Society

Australian veteran’s son returns diary of Vietnamese martyr

Entries in the diary show that Vo Van Cong was born in 1944 in the former Phuoc Tho commune, Nhon Trach district, Bien Hoa province, now Dong Nai province. He joined the revolutionary movement in April 1961 and was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam in May 1962.

Glenn Mathews and his wife hand over the diary of Vietnamese martyr Vo Van Cong to Minister Counsellor Nghiem Xuan Hoa, representing the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia. (Photo: VNA)
Glenn Mathews and his wife hand over the diary of Vietnamese martyr Vo Van Cong to Minister Counsellor Nghiem Xuan Hoa, representing the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia. (Photo: VNA)

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Sydney (VNA) – Glenn Mathews, an Australian citizen living in Canberra and the son of an Australian veteran who served during the war in Vietnam, on April 20 visited the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia to return the diary of Vietnamese martyr Vo Van Cong. The diary was found by his father in 1968.

Accordingly, entries in the diary show that Vo Van Cong was born in 1944 in the former Phuoc Tho commune, Nhon Trach district, Bien Hoa province, now Dong Nai province.

He joined the revolutionary movement in April 1961 and was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam in May 1962. He once served as secretary of the district youth union.

Mathews said he came across the diary among personal belongings left by his father after his passing. He decided to hand it over to the Vietnamese embassy with the hope that the martyr's family would one day receive the item.

The embassy welcomed the gesture by Mathews and his family, saying it reflects respect for the families of Vietnamese martyrs and contributes to strengthening friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and Australia.

The embassy is coordinating with relevant authorities in Vietnam to locate the martyr’s relatives so the diary can be returned to his family./.

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VNA
#Australian veteran #Vietnamese martyr Australia
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