President Nguyen Minh Triet has received veterans of K3-Tam Dao battalion who participated in the 81-day campaign to protect the Old Citadel of Quang Tri in 1972 during the American War.

The reception was made on Saturday on the occasion of the 62 nd War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

“The Party, State and people are eternally grateful to the heroic martyrs, invalids and families who contributed to the revolution,” President Triet said.

Quang Tri Old Citadel was one of the most fierce battlefields of the war. The sacrifices of the soldiers protecting the old citadel contributed greatly to the country’s victory on April 30, 1975, he said.

Sharing with the delegates the difficulties and challenges that the country was facing, President Triet affirmed that the Party and State would address socio-economic issues such as preventing and fighting corruption and social evils to improve people’s lives and further develop the country.

The Party and State hoped that people would remain confident in leadership roles and efforts to protect the socialist regime, along with the nation’s independence and freedom, which the heroic martyrs had sacrificed their lives for, he said.

Triet said he hoped that veterans of the battalion would continue to promote their heroic fighting tradition and contribute to the country’s development and construction.

More than 600 officials and soldiers from the battalion put down their lives to protect the citadel, and now only 40 people were still alive, including 29 invalids.

As on Sunday, member of the Party Political Bureau Ho Duc Viet lit incense in honour of the myrtyrs buried at the Truong Son National Cemetery , and floated flowers on in the Thach Han River near Old Citadel Memorial in Quang Tri.

The Vietnam Buddhist Church on July 26 cooperated with Buddhists in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces to organise a two-day requiem for the peace of the martyrs’ souls in the Road 9 National Cemetery. The ceremony was to show nationwide Buddhists and people’s respect for the martyrs’ sacrifices.

At 8pm on July 26, in 2,562 cemeteries in 60 provinces and cities, about 900,000 local youth lit candles to show their gratitude to 570,000 martyrs./.