A ceremony was held in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa province on July 15^th to inaugurate the first phase of the memorial complex dedicated to Gac Ma soldiers, as part of the activities to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27^th, 1947-2017).

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the memorial complex. (Credit: tienphong.vn)

The construction of the memorial complex, which aims to pay tribute to 64 soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1988 naval battle to protect Gac Ma Island of Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, began in March 2015.

Gac Ma contributed to Vietnam’s woeful and majestic history with the image of the soldiers who held each other’s hand to protect the national flag. “The Gac Ma circle of immortality” has become an icon of patriotism.

The statue depicts the image of the soldiers holding each other’s hands to form a circle that symbolises their immortal fight for the country’s sovereignty.

Encompassing an area of 2.5 hectares, the complex includes a monument, an exhibition house for artifacts and a system of green trees.

The project was initiated by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour in March 2014 with funds raised from trade unions, workers, organisations and benefactors in Vietnam and from abroad.

At the inauguration ceremony. (Photo: VnExpress.net)

Addressing the ceremony, the VGCL’s Vice President Tran Thanh Hai expressed his deep gratitude to the heroic Vietnamese mothers, sick and wounded soldiers, the relatives of martyrs and revolutionary contributors.

He emphasised that the memorial complex is considered as a symbol of the patriotism, willpower and solidarity of the Vietnamese army and people, highlighting the spirit of maintaining national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On the occasion, the VGCL received VND 20 billion (USD 880.000) from trade unions across all levels for construction of the second phase of the memorial complex for Gac Ma soldiers and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago in Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province.

The federation also presented VND 30 million (USD 1.320) each to the relatives of 11 martyrs./.

The main statue at the Gac Ma memorial site. (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

The memorial complex honoring Gac Ma soldiers in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa province. (Photo: (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

VNF/NDO