Over 300 former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts for missions in Laos got together in Hanoi on October 30 on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of their traditional day to reminisce on what they went through alongside Lao soldiers during the war against the French and Americans.
As part of an agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao Parties, States, armies and peoples, a command unit of the Vietnam People’s Army was tasked with supporting Laos in its fight for national liberation from 1945-1975, during which generations of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and military experts overcame numerous hardships with their Lao comrades, resulting in the success of the Lao revolution.
Nearly 35,000 Vietnamese soldiers died on Lao soil, while 60,000 returned home as war invalids.
Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Thanh Cung said in his speech that even though many years had passed, the victory of the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and military experts remained a proud milestone in the history of Vietnam and Laos, as well as their Parties, armies and peoples.
Laos’ Deputy Defence Minister, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Chansamon Channhalat, on his part, also acknowledged that the solidarity and special military alliance between the two nations had stood the test of time and reaped many rewards in a number of areas.-VNA
