The ceremony to remember Gac Ma soldiers in Quang Binh (Photo: VNA)

Quang Binh – A requiem was held on March 13 in the central province of Quang Binh in remembrance of the 64 soldiers who laid down their lives defending Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) 36 years ago.

Among the 64 martyrs, 13 hailed from Quang Binh. The memorial ceremony was an opportunity to educate patriotic tradition for younger generations.

On March 14, 1988, 64 naval soldiers of Vietnam fell down while defending the national flag planted on Gac Ma Reef and affirming the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

Their brave deaths were honoured with a monument named “Nhung nguoi nam lai phia chan troi” (Those who laid down their lives on the horizon) at the Gac Ma soldier memorial site.

The commemoration in March is a demonstration of Vietnamese people’s tradition of expressing gratitude to those who dedicate their lives to safeguard the country’s maritime sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also illustrates the nation’s thousands-of-years unanimity and resolve to safeguard the Fatherland.

Nowadays, the officers and soldiers performing duties on the islands, reefs, and platforms on the country’s territorial waters are following former generations’ example, ready to sacrifice their lives to firmly defend the maritime sovereignty and be trustworthy supports for people at sea.

On the occasion, on March 14 Quang Phuc ward in Ba Don town held a ceremony unveiling the street name plate for a street named after martyr hero Tran Van Phuong who died in the Gac Ma battle. This is a tribute to the son of the homeland who bravely sacrificed his life to protect the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland.