Son My massacre commemorated in central Vietnam
VOV.VN - A memorial ceremony was held on March 16 at the Son My Memorial Site in Tinh Khe commune, central Quang Ngai province, to mark the 58th anniversary of the massacre of 504 civilians in Son My village (March 16, 1968 – 2026).
Fifty-eight years ago, in the early morning of March 16, 1968, a company of soldiers from the United States Army landed in Son My village and fired shots at unarmed locals.
Within about four hours, 504 unarmed civilians were killed, including 182 women, 17 of whom were pregnant, 173 children, and 60 elderly people. Many victims were killed in their homes, gardens or along irrigation ditches without offering any resistance. The massacre became one of the most shocking incidents of the US-waged war in Vietnanm.
More than half a century later, Son My has been rebuilt and has become a historical site for educating younger generations about the past and promoting the value of peace. From a place once marked by immense suffering, the site now conveys a message of reconciliation, compassion and the enduring aspiration for peace among the Vietnamese people.
According to Pham Thi Trung, director of the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the annual memorial ceremony aims to honour the victims while reminding present and future generations of the value of peace and the devastating consequences of war.
She emphasised that Son My, once a place of deep pain, has become a symbol of the aspiration for peace.
“It is a solemn reminder of the cost of war so that we never forget the lessons of history. At the same time, it connects people around the world who cherish peace, sending a strong message from this once tragic land that such pain must never be repeated,” she said.
During the ceremony, participants laid flowers and offered incense and observed a moment of silence in memory of the 504 innocent civilians killed in the My Lai Massacre 58 years ago.
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