The Vietnamese Association in Thailand’s Udon Thani province on March 14 held a ceremony to commemorate 64 naval officers and soldiers who laid down their lives while defending Gac Ma Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa in 1988 as well as heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland and those who died of natural disasters and pandemics.

The event, held at Khanh An Pagoda, a Vietnamese pagoda in the northeastern province of Thailand, saw the participation of former State President Truong My Hoa who is also head of the “For Beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa” Club.

Since 2016, the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani has annually held such a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 64 fallen soldiers in the Gac Ma battle. It is also an occasion for overseas Vietnamese there to unite together and look towards the homeland.

Luong Xuan Hoa, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani, said that remembering the sacrifice of heroes and martyrs, younger generations always respect them and continue protecting the sacred sea and islands of the country.

On March 14, 1988, the 64 naval soldiers of Vietnam fell down while standing in a circle defending the national flag planted on the 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./.