 The overview of the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Site (photo: baokhanhhoa.vn) |
The Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Site covers an area of 25,000 square meters in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa province. Major constructions include a Monument, an Underground Museum, a Wind Tomb, and a Peace Square.
Visitors will first be impressed with the beautiful landscape at the location overlooking the sea, then deeply moved to learn about the heroic epic of 64 soldiers who sacrificed their lives while protecting the sovereignty of the national sea and islands on March 14, 1988.
The Gac Ma Soldier Monument stands tall and proud with a red flag and a yellow star flying proudly in the sky. The Monument, titled “Those Who Laid Down Their Lives on the Horizon”, depicts the image of the 64 heroic soldiers who held the national flag firmly to their last breath to confirm national sovereignty on Gac Ma Reef. When they were unable to strike back the invasion, they stood in a circle to defend the national flag and died together under the enemy’s bullets. The unyielding sacrifice of the 64 soldiers is an immortal epic to light the fire of patriotism and love for Vietnam’s national sea and island territories for today’s generation.
On the land above the Underground Museum is the “Immortal Circle”. It’s a circle of 64 flowers representing the 64 martyrs who stood side by side to embrace the national flag.
 The Gac Ma Soldiers Monument (photo: VNE) |
Trinh Xuan Dao, a veteran who participated in defending Truong Sa, Spratly, Archipelago in 1988, recalled: “I’m moved to see this image. It arouses my memories when we defended Truong Sa. The Monument depicts our strong will to protect our national sea and islands. The statue of the soldiers raising the national flag high evokes a tragic feeling of an historic event.”
The Underground Museum displays artifacts of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelago and the fallen soldiers in the March 14th, 1988 incident.
The Wind Tomb is the most sacred place in the Gac Ma Memorial. In front of the empty tomb is a stele with the names of the 64 martyrs.
Do Thi Ha, the wife of martyr Dinh Ngoc Doanh, said: “I often come here to burn incenses for my husband, on national holidays, the New Year holiday, and his death anniversary. I always feel emotional. Offering incense helps ease the nostalgia.”
The Peace Square is a spacious area centered with the image of pigeons flying towards the sea. The space conveys the aspiration for peace of the Vietnamese people.
Although the contest did not have any prize, when the design contest for the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Area was launched, the organizers received hundreds of entries. Some people revised their design hundreds of times. Many people volunteered to go to Truong Sa to witness the experience and gain inspiration. Hundreds of people dedicated their hearts and minds to the construction of the Memorial.
Tran Thanh Hai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, said: “Besides major monuments such as the Immortal Circle and the Monument, we plan to build a Truong Sa miniature. People, who are unable to go to Truong Sa, can come here to have a general view of the Truong Sa archipelago.”
Since its opening, the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial Area has received tens of thousands of visitors to commemorate the fallen soldiers and deepen national pride and patriotism.