The great victory in spring 1975 was considered one of the greatest and most brilliant landmarks.

The victory successfully ended Vietnam’s resistance war against the US imperialists for national salvation. It also became a deciding factor for the completion of the people’s national democratic revolution in the whole country and national reunification. It took Vietnam to a new era of independence, unification and socialism.

The great victory in spring 1975 also had an epochal significance because Vietnam had defeated the “biggest” imperialist, weakened the imperialist system, shattered the neo-colonialist chain and made an important contribution to the common struggle of the worlds people for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress.

The victory was an eloquent proof of Vietnam’s character, wisdom and a strong will and an aggravated outcome of all factors which created the invincible strength of the Vietnamese revolution. The roots of these factors are the clear-sighted leadership of our Party.

With correct and creative guidelines, our Party successfully mobilised the combined strength of the whole country and international friends, particularly socialist countries, first of all Laos and Cambodia to create an extraordinary strength to win victory.

Time has elapsed but memories of that glorious time still live in our hearts. We all knew that war meant sacrifices and sufferings. However, for national independence and freedom, the whole Vietnamese population went to battle or participated in the resistance war with an incomparable strength.

Bombs and shells could not prevent patriotism, determination and courage. On the contrary, they further tempered the steel in our people’s fighting skills and spirit.

We never forget our people’s heroic fighting, sacrifices and losses for the final victory. People in the socialist north were determined to contribute all human and material resources to the resistance war. Meanwhile, southern people, including women, joined up. Many young and unmarried men and women sacrificed their lives for the country. Many wives were seperated from their husbands or only sons forever. The husband and nine sons of mother Thu from the central province of Quang Nam all lost their lives in the war. She has made the model of a Heroic Vietnamese Mother to remember forever.

Millions of Vietnamese soldiers and people heroically laid down their lives for the marvellous victory in that historical spring. No other country in the world has a war martyrs’ cemetery in every commune and district. Our responsibility now is to provide the younger generations with education of patriotic tradition and moral standards to be grateful to their forerunners.

Marking the 35^th anniversary of the Great Victory in Spring 1975, we all the more feel proud of our Party and heroic people. The great significance and precious lesson of that great victory remain valuable to the current national building and defending process. We are determined to promote the national heroic tradition to win new exploits and build Vietnam into a rich, strong, democratic, fair and civilized socialist country.