Relics at the Gac Ma soldiers memorial site

The Gac Ma memorial site was built on an area of ​​25,000 m2, costing 130 billion VND, located in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Lam district, and completed phase one in 2017. There is a museum with an area of ​​860 m2, with the highlight being the area displaying photos and artifacts of 64 soldiers who died in the battle to defend Gac Ma, part of Truong Sa archipelago (Khanh Hoa). In the early morning of March 14, 1988, when troops were moving materials to Gac Ma reef, China sent many warships and soldiers to attack, causing 64 Vietnamese soldiers to die. Ships HQ-604 and HQ-605 were sunk. Ship HQ 505 was shot and burned and rushed to the reef at full speed, becoming a living landmark protecting the sovereignty of Co Lin. Vietnam kept Co Lin and Len Dao. Gac Ma has been illegally occupied by China to this day.

The central area of ​​the museum displays documents, artifacts and images of the martyrs. Mr. Vo Duy Truc, Director of the Gac Ma Soldiers Memorial Management Board, said that the museum currently displays about 38 artifacts related to the martyrs and the Gac Ma battle.

"Since its establishment, there have been some additional artifacts provided by the martyrs' families, but they cannot be displayed yet because they are still in the process of being collected and evaluated to correctly identify the martyrs' relics," said Mr. Truc.

The last letter of martyr Nguyen Van Phuong was written on March 6, 1988 in Cam Ranh, before boarding the ship to Gac Ma. He wrote "From now on, I will not write home anymore, because I am busy with work, the post office is too far away... My family can rest assured, do not think too much about me and when I leave, I will not set a return date. When I return, I will return..." In addition to the letters that have yellowed over the years, his remaining relics are his navy uniform and his admission notice from the Army Officer School 1.

Wedding photo of Lieutenant Dinh Ngoc Doanh and his wife Do Thi Ha in Cam Nghia Ward, Cam Ranh City, in 1986. Lieutenant Doanh was born in 1964, from Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh, and was the Deputy Commander of Gac Ma Island - Brigade 146. Two years after their wedding, he was assigned to go to Truong Sa and never returned. At that time, his first daughter was only 13 months old.

The national flag that martyr Tran Van Phuong and his comrades heroically sacrificed their lives to protect during the event on March 14, 1988. The original artifact is now on display at the Traditional House of the Naval Region 4 Command. Martyr Tran Van Phuong was born in 1965, from Quang Binh. He enlisted in March 1983, with the rank of second lieutenant (later promoted to lieutenant), and held the position of Deputy Commander of Gac Ma Island - Brigade 146.

The cabinet contains 19 artifacts of ships HQ-604 and HQ-605 salvaged from the seabed during the event, including pants, belts, plastic sandals, rice bowls, gun barrels and AK gun shuttles...

The place where the martyrs' relics such as military uniforms, backpacks, shirts, radio cassettes, death certificates, identity cards... are kept and the first stone was laid to build the Gac Ma Soldier Memorial in 2015.

The backpack and scarf knitted by his mother were given to martyr Nguyen Van Thanh for use during his business trip, and the shoulder strap of his military uniform was used by martyr Cao Xuan Minh. According to the Management Board of the Gac Ma Soldiers Memorial, from 2017 to present, there have been about 1,950 groups with more than 540,500 visitors to the memorial with many meaningful activities of gratitude and remembrance.

The family of Mrs. Mai Thi Nhan, from Dak Lak, read the last letter of martyr Nguyen Van Phuong together. She said that this was the first time the whole family visited the memorial site. "Looking back at the soldiers' relics, I was even more moved. The images and relics in the museum are living witnesses to the bravery and patriotism of our ancestors," said Mrs. Nhan.

The space introduces some documents (including old books and maps, images...) about the exploration, establishment and enforcement of Vietnam's sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. According to some documents and maps of Vietnam and foreign countries from the 16th-18th centuries, the two archipelagos were combined into one and had the common names "Bai Cat Vang", "Dai Truong Sa", "Van Ly Truong Sa"... Official documents of Vietnam also recorded the activities of the Hoang Sa and Bac Hai teams on the two archipelagos from the time of the Nguyen Lords to the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty.

In addition to the museum preserving artifacts, the memorial area also includes a cluster of monuments, bonsai areas, etc. In 2022, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and Khanh Hoa province agreed to implement the second phase of the project. Accordingly, the locality will invest in building a park and Truong Sa Museum to connect with the memorial area, creating a cultural and spiritual park complex on Cam Ranh peninsula.

TT (according to VnExpress newspaper)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nhung-ky-vat-tai-khu-tuong-niem-chien-si-gac-ma-375188.html