Japanese organisation marks 50th anniversary of stopping transportation of US tanks to Vietnam
VOV.VN - A ceremony held to celebrate the 50th year since people of Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture blocked the transportation of tanks that the United States’ military intended to send to the battlefield in South Vietnam, was held on December 18 by the Peace Committee of Kanagawa.
During the event, participants recalled years of fighting for the cause of peace and protesting the US's unjust war in Vietnam.
In the early morning of August 5, 1972, the authority and people of Yokohama city of Kanagawa Prefecture gathered together to prevent the US military from moving five M-48 tanks from Sagamihara logistics warehouse to the port in order to transport the vehicle to the battlefield in Vietnam. The protesters used Japanese laws to block the tanks, stating that they exceeded public road weight limits.
The US military was therefore forced to bring the tanks back to the warehouse and could not deliver them to Vietnam as planned.
Toshikazu Maru, a member of the committee, highlighted the significance of the commemoration, stating that it sends out a clear message reminding young people of the two sides’ relations and encouraging them not to forget history and to unite for the cause of peace for mankind.
He recalled that peace organisations of Kanagawa Prefecture were indignant when Japan became a base for invasion activities carried out by the US imperialists, leading to the people of the Japanese locality to strictly monitor activities of US military bases in the area. They therefore joined demonstrations to support the Vietnamese people's struggle for the cause of national liberation.
In the framework of the commemoration event, the committee exhibited photos on the movement for peace of Kanagawa’s people.
As a non-profit organisation operating on the principle of peace, for many years the committee has arranged the commemoration event every five years, thereby contributing to disseminate patriotism and calling on young people of the two countries to unite in a bid to prevent risks that may lead to war in the future.