Quang Tri province was the scene of some of the fiercest ground fighting during the war against the US aggressors, especially from 1966 to the end of the war in 1975. It was put under to the heaviest bombing raids in the history of the world - more than the amount of ordnance used in Europe during World War II.

The US intense bombing combined with the use of the Agent Orange defoliant, turned the land into a virtual moonscape with only a fraction of the original triple canopy jungle forest remaining after the war.

However, the liberation forces and local people proved their undaunted spirit by sweeping away the US invaders, thereby becoming a bright example for other localities to push up the liberation of the south.

Earlier on April 23, 250 delegates representing different classes of people in Hanoi gathered on April 24 to recall their contributions performed during the struggle against the US aggressors for national salvation.

It was reported that from 1955 to 1975, the Hanoians had launched many role-model movements such as “Three readinesses” among the youth, “Three abilities” among the women and “Three determinations” among the intellects, to promote production and train forces to support the frontline in the south and to fight against the US attempts of destroying the north. These movements were expanded to different areas in the city, attracting the participation of millions of young people to join the liberation of the south.

Addressing the event, Secretary of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Phu Trong stressed that the victory on April 30, 1975 was the victorious peak of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, marking the success of the legendary struggle against the US aggressors and reflecting a turning point in Vietnam’s revolutionary development.

“The Hanoians are very proud to have been able to play their part in such a resounding victory,” he said.

On the same day, the Ministry of Education and Training held a meeting among those teachers who had worked in the south during the war. From May 25, 1961 to April 1, 1974, over 3,000 teachers from the north were sent to the south. They co-ordinated with about 9,000 teachers in the south to create an educational system in the liberated areas to provide education to southern children. Over 500 teachers had fallen down during their educational missions there.

A get-together was organised at Vietnam Television to highlight the efforts of the journalists in reporting the developments of the anti-US war.

During the struggle against the US aggressors, journalists had provided information on the battlefields in all three regions of the country, encouraging the armed forces and local people to defeat the enemy and reflected the just struggle for national independence and reunification so as to receive further support from the world public.