On Tuesday, a commemoration ceremony took place to honour the 64 martyrs who laid down their lives in the Gac Ma Island battle against the Chinese in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on 14 March 1988.  The ceremony took place at the Crew Member Training Centre of the Nguyen Tien Maritime Service and Engineering Company in Da Nang’s Son Tra District.

The list of the 64 Gac Ma martyrs

As part of the occasion, the Association of 83 CQ-88 Truong Sa Officers and Men officially debuted.  It will act as a bridge to connect and help the Truong Sa archipelago's ex-soldiers overcome their difficulties.

On behalf of the Association’s leaders, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Hoan recalled his unforgettable memories of this historic event.  He also noted that this annual commemoration aimed to teach the younger Vietnamese generations to forever remember the sacrifices of the heroic martyrs who laid down their lives for the protection of Viet Nam's sovereignty over its sea and islands.

The ritual of floating flower garlands on the waters

Also at the ceremony, officers and men from the city-based Engineering Brigade 83 of the Viet Nam People’s Navy floated fresh flower garlands and candle-lit flower garlands at the mouth of the Han River in commemoration of the martyrs.