An epic from the ashes of war

Time has left its mark on the ancient fortress, with moss-covered walls still bearing scars from the brutal summer of 1972. Each brick and each inch of soil within the Citadel holds the blood and sacrifices of thousands of young soldiers, many barely out of their teens, who laid down their lives for their country’s future.

This year marks half a century since the country’s reunification. As Vietnam honours its heroes, veterans, many once members of the K3 - Tam Dao Battalion, return to their former battlefield, retracing the steps of a historic struggle that continues to resonate across generations.

The summer of 1972 saw the Quang Tri Citadel, a 180-year-old fortress, transformed into the epicenter of relentless combat between Liberation forces and US-backed South Vietnamese troops. For 81 consecutive days and nights, the Citadel endured unrelenting shelling, with thousands of artillery rounds falling daily. Despite devastating losses, Liberation forces held firm, ultimately derailing the enemy’s plans to reclaim Quang Tri and contributing to the path toward the Paris Peace Accords in 1973.

During the campaign, it was said that each day, a company would swim across the Thach Han River and each day, a company would not return. Successive waves of young fighters rose to replace their fallen comrades, their sacrifice forever embedded in the war-torn land.

The K3 - Tam Dao Battalion left an indelible legacy on the battlefield. Vowing that “as long as K3 - Tam Dao stands, the Quang Tri Citadel stands,” they fought to the very end. On September 16, 1972, with only a handful of soldiers remaining, the battalion received the order to withdraw, concluding the 81-day historic defence of the Citadel.

Reflecting on the 81 days and nights of fierce fighting at the ancient citadel, Hero of the People’s Armed Forces, Colonel Han Duy Long, from Huong Trach commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province, emotionally recalled those heroic days.

At just 18 years old, Long entered the battlefield and achieved a remarkable feat by firing nine B40 rockets and one B41 rocket in succession to defend the southeastern front of the Citadel, successfully repelling a fierce enemy assault. While an ordinary soldier could typically withstand firing only three or four B40 rockets before suffering disorientation, Long pushed beyond human limits through sheer willpower.

“We held out for 81 days and nights, fulfilling our promise to the battlefield commander that as long as K3 - Tam Dao stands, the Quang Tri Citadel stands. Amid the fire and smoke of war, what seemed impossible became possible through our burning desire for national independence and the strength of our faith,” he recalled those life-and-death moments.

Today, at the Quang Tri Citadel Museum, the letter of martyr Le Van Huynh from Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province, is preserved like a final ‘testament’ from the battlefield. In the letter, sensing his imminent sacrifice, he carefully instructed his family on where he would be buried, yet never once did he mention the word ‘sacrifice,’ accepting it as a natural part of the brutal war.

A land rising from the ashes of war

A moving story began in April 1987 when veteran Le Ba Duong, who had fought during those 81 days and nights, returned to Quang Tri and bought every flower from the town market. He then floated them down the Thach Han River in memory of his fallen comrades. When flowers were unavailable, he picked wild blooms, tied reeds into small rafts and released into the river as offerings to his brothers-in-arms who had become one with the river.

From his heartfelt tribute, the flower-floating ritual grew into a cherished tradition, becoming an official commemorative ceremony by the year 2000.

Today, the people of Quang Tri Town continue to uphold this tradition. Many families plant flowers and maintain outdoor altars to offer incense and prayers to the martyrs on the first and 15th days of each lunar month, as well as during public holidays. During family memorial events, a small meal is prepared and placed on these altars, inviting the fallen heroes to join in remembrance.

The war-torn land of Quang Tri is considered a microcosm of the Vietnam War as it once witnessed the brutal devastation of bombs and shells, and endured countless sacrifices and losses. Therefore, peace has always been a burning aspiration for local people, as well as for all Vietnamese people.

On September 16, 1989, Quang Tri town was re-established, laying the foundation for the town’s steady development. Local people overcame hardships and worked tirelessly to ‘fill in’ the bomb craters and bullet holes with the growth of a thriving urban area.

After more than 35 years of re-establishment, Quang Tri town has achieved remarkable progress. From an economy primarily based on agriculture, with a rudimentary and underdeveloped technical infrastructure, it has transformed into a comprehensively developing town with an average annual growth rate of 12.5%. The economic structure has shifted in the right direction, with the trade and service sectors now accounting for 60% of its economy. The average per capita income has risen to over VND60 million per year, surpassing the provincial average.

Rising from the ruins of war, Quang Tri town has today become the central urban area of southern Quang Tri province. The Party Committee, administration, and people of Quang Tri are determined to develop the town into a southern centre for economy, culture, and tourism - an intelligent, ecological, and peace-oriented city.

The aspiration for peace is also the heartfelt wish of hundreds of thousands of heroic martyrs and victims of war resting in the motherland of Quang Tri. Fifty years after the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - 2025), officials and people of Quang Tri continue to strive to build this land into a true symbol of peace and the spirit of rising forward.

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