Satisfied and proud
Departing from Binh Duong at 10pm to Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hoai Phong's family gathered at Turtle Lake area 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 in advance, researching locations to be able to watch the parade and march in the most beautiful 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 that, I hope my children will understand more about the traditional history of the nation, be grateful to previous generations who sacrificed for today's peace , and understand the meaning and value of independence and freedom," Mr. Nguyen Hoai Phong shared.
From Pleiku City ( Gia Lai ), Mr. 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.
Uncle Ho was present at Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street area from 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 in the glorious footsteps 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 and witness the parade of the forces.
Mr. Truong's family had 3 brothers who participated in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign; in which, 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 have just returned to Ho Chi Minh City. As a war invalid with severe injuries and difficulty in traveling, 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 at 10:00 p.m. on April 29 to wait and watch the parade.
Ms. Hanh said that this was the first time she had seen a military parade and march and was very moved and proud of her homeland, country and Vietnamese people. She was especially impressed by the spectacular and brilliant heat trap release; it was the first time she had seen a helicopter live raising the national flag in the sky named after Uncle Ho.
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 felt amazed when thousands of Vietnamese people gathered to celebrate this historic event.
It is the positive energy and unity of the people that is a testament to the enduring spirit of a nation. That unity 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 admirable 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.
"I served in the army, trained to fight in the Vietnam War, but fortunately it ended. I didn't have to fight. Coming to Ho Chi Minh City, I found the city and the people here wonderful. I'm very happy to be here these days," said George Zawisza.
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 have been very attached to the S-shaped country.
Mr. Nick Ut, a former war correspondent for the Associated Press, is a special case. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his photo "Napalm Baby," which exposed the brutality of the US imperialists' war of aggression in Vietnam.
Sharing with a reporter from 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 often returns to Vietnam, he sees the country changing every year.
“The country has changed a lot after 50 years of liberation. A peaceful country has brought many good things to the people. The love for the country of the Vietnamese people 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 work 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 succeeded in building so many things. 50 years ago, I was in Saigon, it was 2 months after the liberation.
50 years later, I happened to be back and 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 the liberation and reunification of your country,” said Pavel Suian.
VN (according to VNA)Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/cam-xuc-dac-biet-tai-le-ky-niem-50-nam-ngay-giai-phong-mien-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-410571.html
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