Live on in the hearts of the people

(Quang Ngai Newspaper) - For many years, on the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27) and the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, cadres, Party members, and people of Nguyen Nghiem ward have gathered at the "Site where 68 Liberation Army soldiers sacrificed their lives during the Tet Offensive of 1968" in residential area 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward (Quang Ngai City) to offer incense and hold a ceremony to commemorate the martyrs. Bravely sacrificing their lives during the Tet Offensive and Uprising of 1968 in Quang Ngai town (now Quang Ngai City), these 68 revolutionary soldiers live on forever in the hearts of the people.

As is customary, on the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, the local authorities and residents of residential area 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward, respectfully hold a joint memorial service for 68 martyrs at the "Site of 68 Liberation Army soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Tet Offensive of 1968". Located at the intersection of Nguyen Nghiem and Nguyen Du streets, this site is where the enemy gathered the 68 bodies of revolutionary soldiers who bravely fought and died during the Tet Offensive of 1968, then doused them with gasoline, burned them, and buried them together in a single pit.

The authorities and people of Nguyen Nghiem ward ( Quang Ngai City) regularly organize a joint commemoration of the martyrs at the historical site. Photo: Provided by the local authorities.

“The soldiers returned to their homeland during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Therefore, we chose the twelfth lunar month to hold a collective memorial service to express our gratitude. The first memorial service for the 68 martyrs was held in 2002. At that time, we thought that worshipping ancestors is a way for Vietnamese people to show gratitude to their parents and those who raised them, so we should also hold a memorial service for the martyrs to express our gratitude to those who bravely fought and sacrificed for national independence. That idea was implemented by those living around the historical site with a simple and modest offering. Later, the collective memorial service for the martyrs was organized by the local government and the people on a larger scale, with more participants. For us, this is a very sacred event. We always respectfully remember and prepare meticulously for the memorial service with all our hearts,” said Mr. Ngo Van Tham (94 years old), from residential group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward.

For the past 23 years, Mr. Tham has never missed the joint memorial service for the 68 martyrs. In the hearts of Mr. Tham and those who participated in and contributed to the memorial service, peace is the blood and sweat of generations of heroes. Grateful for the noble sacrifices of the martyrs, the joint memorial service for the 68 martyrs at the "Site of 68 Liberation Army Soldiers Who Died During the 1968 Tet Offensive" has become an occasion for local officials and people to demonstrate the spirit of "drinking water, remembering the source," and express their gratitude.

At the age of 94, war invalid Huynh Chanh Nhan, residing in residential area 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward, still vividly remembers the moment nearly 50 years ago when the remains of 68 martyrs were gathered at the "Site where 68 Liberation Army soldiers sacrificed their lives during the Tet Offensive in 1968".

“The current location of the historical site was formerly Go Khach, in Nam Lo hamlet, Cam Thanh commune, Quang Ngai town. After liberation, during the leveling of Go Khach to prepare the ground for the construction of a cooperative, the local authorities discovered remains. At that time, I was the Commander of the Quang Ngai Town Military Command, and together with the Deputy Commander, the Political Commissar of the Quang Ngai Town Military Command, and the local authorities and people, we organized the repatriation of the remains of 68 martyrs to Nui But Martyrs Cemetery, now the Quang Ngai City Martyrs Cemetery. During the excavation and recovery of the remains, witnessing each set of remains bound by shackles, many people burst into tears,” Mr. Huynh Chanh Nhan recalled emotionally.

Residents of Nguyen Nghiem ward (Quang Ngai city) regularly visit to offer incense at the "Site where 68 Liberation Army soldiers sacrificed their lives during the Tet Offensive in 1968" historical site. Photo: Y Thu

Fifty-seven years ago, precisely at 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Eve, January 31, 1968 (the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Monkey), the armed forces in the province simultaneously opened fire on towns, cities, and surrounding areas, marking the beginning of the 1968 Tet Offensive and Uprising in the Quang Ngai battlefield.

Within the city, our troops captured the headquarters of the puppet 2nd Division, eliminating one guard company and one commando company, gaining control of the eastern part of the Quang Ngai special zone. The 506B Special Forces Company of the Provincial Military Command was ordered to attack the enemy at the Quan Am Five-Way Intersection, the Radio Station, and the Provincial Administrative Building. Units 506A, 21, and 95 successively captured the Ong Bo train station and the prison. At the Quan Am Five-Way Intersection, the entire area was covered with tangled barbed wire, creating multiple layers that hindered our advance. Our soldiers had to use pipe explosives, continuously blasting away the layers of barbed wire, to attack and capture the Quan Am Five-Way Intersection.

The historical site "Site where 68 Liberation Army soldiers sacrificed their lives during the 1968 Tet Offensive," located in residential area 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward (Quang Ngai city), has been designated and protected by the Provincial People's Committee since 1993. On February 17, 2025, this historical site, commemorating the courageous spirit and unwavering determination of 68 heroic martyrs to fight for the Fatherland, was officially classified as a provincial-level historical site.

Battalions 81, 83, and 20 launched a fierce attack on the airport command post. Fierce battles ensued, with troops seizing every corner and street, destroying 13 M.113 armored vehicles, demolishing numerous bunkers, repelling many enemy counterattacks, killing over 250 enemy soldiers, and freeing thousands of prisoners.

By 9 PM on January 31, 1968, all units were ordered to withdraw from the airport and the town. However, during the retreat, 68 soldiers of the 401st Special Forces Battalion were discovered by the enemy. These soldiers fought bravely and sacrificed their lives. Their bodies were gathered, doused with gasoline, burned, and buried together in a single pit at Go Khach, Nam Lo hamlet, Cam Thanh commune, Quang Ngai town (now part of Group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward).

More than 10 years after the organization brought the remains of 68 martyrs to rest at the Quang Ngai City Martyrs' Cemetery, in December 1990, the People's Committee of Quang Ngai Town (now Quang Ngai City) built a bas-relief in Nguyen Nghiem ward to commemorate and pay tribute to the 68 martyrs who sacrificed their lives.

Every year, in addition to holding a joint memorial service for martyrs at the historical site on the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, the government and people of Quang Ngai City also organize a ceremony and incense offering on July 27th to express gratitude and remember the great contributions of the heroic martyrs. After the ceremonies and incense offerings, many officials, Party members, and residents of Nguyen Nghiem ward go to the Quang Ngai City Martyrs' Cemetery to continue offering incense to the heroic martyrs. In the cemetery, the graves of 68 martyrs are unknown in terms of name and hometown. They are heroic martyrs whose faces and names the people of Quang Ngai do not know, but their courageous spirit and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the nation will live on forever in the hearts of the people.

Text and photos: Ý Thu

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/xa-hoi/202504/song-mai-trong-long-nhan-dan-5b412dc/