Prime minister honors fallen soldiers at Truong Son cemetery

Prime minister Pham Minh Chinh joined the youth union in lighting over 10,000 candles at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery on the evening of 26/7 to honor fallen soldiers.

At the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, the central committee of the Ho Chi Minh communist youth union, in coordination with the ministry of home affairs and the Quang Tri provincial people's committee, organized a candle-lighting ceremony to honor fallen soldiers on the 78th anniversary of war invalids and martyrs day (27/7/1947).

Candles light up the graves at Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery. Photo: Dac Thanh

Candles light up the graves at Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery. Photo: Dac Thanh

Speaking at the ceremony, prime minister Pham Minh Chinh said each candle lit tonight is not just a tribute to the past but also a light connecting the past, present, and future. It is a promise that today's generation will live, fight, work, and study in a manner worthy of the sacrifices of the previous generation.

The prime minister requested that all levels, branches, and localities continue to review, supplement, and complete the state's policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution and their relatives with policies that are "increasingly better, more comprehensive, and more effective." The policies for people with meritorious services must not be interrupted or delayed, and the processing of procedures must be quick and convenient, with the highest sense of responsibility and respect.

The prime minister, along with the delegation and union members, then lit candles on the graves. There are over 10,260 graves of fallen soldiers here, those who sacrificed their lives on the Ho Chi Minh trail during the American war.

Prime minister Pham Minh Chinh lights a candle at the Truong Son cemetery. Photo: Dac Thanh

Prime minister Pham Minh Chinh lights a candle at the Truong Son cemetery. Photo: Dac Thanh

Earlier that day, the prime minister offered incense and flowers at the Quang Tri ancient citadel, a special national relic, and the Road 9 National Martyrs Cemetery, commemorating the heroes and martyrs who fought and died for the nation and its people.

The prime minister then visited and presented a gift to Vietnamese heroic mother Dao Thi Vui, 102, in Hai Lang commune. Vui’s husband and only son died during the resistance wars against the French and the Americans.

During the American war, Quang Tri was one of the fiercest battlefields due to its location on the temporary demarcation line dividing the country after the Geneva Accords. The province has 157 cemeteries with 74,000 graves of martyrs, with Road 9 National Martyrs Cemetery and Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery among the largest in the country.

These two cemeteries contain 21,134 graves of fallen soldiers. Every July, thousands of people come to Quang Tri to burn incense and light candles to honor the fallen heroes.