(VOVWORLD) - A memorial ceremony was held on Monday at the Son My Memorial Site in Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai province, to mark the 58th anniversary of the massacre of 504 civilians.
 Delegates attend an incense offering ceremony in remembrance of the 504 Son My civilians killed in the massacre. |
In the early morning of March 16, 1968, a company of soldiers from the United States Army landed in Son My village. Within about four hours, 504 unarmed civilians were killed, including 182 women, 173 children, and 60 elderly people.
Today, Son My has been rebuilt and has become a historical site for educating younger generations about the past and promoting the value of peace.
Pham Thi Trung, director of the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Son My, once a place of deep pain, has become a symbol of the aspiration for peace.
“It is a solemn reminder of the cost of war so that we never forget the lessons of history. Son My is a venue to connect people around the world who cherish peace, sending a strong message from this once tragic land that such pain must never be repeated,” said Ms. Trung.
During the ceremony, participants laid flowers and offered incense and observed a moment of silence in memory of the 504 innocent civilians killed in the massacre 58 years ago.