On March 31, Thanh Hoa City held an inauguration ceremony for the memorial site for teachers and students who sacrificed their lives at the construction site of the Nam Ma River dike. This is one of the events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Ham Rong victory (April 3-4, 1965 - April 3-4, 2025).

Delegates cut the ribbon

The memorial site for teachers and students who died on June 14, 1972 at the Ma River dike was approved by the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee in January 2023, with a total investment of more than 125 billion VND, of which the provincial budget is more than 60 billion VND and the city budget is nearly 65 billion VND. The memorial project was invested in construction on an area of ​​more than 2 hectares, with the highlight being the statue of teachers and students about 18 m high, sculpted from natural granite with images recreating the Nam Ngan army and people working together to fight and treat wounded soldiers.

In addition, the Memorial Area also has a shrine, stele, historical boat dock, an area recreating the traditional Nam Ngan village space, an installation art space, railings, trees, lighting...

Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Doan Anh and delegates offered flowers in memory.

The memorial area, which has been inaugurated and put into operation, will be linked with other historical relics and scenic spots in Thanh Hoa city such as: Ham Rong Bridge, Ngoc Mountain, C4 anti-aircraft artillery site, "Quyet Thang" hill, the Victory Youth Volunteer Monument, the Victory Nam Ngan Monument, the Temple of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and Heroic Martyrs... The project promises to become a red address for revolutionary tradition education, attracting tourists when coming to Thanh Hoa city in particular and Thanh Hoa province in general.

According to historical documents, in the rainy season of 1972, the Ma River water level rose. A few months earlier, American bombs had destroyed the Ham Rong Bridge, severely damaging the Ma River dike. The risk of a dike breaking and flooding throughout Thanh Hoa town and surrounding areas was very high. To ensure the vital traffic route serving the southern battlefield and to prevent flooding, right at the time when American planes were bombing fiercely, Thanh Hoa mobilized emergency forces to build up the critical Ma River dike section from Nam Ngan to Ham Rong.

The number of people participating in the construction of the Ma River dike at that time was up to 2,000 people; including hundreds of students, teachers from the Medical School and the 7+3 Thanh Hoa Pedagogical School. At 9:00 a.m. on June 14, 1972, while everyone was working at the construction site, suddenly American planes came to bomb, killing 64 teachers and students from the Medical School and the 7+3 Thanh Hoa Pedagogical School.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/khanh-thanh-khu-tuong-niem-cac-giao-vien-va-hoc-sinh-da-hy-sinh-tai-cong-truong-de-nam-song-ma-post544005.html