In the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025), the Veterans’ Association of National Economics University (NEU) organized a journey to historic sites in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Dong Loc, and Truong Bon to remember and honor the heroes and fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of the South and national reunification.

Veterans’ Association members pose for a commemorative photo in the A1 lobby at NEU before departure.

Joining the trip were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Chairman of the Veterans’ Association; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Trieu, Vice Chairman of the Veterans’ Association; MSc. Luong Viet Anh, Vice Dean of the Faculty of In-service Education, representing the Executive Committee of the NEU Trade Union; members of the Veterans’ Association Executive Committee; and nearly 30 Veterans’ Association members.

During the journey, the delegation visited and offered incense at the graves of General Vo Nguyen Giap and his wife at Vung Chua – Dao Yen, Quang Trach, Quang Binh. Although the General passed away 13 years ago (October 4, 2013), his life and career remain deeply etched in the hearts of the Vietnamese people in general and of every soldier and veteran in particular. Throughout the journey to and from his resting place, the veterans in the delegation shared many moving stories about the “Eldest Brother” of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Veterans’ Association members offer incense at the resting place of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

On the second day, the delegation offered incense at Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery, the resting place of more than 10,000 fallen soldiers, youth volunteers, and frontline civilian laborers who lost their lives along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and on the Truong Son battlefield during the resistance war against the United States. Whether identified or unidentified, in individual or mass graves, they are honored with deep reverence by people from across the country. Here, incense smoke rises day and night at the “The Fatherland Honors Your Service” monument, and visitors arrive in an unending stream.

Veterans’ Association members offer incense at Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery.

The delegation then visited the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Museum, at the site of the fierce 81-day-and-night battle (June 28 – September 16, 1972), in which soldiers defended every inch of land and every section of the citadel walls under relentless bombardment and gunfire. “As long as we live, the Ancient Citadel will stand” was the unwavering oath of the Liberation Army soldiers at the time. Today, Quang Tri Ancient Citadel is a shared grave for thousands of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence and freedom, contributing to the Great Spring Victory of 1975.

Veterans’ Association members solemnly offer incense at Quang Tri Ancient Citadel.

Among the soldiers who fell at the Ancient Citadel were at least 12 NEU staff members and students who set aside their academic pursuits to serve between 1970 and 1972. The delegation laid flowers and offered incense at the “Quang Tri Ancient Citadel Student-Soldier Memorial” to remember the men and women who fell there.

Veterans’ Association members offer incense at the memorial.

At the Dong Loc Junction Special National Historic Site, a strategic junction on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the delegation offered incense in memory of more than 1,000 soldiers who fell there, most of whom remain unidentified. Among them were 10 female youth volunteers, aged 17 to 24, who died while working to keep the road open. Bombs and shells rained down day and night, yet convoys carrying weapons and food continued to pass through, keeping the supply lifeline to the southern battlefield open. Although many veterans in the delegation had visited several times, each return brought renewed emotion, grief, and pride in the resilience of the people and soldiers of those years.

Hien Luong Bridge once marked the boundary dividing the North and the South for 21 years. More than a bridge, it symbolizes the pain of separation and the aspiration for reunification. During the war, “loudspeaker battles” and “flag battles” continued throughout the conflict. Today, the bridge stands as a historical vestige and a testament to a time when the nation overcame division to reunite in peace, fulfilling its aspiration for national reunification.

Veterans’ Association members visit Hien Luong Bridge and pose for a commemorative photo.

The final stop was Truong Bon, a special national historic site on strategic Route 15A. Truong Bon was once the most fiercely bombarded location on the Truong Son Trail. Today, the remains of fallen soldiers have been gathered and buried here in more than 1,250 graves, including many mass graves and graves of unidentified soldiers. Notably, the site houses a memorial to 13 youth volunteers of Company 317 of the Nghe An transportation sector, who died at dawn on October 31, 1968, just one hour before the United States halted its bombing of the North.

Veterans’ Association members offer incense at the Truong Bon historic site.

They were all very young, aged 17 to 22. Among them, two were preparing to marry, two were preparing for a formal meeting between their families to discuss marriage on October 31, 1968, and four had received admission notices for university and intermediate-level vocational school and planned to begin their studies after completing their assignment.

Their comrades and the people continue to recount these stories and events whenever they visit Truong Bon, with both sorrow and pride. War took away not only youth but also the love and personal happiness of so many people, further underscoring the steadfast revolutionary resolve of our armed forces and people in the cause of national liberation and defense of the Fatherland.

The journey to historic sites was not only an opportunity to honor heroes and fallen soldiers but also a vivid lesson in revolutionary traditions and an indomitable spirit of patriotism for today’s generations. For the NEU Veterans’ Association, it was an occasion to revisit a heroic past, remind one another to live up to the tradition of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers,” and continue contributing their knowledge and experience to the development of NEU and the country in the new era. At every stage of the journey and every historic site they visited, the veterans were filled with emotions of sorrow and joy, and with pride in having contributed to the nation’s victory.

Text and photos: Veterans’ Association & Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.