The war ended many years ago, but its consequences and reverberations remain and will be imprinted forever in the minds of successive generations of the Vietnamese people. On July 27, DTU organized a special art program to commemorate the Vietnamese people’s tradition of gratitude on the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day. The event was entitled: “A Tribute to the Deceased” and aimed to honor and express gratitude to invalids and martyrs from the war of popular liberation and national reunification.
Hero of Labor and Distinguished Teacher Le Cong Co, DTU Chairman
Distinguished Teacher Le Cong Co made an emotional speech and said: “The war ended nearly half a century ago, we rebuilt something better from the ruins, but the pain still needs more time to heal, and has not yet fully subsided. I took part in the fight and I returned. I traveled the entire Annamite range, and, whenever I think back to the hardships there, my emotions are still as strong as ever. Many of my comrades fell in the mountains and have yet to be brought back home. To get where we are now, our nation shed a lot of blood and the numbers of dead are huge. In total, Vietnam lost nearly 1.2 million people, with the most losses in Quang Nam, at 65 thousand. As a whole, the country counts 127 thousand Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, with 11 thousand from Quang Nam. The numbers don’t tell all, but they do show today’s younger generation the great sacrifices and losses the previous one suffered for peace in the country.
Today’s program is ‘A Tribute to the Deceased,’ who are not only soldiers but also civilians who died in the war. Young people today, who live in peace and enjoy freedom, independence, and reunification, should be proud of the heroic history of our nation, should ever remember and be grateful to those who passed away, should do what they can to push the country ahead and put it on a par with the world’s great powers, just as Uncle Ho taught us.”
Gifts are presented to families with war invalids and martyrs in the Hai Chau 1 ward
On behalf of DTU, Distinguished Teacher Co gave gifts to two disadvantaged families of war invalids and martyrs in Hai Chau 1 ward in Danang, and expressed his resolve to regularly meet and support them. The families of Mr. Hoang Yen De and Ms. Tran Thi Tuong shed their blood for the liberation of the people. This was an emotional and meaningful act, dedicated to those who served their country, with the wish to alleviate the difficulties of those who made sacrifices for the nation.
The previous generation’s touching stories aroused many emotions in the hearts of DTU students
DTU has carried out many other social, charitable and humanitarian activities over the years. For example, the university contributed to the Danang city Gratitude Fund, supporting officers and soldiers on duty in the Spratly islands, and sent text messages to collect money to donate to fishermen’s’ families in the Paracel and Spratly islands. Musical performances of traditional Vietnamese seafaring songs were produced and gifts presented to representatives of the 33 military outposts on the Spratly islands. These activities have left a great impact, and inspired the general public to join in more charitable and humanitarian events.
DTU students could also listen to tales and memories of their fathers’ generation, through the stories of Distinguished Teacher Co, poet Tan Hoai Da Vu, and the Chief of the DTU Party Committee Secretariat, Le Cong Kinh. This aroused their national pride, and will be a source of encouragement for them to continue in their fathers’ tradition and contribute to our country and society.
(Media Center)