Releasing flower lanterns in memory of 64 martyrs of Gac Ma

On the morning of March 12, the Truong Sa Soldiers' Liaison Committee in Da Nang City (1984 - 1988) held an incense offering ceremony to commemorate the 64 martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Gac Ma battle, protecting Vietnam's sovereignty over Truong Sa archipelago on March 14, 1988.

The ceremony took place solemnly at the memorial site for heroic martyrs in Hoa Cuong Bac ward (Hai Chau district, Da Nang city).

The Truong Sa Troops Liaison Committee in Da Nang City (1984 - 1988) held an incense offering ceremony to commemorate the 64 martyrs who died in the Gac Ma incident.

Attending the ceremony were former leaders of the 83rd Naval Engineering Brigade; veterans and former soldiers who worked and fought in the Truong Sa archipelago and relatives of martyrs who died on Gac Ma island...

Along with many other relatives attending the memorial service, Mr. Le Van Xuan (father of martyr Le Van Xanh) said that 35 years ago, Xanh returned home to celebrate Tet with his family, promising to get married when he returned. However, that promise remained unfulfilled when he and 63 of his comrades heroically sacrificed their lives to protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland.

Model of ship HQ-604 with memorial tablets of 64 martyrs who died at Gac Ma.

Sitting in a wheelchair, mother Le Thi Lan (80 years old, Cam Le district resident), mother of martyr Nguyen Huu Loc, shared that her son died at the age of 21, after more than 1 year of military service. Every year, she is present at the memorial service to burn incense for the 64 martyrs.

“These days, wherever I go, I see Loc’s image. This morning, I asked you to take a taxi here to light incense for Loc and the 63 martyrs. As long as I have health, I will continue to go…”, Lan’s mother said.

Mother Le Thi Lan sat in a wheelchair to burn incense for 64 martyrs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan - Head of the Liaison Committee of Truong Sa soldiers in Da Nang city (1984-1988) shared the pain and loss with the families of the martyrs.

“National sovereignty is supreme and inviolable. Over the past 35 years, the waves may have erased all traces, but they cannot erase the tragic memories of the Vietnamese people about the brave soldiers. Their sacrifices have been built into immortal monuments of love for the Fatherland. Today's and future generations must remember them, no one is allowed to forget them,” Mr. Tan emphasized.

Immediately after the gratitude ceremony, comrades of the Gac Ma martyrs released a model of the HQ-604 ship, flower lanterns, and memorial wreaths into the Han River.

Comrades of Gac Ma martyrs released a model of ship HQ-604, flower lanterns, and memorial wreaths into the Han River.

On March 14, 1988, China brazenly sent a powerful force of warships to attack and invade Gac Ma Island (Truong Sa archipelago), killing 64 soldiers on duty on the island.

Gac Ma has entered the nation's tragic history with the image of soldiers holding the national flag tightly despite the artillery fire. The fallen soldiers have formed an "immortal circle" forever engraved in history books, writing a heroic and tragic epic about the spirit of sacrifice, adding to the glorious tradition of fighting to build and defend the country in the history of the Vietnamese people.

Ho Giap