Leaders pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh on army’s 80th anniversary

WNAM MONITORING: Senior Vietnamese Party and State leaders paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi on December 20 in celebration of the Vietnam People’s Army’s 80th founding anniversary and the 35th All-People National Defense Day (December 22).

The delegation was led by Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Defense Minister Phan Van Giang.

Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former State President Truong Tan Sang, and former National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also joined the incumbent leaders.

A grand ceremony marking the Vietnam People’s Army’s 80th founding anniversary and the 35th All-People National Defense Day was held in Hanoi on December 20 held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly, the President, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense.

The Vietnam People’s Army was founded on December 22, 1944, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, tasked with safeguarding the nation’s independence, freedom, and territorial integrity. The army achieved numerous legendary triumphs, such as the victory of the August 1945 Revolution, of the 1945 Dien Bien Phu campaign over French colonialism, and of the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign over American imperialism, significantly contributing to national liberation and reunification.

In peacetime, the army has actively engaged in socio-economic development, assisting in building infrastructure, promoting rural modernization, supporting poverty reduction programmes, and partaking in disaster relief, search-and-rescue operations. Many military units have also participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions, enhancing Vietnam’s international standing.