A ceremony was held recently on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago to pay tribute to 64 Vietnamese soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1988 battle to defend the islands. The ceremony, held by Vietnam People’s Navy officers and crewmen of Ship HQ 936, Brigade 146, aimed to honour the fallen combatants and instill patriotism in younger navy soldiers. Young soldiers at the ceremony could not hold back their emotions after hearing about the event that took place more than 23 years ago. Sergeant Thanh Trung Dong who is stationed on Co Lin island said: “We are grateful for our predecessors’ lofty sacrifices. Following the example of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, we are determined to firmly defend our sovereign islands.”

On behalf of officers and crewmen on Ship HQ 936, senior lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Van Thu stressed: “Upholding tradition, generations of officers and soldiers in our brigade vow to train hard, to be vigilant and prepared to protect our territorial sovereignty in all circumstances and maintain peace in the East Sea”.