Live forever in the hearts of the people

As a tradition, on December 20, the local government and residents of residential group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward, respectfully held a joint memorial service for 68 martyrs at the "Site where 68 liberation army soldiers died in the Mau Than campaign in 1968" relic site. The relic site is located at the intersection of Nguyen Nghiem and Nguyen Du streets, where the enemy gathered 68 bodies of revolutionary soldiers who bravely fought and died in the Mau Than Spring General Offensive and Uprising in 1968, then poured gasoline on them, burned them, and filled them into a hole.

The government and people of Nguyen Nghiem ward ( Quang Ngai city) regularly hold a joint memorial service for martyrs at the relic site. Photo: DVCC

“They returned to the Motherland right during the Mau Than New Year. Therefore, we chose December to organize a collective memorial service to express our gratitude. The first memorial service for 68 martyrs was held in 2002. At that time, our people thought that worshiping ancestors was a way for Vietnamese people to show gratitude to their parents and those who raised them, so it was even more important to organize a memorial service for martyrs to express gratitude to those who fought bravely and sacrificed for national independence. That idea was carried out by people living around the relic with simple offerings. Later, the memorial service for martyrs was organized by the local government and people on a larger scale, with more participants. For us, this is a very sacred event. We always respectfully remember and carefully prepare for the memorial service with all our hearts,” said Mr. Ngo Van Tham (94 years old), in residential group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward.

For the past 23 years, Mr. Tham has never been absent from the joint death anniversary of the 68 martyrs. In the hearts of Mr. Tham and those who attended and contributed to the joint death anniversary of the martyrs, peace is the blood and bones of generations of heroes. Grateful for the noble sacrifice of the martyrs, the joint death anniversary of the 68 martyrs at the "Site of 68 Liberation Army Soldiers Who Died in the 1968 Mau Than Campaign" relic site has become an opportunity for local officials and people to demonstrate the spirit of "When drinking water, remember its source" and express their gratitude.

At the age of 94, war invalid 4/4 Huynh Chanh Nhan, in residential group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward, still clearly remembers the moment of gathering the remains of 68 martyrs at the relic "Site where 68 liberation army soldiers sacrificed in the Mau Than campaign in 1968" nearly 50 years ago.

“The current location of the relic site used to be Go Khach, in Nam Lo hamlet, Cam Thanh commune, Quang Ngai city. After liberation, during the process of leveling Go Khach to make way for the construction of a cooperative, the local government discovered remains. At that time, I was the captain of Quang Ngai town, together with the deputy captains, political commissars of Quang Ngai town and the local government and people organized to bring the remains of 68 martyrs to Nui But Martyrs Cemetery, now Quang Ngai City Martyrs Cemetery. During the excavation and exhumation of the remains, many people cried when they saw that each remains had chains on them,” Mr. Huynh Chanh Nhan recalled.

People of Nguyen Nghiem ward (Quang Ngai city) often come to offer incense at the relic "Site where 68 Liberation Army soldiers sacrificed their lives in the Mau Than campaign in 1968". Photo: Y THU

57 years ago, at exactly 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Eve, January 31, 1968 (early morning of the first day of the Mau Than Lunar New Year), armed forces in the province simultaneously opened fire on the town, town and surrounding areas, opening the 1968 Mau Than Spring General Offensive and Uprising on the Quang Ngai battlefield.

In the inner city, our troops captured the headquarters of the puppet 2nd Division, destroyed a guard company and a commando company controlling the eastern part of Quang Ngai special zone. The 506B commando company of the Provincial Military Command was ordered to attack the enemy at the Quan Am intersection, the Radio Station, and the Provincial Administration Building. Units 506A, 21, and 95 took turns capturing Ong Bo station and the prison. At the Quan Am intersection, the entire area was covered with barbed wire by the enemy, blocking our path of attack. The soldiers had to use explosives to continuously blow away the layers of barbed wire, attack and capture the Quan Am intersection.

The relic "The site where 68 liberation army soldiers died in the Mau Than campaign in 1968", in residential group 1, Nguyen Nghiem ward (Quang Ngai city) has been zoned and protected by the Provincial People's Committee since 1993. On February 17, 2025, the historical relic marking the brave spirit and determination to die for the Fatherland of 68 heroic martyrs was ranked as a provincial historical relic.

Battalions 81, 83 and 20 fiercely attacked the airport command post. The fighting was fierce, the troops occupied every corner of the house, every street, burned 13 M.113 vehicles, destroyed many bunkers, repelled many enemy counterattacks, killed more than 250 enemies, and freed thousands of people held by the enemy.

At 9:00 p.m. on January 31, 1968, all units were ordered to withdraw from the airport and the town. When the 401st Special Forces Battalion withdrew, 68 soldiers were discovered by the enemy. The soldiers fought bravely and sacrificed themselves. The bodies of the soldiers were gathered together, doused with gasoline, burned, and filled in a hole at Go Khach, Nam Lo Hamlet, Cam Thanh Commune, Quang Ngai City, now in Group 1, Nguyen Nghiem Ward.

More than 10 years after the organization brought the remains of 68 martyrs to rest at the Martyrs Cemetery of Quang Ngai City, in December 1990, the People's Committee of Quang Ngai Town (now Quang Ngai City) built a 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 monument on December 20, the government and people of Quang Ngai City also hold a worship and incense offering ceremony on July 27 to show gratitude and commemorate the great contributions of the heroic martyrs. After the worship and incense offering ceremonies, many officials, party members and people of Nguyen Nghiem Ward went to the Quang Ngai City Martyrs Cemetery to continue offering incense to the heroic martyrs. In the cemetery, the graves of 68 martyrs have not been identified by name or hometown. They are heroic martyrs whose faces and names the people of Quang Ngai have not yet known, but their brave spirit and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the nation make them live forever in the hearts of the people.

Article and photos: Y THU

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