Fallen soldiers of 81-day intense battle remembered

Gone but not forgotten: War veterans and tourists releasing flower lanterns into the Thạch Han River to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. — VNA/VNS photo

FIFTY years ago, a bloody 81-day battle to protect Quang Tri’s ancient citadel took place, claiming the lives of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.

Flower lanterns adorned with candles were tenderly released into the Thach Han River, as war veteran Le Hoa from Hanoi emotionally recalled his comrades who lost their lives on brutal battlefields in the central province of Quang Tri during the war against the United States.