The rehearsal was jointly organized by the Steering Committees for the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains of Ho Chi Minh City and Military Region 7.
Attending the rehearsal were Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and head of the city’s steering committee; Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7 and head of the regional steering committee; and Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command and standing deputy head of the city’s steering committee, along with representatives of relevant agencies and units.
The rehearsal aimed to review the sequence of events and ensure coordination among the participating units so that the official ceremony would be conducted in a solemn, orderly, safe, and thorough manner, in accordance with prescribed protocols.
In a solemn atmosphere, delegates respectfully offered incense in tribute to those who fought bravely and sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Participating forces rehearsed the ceremonial procedures, reviewed formations and the sequence of events, and agreed on coordination arrangements to ensure that every stage would be carried out closely and in compliance with regulations.
Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan, Deputy Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command, emphasized that this was a particularly important task, reflecting the affection, sense of responsibility, and deep gratitude owed to the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland. He urged the participating forces to maintain close coordination and thoroughly review preparations to ensure the safety of all activities and attendees, helping ensure that the ceremony would be conducted with the utmost reverence and solemnity.
According to the plan, flower and incense-offering ceremonies will be held at 7:30 a.m. on October 14 at the statue of Party General Secretary Tran Phu, the fallen soldiers’ memorial stele and other sites within Le Thi Rieng Park. The memorial service and funeral rites will begin at 8 a.m. the same day. The remains of the 731 fallen soldiers will then be transported to Ho Chi Minh City Martyrs’ Cemetery in Long Binh Ward, where the reburial ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Of the 731 sets of remains being transferred, 698 are individual sets, while one collective set comprises the remains of 33 fallen soldiers. The convoy will travel approximately 26 kilometers along Truong Son, Cach Mang Thang Tam and Dien Bien Phu streets, across Saigon Bridge, and along Vo Nguyen Giap Street and Hanoi Highway.
For the memorial service, funeral rites and reburial ceremonies on October 14, Ho Chi Minh City is inviting residents to line the sidewalks along the convoy’s route, holding white flowers to respectfully bid farewell to the 731 fallen soldiers as they are taken to their final resting place. The occasion offers city residents an opportunity to express their gratitude and uphold the Vietnamese people's tradition of "When drinking water, remember its source."
At Ho Chi Minh City Martyrs’ Cemetery, the honor guard will carry out the ceremonial transfer of the fallen soldiers’ remains to their prepared graves. The organizing committee will conduct the prescribed rites, including the removal of the glass cases, the folding of the national flags and the lowering of the remains into the graves. After the reburial ceremonies, delegates and residents will offer incense and scatter flowers, followed by a minute of silence in remembrance of and tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Subsequent transfers and reburials will be carried out under the organizing committee’s direction, ensuring solemnity, thorough preparation and safety.
The Ho Chi Minh City High Command will lead rehearsals and coordinate preparations for the personnel and vehicles involved in transporting the fallen soldiers’ remains. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security will coordinate security and safety arrangements at the ceremony venues and along the convoy’s route.
