Ninh Binh holds ceremony marking 60th anniversary of Lam Ha's 10 fallen militiawomen

The ceremony was attended by Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai, as well as revolutionary veterans, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, Labour Heroes, relatives of the 10militiawomen and local residents.

In his commemorative speech, Secretary of the Ninh Binh Party Committee Tran Huy Tuan recalled the lives and combat contributions of the 10 militiawomenand the former 233rd Regiment.

Sixty years ago, during the fierce war against the US bombing campaign in northern Vietnam, Lam Ha commune, now part of Ha Nam ward in Ninh Binh province, held a strategically important position. US aircraft deployed large forces and various modern aircraft to launch repeated and intensive attacks on the area, turning Lam Ha into one of the "fire zones" along a vital transport route supplying the southern battlefield.

To protect the rear and keep vital transport routes open, Lam Ha's militia forces stood side by side with regular and local troops, directly engaging the enemy and safeguarding key targets, including positions manned by female militia members.

The battles fought on October 1 and 9, 1966, and July 7, 1967, became historic milestones associated with the heroic sacrifice of the 10 Lam Ha anti-aircraft militiawomen.

Tuan stressed that the image of the determined young women who held their positions and fought to their last breath had become an enduring epic of the nation's resistance war against the US. They remain "steel flowers" forever cherished in the hearts of the people of Lam Ha, Ninh Binh and the Vietnamese nation.

In recognition of their outstanding contributions, the Party and State conferred the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces on the Lam Ha Anti-Aircraft Militia Company and posthumously awarded the same title to the 10 militiawomen.

In 2016, the Lam Ha anti-aircraft artillery position was recognised by the State as a national historical and cultural relic. It has since become a venue for educating younger generations about revolutionary traditions and honouring and promoting the enduring values of patriotism and indomitable fighting spirit.

At the ceremony, Bui Phuong Thao, a 12th-grade student majoring in Physics at Bien Hoa High School for Gifted Students, moved the audience with her heartfelt reflections, expressing gratitude to the fallen and highlighting the aspirations and sense of responsibility of Ninh Binh's younger generation.

She said young people in Ninh Binh would strive to study, contribute to society and help build an increasingly prosperous and civilised homeland.

The ceremony concluded with an art programme entitled Ninh Binh An Epic of Mountains and Rivers Proud Vietnam, Marching Towards the Future. Featuring Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan and singers Xuan Duc, Phuc Dai, Khanh Linh, Kim Anh and Ngoc Anh, together with artists and performers from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the Ninh Binh Traditional Arts Theatre and the Ninh Binh Cultural Centre, the programme vividly recreated the nation's difficult wartime years and portrayed the resilience, sacrifice and heroic spirit of people who lived, fought and ultimately prevailed in the face of enemy bombs and destruction./.