortality” has become an icon of patriotism.

The statue depicts the image of the soldiers holding each other’s hands to form a circle that symbolises their immortal fight for the country’s sovereignty.

It will also help educate generations of Vietnamese people about the country’s patriotic tradition.

Overview of the memorial complex honoring Gac Ma soldiers in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa province. (Photo: VNA)

The examiners said the statue meets the set criteria in terms of art and materials, but need a few changes to make it more soulful.

The Gac Ma memorial site spans on an area of 2.5 hectares with construction beginning in March 2015. (Photo: Tan Loc)

The building cost is sourced from donations by trade unions and employees nationwide to the VGCL’s “Love for Hoang Sa-Truong Sa” programme initiated in March 2014./.

Compiled by VNF