Cemetery for nearly 11,000 martyrs named after Vietnam and Laos

(Dan Tri) – The Vietnam – Laos International Martyrs’ Cemetery is the largest cemetery that collects the graves of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos. This is also the only cemetery named after two countries.

The cemetery bears the names of two countries, the resting place of nearly 11,000 martyrs ( Video : Hoang Lam).

The Vietnam - Laos International Martyrs Cemetery (Anh Son town, Anh Son district, Nghe An ) is nearly 7 hectares wide and was built in 1976 (Photo: Huy Thu).

This is the largest cemetery, gathering the graves of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who fought and died in Laos. It is also the only cemetery in the country named after two countries and two peoples, Vietnam and Laos.

In the middle of the cemetery are two large reliefs, recreating the process of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts fighting side by side with Lao ethnic people and Pathet soldiers against the common enemy, gaining independence and freedom for the two countries.

The close-knit, loyal, and willing-to-sacrifice sentiments of the martyrs were expressed by Professor Phan Ngoc through a 408-word poem engraved on a stone stele in the cemetery in two languages: Vietnamese and Lao: “ In dark times, the two countries of Vietnam and Laos, the yoke of slavery and exile; the Party enlightened a land of Indochina, the path to salvation was clearly outlined/ Blood mixed with blood, the Plain of Jars, Xieng Khouang, Tha Khet, we sacrificed together with our friends/ Bones mixed with bones, Attopo, Kham Muon, Vientiane, our friends died together with us/ That solidarity is as vast as the Mekong River, this loyalty is as strong as the Truong Son range… ”.

Since its construction, the cemetery has received and cared for nearly 11,000 remains of martyrs who died on the battlefield in Laos.

In addition to martyrs from Nghe An, the cemetery is the resting place of martyrs from Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Hai Duong, Bac Giang provinces...

Of the nearly 11,000 martyrs resting here, only about 3,300 graves have martyrs' identities, 570 graves have names but their hometowns are unknown.

There are currently nearly 7,500 graves of martyrs whose identities and hometowns have not been determined. In 2016, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province organized the collection of biological samples of martyrs buried at the Vietnam - Laos International Martyrs' Cemetery to serve the work of DNA identification to determine the identities of martyrs. However, up to this point, only 284 martyrs have been identified through the genetic identification method.

Walking through each row of graves, Mr. Ha Van Quan (from Vinh Phuc province) hoped to see a familiar name.

According to Mr. Quan, his father was martyr Ha Van Mau, who died in Laos in 1972, in Xieng Khouang province. This is the second time that Mr. Quan, his uncle and cousin have been to the Vietnam-Laos International Martyrs Cemetery, hoping to find information about his father's grave.

“My mother is 87 years old this year, her eyesight is dim, her legs are slow, and her health is very poor. Before we came here, she kept holding my hand, telling me to try to find and bring my father back. We asked the cemetery management board to look up information, but they said there was no information about my father in the list of martyrs gathered here. I wonder if my father has returned here, in those unknown graves, or is still lying somewhere in Laos?”, the son of the martyr held back a sigh.

In the cemetery, there is a stone stele engraved with the poem “Please do not call me an anonymous martyr” by journalist Van Hien (Nghe An). The poem is the heart-wrenching cry to soon find and return the names to the martyrs of the generation living in peace and independence that was exchanged for the blood and bones of many generations who fell…

In the cemetery, there is a special grave with the names of two martyrs. Martyr Le Van Tu (from Anh Son district, Nghe An) and martyr Tran Dinh Hien (from Nghi Loc, Nghe An) were born in the same year, enlisted at the same time, died on the same day and were buried in the same grave.

When found and gathered here, because it was impossible to identify the remains of each person, the authorities decided to bury the two martyrs in the same grave.

Vietnam – Laos International Martyrs Cemetery in the days of gratitude in July….

Every year, the Vietnam - Laos International Martyrs' Cemetery welcomes millions of people and relatives of martyrs from all provinces and cities across the country to visit, burn incense, and commemorate the heroes and martyrs.

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/an-sinh/nghia-trang-an-tang-gan-11000-liet-sy-mang-ten-2-nuoc-viet-nam-lao-20240724120446850.htm