Laying the first stone to build the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial

The ceremony to lay the first stone for the construction of the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial took place on the morning of March 13, at Bien Dong Park, on Cam Ranh Peninsula (Khanh Hoa Province).

Overall perspective of the Memorial Area. Photo: zing

The memorial was built on a 2.5-hectare land area on Cam Ranh peninsula, from contributions from organizations and people at home and abroad.

Mr. Dang Ngoc Tung, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, said the Gac Ma memorial site honors the 64 martyrs who sacrificed their lives on March 14, 1988 in the battle to protect the sacred archipelago of the Fatherland.

The monument “Those who lie down towards the sun”, the heart of the Gac Ma soldiers memorial. Photo: VNN

After organizing a design competition, the Organizing Committee selected the work "Journey of Aspiration" by a group of authors from the Center for Architectural Research (Department of Planning and Architecture of Ho Chi Minh City) and "Those Who Lie on the Horizon" by Ly Thi Lieu (Oanh Vu Fine Arts - Photography Company Limited, Ho Chi Minh City) to combine into a master project.

This project is being finalized to estimate the total cost of the project. It is expected that the project will be constructed this year and completed in 2016.

At the ceremony, the Organizing Committee spent time interacting with relatives of martyrs and veterans of Gac Ma.

Ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial. Photo: zing

Veteran Le Huu Thao, who was present at the Gac Ma battle in 1988, recounted the incident in which China attacked and occupied Gac Ma Island, killing 64 soldiers. "It has been 27 years, but the bodies of many martyrs have not been found. They have gone down in the glorious history of the nation, but their bodies still lie in the cold sea," said Mr. Thao.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, mother of martyr Hoang Anh Dong, from Quang Tri, shed tears when talking about her son who sacrificed for the Fatherland. "This memorial will comfort many families whose children died in the battle, and the souls of the soldiers will also be warm," Ms. Hang was moved.

According to zing.vn