Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and other incumbent and former high-ranking Party, State and military officials attended the ceremony. Before the memorial service, delegates offered incense and flowers at the monument to General Secretary Tran Phu and the martyrs’ memorial steles within Le Thi Rieng Park.
In a solemn atmosphere, delegations from the Party and State leadership, the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense, and others took turns offering incense in tribute to the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their youth and lives for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland and the peaceful life today.
Delivering the funeral oration, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, emphasized that upholding the tradition of loyalty and the “When drinking water, remember its source” tradition, the Party organization and armed forces of Military Region 7, together with the authorities and people of the city, were determined to carry forward the aspirations of the martyrs and strive to build and safeguard an increasingly prosperous and beautiful country, steadfastly following the path chosen by the Party, President Ho Chi Minh and the people.
He said that from June 23 to October 13, the forces involved recovered the remains of 731 martyrs at Le Thi Rieng Park. However, most of those recovered during this operation had yet to be determined. Expressing profound sorrow and gratitude, he called on the spirits of the fallen soldiers, wherever they came from, to regard Ho Chi Minh City as their homeland and a peaceful resting place.
He also affirmed that the city will continue the search for martyrs’ remains until no further leads remain.
Following the funeral ceremony, the delegates and on-duty forces carried out the formal transfer of the martyrs’ remains onto vehicles for transportation to Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery. Of the 731 sets of remains to be reburied, 698 were individually recovered, while the remaining 33 were placed together in a collective coffin.
From Le Thi Rieng Park, the vehicles carrying the martyrs’ remains traveled along Truong Son, August Revolution and Dien Bien Phu streets, crossed Saigon Bridge, and continued along Vo Nguyen Giap Street and Hanoi Highway to Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery, covering a distance of approximately 26 kilometers.
Along the route, local people stood on the sidewalks holding Party flags, national flags and white flowers to solemnly bid farewell to the fallen soldiers.
Below are some photos of the ceremony.
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Party, State and military leaders and former leaders attend the ceremony. |
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Party, State and military leaders and former leaders offering incense at the monument to General Secretary Tran Phu in Le Thi Rieng Park. |
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The delegation of the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense pays tribute to the fallen soldiers. |
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Military and public security officers and soldiers stand ready to transport the martyrs’ remains to their burial site. |
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and former State President Nguyen Minh Triet help place a coffin containing martyrs’ remains onto a vehicle for transportation to Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery. |
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Former State President Truong Tan Sang and General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Chief of the General Department of Political Affairs, solemnly help place a coffin containing martyrs’ remains onto a vehicle for transportation to the burial site. |
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Residents holding white flowers, Party flags and national flags stand outside Le Thi Rieng Park to solemnly bid farewell to the fallen soldiers. |
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The vehicles travel along Hanoi Highway... |
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...arriving at Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery. |
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, incumbent and former Party and State leaders, and delegates attend the reburial ceremony. |
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung offers incense in tribute to the martyrs. |
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Former State President Truong Tan Sang and General Nguyen Trong Nghia offer incense in tribute to the martyrs. |
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The reburial ceremony is held solemnly at Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery. |
Translated by Quynh Oanh