On the morning of July 28, in Vung Tau ward (HCMC), the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs in coordination with the HCM City Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs organized a program to present war relics to the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, Battalion 445, veterans and representatives of martyrs' families in the area.
Báo Sài Gòn Giải phóng•28/07/2025
Accordingly, the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archives, Texas Tech University (USA) handed over nearly 200 pages of relic records.
One of the returned relics
At the ceremony, delegates from Texas Tech University gave emotional speeches, expressing the spirit of remembrance, gratitude and commitment to long-term cooperation. Dr. Ron Milam, an American veteran who fought in Vietnam, emotionally shared his feelings when returning to the land that was once bombed.
“Today, I speak not as a soldier returning to the battlefield, but as a nation at peace . We join hands and remember those who have fallen and will never forget them,” shared Dr. Ron Milam.
Friendly handshakes
Dr. Steve Maxner, Director of the Sam Johnson Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech University, expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese organizations and individuals who coordinated the organization of the ceremony. He also affirmed that this is a particularly meaningful activity on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States. He emphasized that the return of documents this time is not only an act of gratitude to the martyrs but also contributes to strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries. The Sam Johnson Vietnam Center and Archives wishes to continue to coordinate with Vietnamese authorities in the return of documents, further promoting the friendly and cooperative relationship for humanitarian purposes.
Dr. Steve Maxner, Director of the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archives at Texas Tech University, was moved to tears when he was presented with a helmet from the Vietnamese Army.
The documents returned on this occasion have profound humanistic value, helping to connect the martyrs' families with the past and adding hope in the search and verification of information about those who went missing during the war.
Colonel Dang Danh Hung, Head of the Organization and Policy Department, Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, thanked the center for its contributions to the association in helping families of martyrs find information and bring the martyrs' relics back to their families.
Colonel Nguyen Quang Nghia, Head of the 445th Battalion Liaison Committee, said that in 10 years of fighting on the Ba Ria - Long Khanh battlefield, 762 officers and soldiers of the battalion were killed, including 58 martyrs whose remains have not been found. These documents are important information for the committee to consolidate information in searching for the remains and relics of the battalion's martyrs who died in the resistance war.
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