Quang Tri to host festival to honour fallen soldiers

      A festival and cultural exchange entitled “War Memories and a Desire for Peace” will be held in the central province of Quang Tri from July 24-26 to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Day for War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27).
Held by the General Department of Politics (Ministry of Defence), the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and Quan Doi Nhan Dan Newspaper, the programme will focus on a great requiem for martyrs in Quang Tri and a cultural exchange, which includes documentary films, art performances and a meeting with veterans who fought on the Quang Tri battlefield.
At a press briefing in Hanoi on July 15, the organisers said that the ceremonies to pray for the fallen soldiers’ souls would be held at Road No. 9 Cemetery.
Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Thanh Son said for the first time, the Foreign Ministry will invite foreign diplomatic agencies in Vietnam to attend the requiem.
In addition, over 100 young overseas Vietnamese, who are on a visit to their homeland for the 2009 summer camp, will take part in the programme.
Quang Tri, the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the US war, has the largest number of cemeteries in the country. Over 60,000 soldiers from all corners of the country rest in peace there.