Incense offered to commemorate 64 Johnson Reef battle martyrs

The ceremony was attended by war veterans of the Truong Sa Soldiers Liaison Board of Da Nang City.

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In his opening speech, Nguyen Van Tan, head of the Liaison Board, recalled the unequal battle between 64 Vietnamese naval soldiers and armed Chinese fighters deployed to attack the Johnson, Collins, and Lansdowne Reefs of the Spratly archipelago on March 14, 1988.

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“They fought to the last drop of their blood to protect the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland. You sacrificed your life, but in the hearts of your comrades and people, you will always live forever," said the war veteran.

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81-year-old Tran Thi Hue, who resides in Son Tra district, burst out crying when she talked about his son Le The, one of the 64 Vietnamese navy soldiers who laid down their lives in the battle.

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A war veteran offered incense in front of the golden stele engraved with the names of those who died in the battle to protect the country’s sovereignty at sea.

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. “Thirty-five years ago my son boarded vessel HQ-604 deployed to protect the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland. If my son were to choose again, I believe that he would still choose the path he took, because the country’s sovereignty over the sea and islands is sacred and inviolable,” says Le Thi Lan, mother of Nguyen Huu Loc, one of the 64 fallen soldiers.