A requiem ceremony has taken place in Quang Tri Province to commemorate soldiers who laid their down during the 81-day glorious feat of arms to protect the Quang Tri ancient citadel in 1972.

A group of the Da Nang leaders, led by municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri, offering incense to the fallen combatants at the Quang Tri ancient citadel

Jointly held by the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Soldiers’ Association and the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), the ceremony was amongst activities to celebrate the 71^st anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (27 July) and 46^th anniversary of the fight.

The attendees at the event included representatives from the authorities of Quang Tri Province and other localities nationwide, and the national government agencies, along with over 3,000 dignitaries, monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers nationwide. A group of the Da Nang leaders, led by municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri, were also present there.

The Chairman of the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Soldiers’ Association, Le Xuan Tanh, highlighted the heroic spirit of the Vietnamese revolutionary solders during the battle of protecting the citadel.

The Association’s operation focuses on carrying out meaningful activities as a tribute to the heroic martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation’s re-unification, in line with the time-honoured national tradition of ‘when drinking water, think of its source’.

Fierce fighting for control of the citadel, the central province’s symbol of power, started from 28 June 1972 and ended on 16 September 1972, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

This victory contributed to Viet Nam’s triumph at the Paris Conference, and it was a prerequisite for the General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1975, which completely liberated the south and reunified the country.

The old citadel, just under 3,000m², and a small area around it was bombarded by the combined fire power of American B52 strategic bombers, the 7^th Fleet and thousands of artillery pieces.

An estimated 328,000 tonnes of bombs were dropped on the old citadel and a small town of some 10,000 houses around it. By the time the fighting ended, the town was almost leveled. No houses remained intact.

Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri and other Da Nang officials joining in a ritual of floating flower garlands on the Thach Han River.

Also at the requiem ceremony, generous philanthropies pledged to cover the costs of building 32 houses, worth 170 million each, for members of the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Soldiers’ Association.

In a similar vein, the Da Nang Port Company committed funds to the construction of a house at a cost of 60 million VND.

During their stay in the province, the Da Nang guests offered incense to the fallen combatants at the Quang Tri ancient citadel, and the martyrs' cemeteries of Truong Son and Duong Chin.