The joy of veterans participating in the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA
Satisfied and proud
Departing from Binh Duong at 10pm to Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hoai Phong's family gathered at Turtle Lake and stayed up all night to wait for the parade on the morning of April 30. Preparing for this trip, the whole family had planned early, researching locations to be able to watch the parade in the best way. Being able to join the crowd celebrating the country's festival, he felt very excited and proud.
Mr. Phong said that family members, especially his two children, were very excited about the performance of the helicopter squadron carrying the national flag; along with the fighter jet squadron of the Vietnam People's Army in the sky of central Ho Chi Minh City.
"If you watch on TV, you can follow the whole program, but the family wants to come directly to join in the joyful atmosphere and spirit of the national holiday. It only happens once every 50 years, so we want our children to have this meaningful experience. At the same time, through this, I hope that my children will understand more about the traditional history of the nation, be grateful to the previous generations who sacrificed for today's peace , and understand the meaning and value of independence and freedom," said Nguyen Hoai Phong.
From Pleiku City ( Gia Lai ), Uncle Phung Van Trong went to Ho Chi Minh City on April 26 to attend activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. He was present at Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street on the evening of April 29 to wait for the official ceremony.
"Witnessing the parade and march of the forces with my own eyes, I see that the future generations of the country are wonderful, following the glorious tradition of their predecessors. I am very moved and proud to be here with the people from all over the country," Mr. Trong shared.
War invalid Tran Van Truong (Vinh city, Nghe An) arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of April 29, eagerly preparing all night to participate in the celebration, witness the parade and march of the forces. Mr. Truong's family has 3 brothers who participated in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign; among them, he belonged to Division 341 (4th Corps) participating in the battle in Xuan Loc. "50 years after the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, we returned to Ho Chi Minh City.
As a war invalid with severe injuries and difficulty in moving, I wanted to come here to witness with my own eyes and join in the joy of the nation. With the warm welcome of the people and young people, we feel very happy. We hope that the next generations will continue the glorious tradition that the previous generations have built,” Mr. Truong confided.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh (56 years old, residing in Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City) and her son came to the city center from 10 pm on April 29 to wait to watch the parade. Ms. Hanh said that this was the first time she had seen a parade and marching and was very moved and proud of her homeland, country and people of Vietnam. In particular, she was impressed by the spectacular and brilliant heat trap release; the first time she had seen a helicopter live raising the national flag in the sky named after Uncle Ho.
Young people burst into emotion on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA
Special feelings of international visitors
Among the crowd watching the ceremony this morning were many tourists from many countries. Watching the event, Mr. Alfred Cheng (56 years old, a tourist from Hong Kong, China) said that standing in the middle of the bustling "sea of people" in the city center, he was amazed when thousands of Vietnamese people gathered to celebrate this historic event. The positive energy and solidarity of the people is a testament to the enduring spirit of a nation. That solidarity can create wonderful moments.
As an expat living in Vietnam, Joe Smith (32 years old, USA) shared: "I often reflect on the past with a heavy heart. Witnessing the incredible transformation of Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City, fills me with joy. It is truly gratifying to see a country rise from challenges with a future full of hope."
Also from the United States, Mr. George Zawisza said that this was his second time coming to Vietnam and his first time coming to Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day. "I served in the army, trained to wait to join the war in Vietnam, but fortunately everything ended. I did not have to fight. Coming to Ho Chi Minh City, I found the city and the people here wonderful. I am very happy to be here these days," Mr. George Zawisza shared.
In this special event, Ho Chi Minh City was honored to welcome 169 reporters from 58 foreign press agencies to work. Among them, there were people who came to Vietnam for the first time, but there were also many foreign reporters who were very attached to the S-shaped country. Mr. Nick Ut, a former war correspondent for the AP News Agency, was a special case. He was the one who won the Pulitzer Prize for the photo "Napalm Baby", exposing the brutality of the US imperialists' war of aggression against Vietnam.
Sharing with reporters from the Vietnam News Agency, Mr. Nick Ut said that he was a war correspondent for AP during the Vietnam War and had been to many battlefields... After 50 years of liberation, although he still returns to Vietnam often, he sees the country changing every year. "After 50 years of liberation, the country has changed a lot. A peaceful country has brought many good things to the people. The love of the Vietnamese people for their country has been clearly shown on the streets in recent days. People wear red shirts with yellow stars, paint the flag on their cheeks... Those are very impressive and memorable images," Mr. Nick Ut shared.
50 years ago, Mr. Pavel Suian, a reporter for Clever Group (Romania), was also in Ho Chi Minh City, 2 months after the country was completely liberated and coincidentally returned exactly half a century later. Mr. Pavel Suian shared that he began to admire Vietnam's fight for independence and unification and had been preparing for many years to write a book about Vietnam. In 2024, he also published a book about Vietnam and it was translated into Vietnamese. The book expressed his admiration for the people and leaders of Vietnam in the cause of protecting and building the country.
"I have been following Vietnam's recent economic development and am very impressed. I cannot believe that in such a short period of time, you have successfully built so many things. 50 years ago, I was in Saigon, it was 2 months after the liberation. 50 years later, I happened to return and was in a completely different city, a completely different country compared to that time. For me, today is a wonderful moment to witness the 50th anniversary of your Liberation Day, the reunification of the country", Mr. Pavel Suian shared.
According to Baotintuc.vn
Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/274/200692/Cam-xuc-dac-biet-tai-buoi-Le-ky-niem-50-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc.htm
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