Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Rear Admiral Phan Tuan Hung, Deputy Commander of theNaval Force, recently led a delegation to visit soldiers and officers onmission on islands of the Truong Sa archipelago, the central province of KhanhHoa, and organised a ceremony to commemorate fallen soldiers in battle todefend Co Lin, Gac Ma and Len Dao reefs 33 years ago.
At the ceremony held on Co Lin, Colonel Le Xuan Phong, deputy head of theinspection committee of the Naval Force’s Party Committee, recalled the March14, 1988 event, in which 64 naval soldiers and officers of Vietnam bravelysacrificed their lives to protect the nation’s sea and island sovereignty.
Vietnam underwent wars with severe losses; however, the Vietnamese people neverforget Gac Ma soldiers’ sacrifice, he said.
Their image has become an immortal monument, contributing to bringing Truong Sacloser in the heart of Vietnamese people, he stressed.
“The Truong Sa archipelago is a sacred territorial part of the Fatherland. Eachcoral reef, grain of sand, branch of trees and blade of grass is imbued withsweat and blood of generations of the Vietnamese people. We respect the soldiers’sacrifice and contribution to the nation’s unity and territorial integrity,” hesaid./.