The event saw the participation of General Do Ba Ty, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly; Vu Trong Kim, Chairman of the Association of Former Vietnamese Youth Volunteers; Lieutenant General Le Hien Van, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army; representatives of Thai Nguyen province's leadership, and more than 300 former volunteer youths across the country.
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Lt. Gen. Le Hien Van and former youth volunteers |
At the ceremony, delegates reviewed the 70-year tradition of the establishment and development of the volunteer youths. On that day 70 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh issued a decision to establish the force, the predecessor of the Vietnamese Youth Volunteers. During the resistance war against the French colonialists and American imperialists, the force successfully completed their tasks, recorded various great victories, contributing to the cause of national liberation and reunification.
8,000 young volunteers were added to the army and participated in and served combats alongside the regular troops. During the national resistance war against the U.S. invaders, tens of thousands of volunteers opened 102 strategic roads, with a total length of 4,130 km; transported 100,000 tons of weapons, food to the battlefields; protected 3,000 important traffic points; dug 1,135km of tunnels; and built eight field hospitals. They also removed more than 100,000 bombs, shot down 15 U.S. aircraft. During the wars, 6,051 young volunteers sacrificed, while 42,455 people were injured, and 18,000 ones and their children were exposed to AO/dioxin.
With special and outstanding achievements, the Vietnamese volunteer force was granted with many noble awards by the Party, State, Ministry of National Defense.
At the event, delegates offered incense and lit candles to commemorate fallen soldiers at the Monument of Youth Volunteers, and to pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the 27-7 National Historical Relic Site in Hung Son commune, Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province.
The same day, Lieutenant General Le Hien Van and a delegation of the Army Youth's representatives offered incense at the Monument where the First Chapter of the National Salvation Youth Union was formed (February 8, 1952) in Na Mao commune.
Translated by Lam Anh