The man who planted the flag on the Independence Palace passed away.

On June 24, 2012, Colonel Bui Quang Than, the man who raised the flag at the Independence Palace on the historic day of April 30, 1975, suddenly passed away in his hometown of Thuy Xuan commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province.

Colonel Bui Quang Than was born in 1948 in Thai Binh. He officially joined the army in 1966 when he turned 18, in the Armored Regiment.

Participating in the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, he served as captain of the 4th company, 1st battalion, Armored Brigade in the 2nd Corps, the unit directly responsible for capturing the Independence Palace.

Colonel Bui Quang Than

Present on the T54 tank numbered 843 at the head of the formation entering the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975, he held the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and ran into the palace and asked to be led to the flagpole.

Bui Quang Than on April 30, 1975 (Photo)

Lowering the flag of the Duong Van Minh government, Mr. Bui Quang Than carefully wrote his name in a corner of the flag along with the official time the flag was raised to the roof of the Independence Palace, which was 11:30.

And that moment of 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975 became a historical milestone in the Vietnamese people's fight against foreign invaders.MaleIn 1999, Mr. Bui Quang Than was promoted to the rank of colonel. In 2000, he retired and returned to his hometown to take care of his family, raise livestock and cultivate crops. According to Mr. Ha Minh Thang - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Thuy Xuan Commune, head of the funeral committee of Colonel Bui Quang Than, Colonel Bui Quang Than suddenly died at his home at 3:30 p.m. on June 24, 2012.

The funeral of Colonel Bui Quang Than took place on June 25, the funeral and memorial service took place at 8:00 a.m. on June 26, 2012 at his hometown cemetery in Thuy Xuan commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province.

According to Tinnhanh-M