War Veterans and Residents Pay Tribute to Fallen Soldiers in Gac Ma Battle
War veterans and residents on March 13 night released lanterns into Ha Tinh sea in commemoration of naval soldiers who sacrificed their lives while safeguarding Gac Ma Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago 34 years ago.
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| War veterans and relatives of the martyrs released lanterns into Thien Cam sea in Cam Xuyen district, the central province of Ha Tinh, on March 13 night, according to Tien phong (Vanguard) newspaper. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| Relatives of the martyrs and war veterans come from Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces, with lanterns prepared earlier. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| The ceremony is held annually to commemorate the 64 fallen soldiers who died defending Gac Ma Reef in the Spratly archipelago on March 14, 1988. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| Lanterns are prepared by relatives of the martyrs. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| Tens of war veterans and relatives of the martyrs are present at the ceremony. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| Veterans and relatives of the martyrs are about to release the lanterns into the sea. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| “We gather here to pay tribute to our brother – a soldier who died safeguarding Gac Ma Reef 34 years ago,” a relative of martyr Dao Kim Cuong said. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
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| Le Huu Thao, a war veteran, said the ceremony is also intended to remind young generations about the sacrifice and contributions of the martyrs to defending the country’s sacred sovereignty over its seas and islands. Photo: Tien phong newspaper |
 | PM Pays Fact-Finding Trip to Cam Lam District of Khanh Hoa Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a fact-finding trip to Cam Lam district of Khanh Hoa on March 12, part of his working visit to ... |
 | Truong Sa (Spratly) 1988 - Dossier on Historical Incident: Diplomacy and Reality In the aftermath of the American War, the Vietnamese economy and government faced many difficulties. Despite these hardships, Vietnam has always protected its sea, islands, ... |
 | Vietnam Asks Taiwan to Stop Illegal Live-Fire Drills The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said Taiwan’s holding military drills off Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago is a serious violation of its sovereignty. |
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