On the afternoon of December 5, the Central Steering Committee for major holidays and important historical events of the country and the Ministry of National Defense worked with Ho Chi Minh City on the plan to organize the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).
According to Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, the Ministry of National Defense has coordinated with the city to conduct a field survey and draft a project for the parade.
The parade will have 35 units of the armed forces and police, chaired by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security.
The parade consists of 11 blocks, led by Ho Chi Minh City. In total, more than 13,000 people will participate in this event.
Currently, the city has received 11 comments from relevant units and is finalizing the project before submitting it to the Central Government for approval.
Reporting on the project to organize a parade during the celebration, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army - said that on the morning of April 30, 2025, the parade will take place on Le Duan Street (District 1) with the following highlights:
- Fire 21 cannons to the National Anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
- The Air Force flew a welcome flight with 13 helicopters, 9 YAK-130 aircraft and 7 Su-30MK2 aircraft.
- Parade of model cars bearing the National Emblem, Party flag, National flag, portrait of President Ho Chi Minh and symbol of 50 years of Southern Liberation Day.
- Parade of military, militia, police and mass parades.
Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasized that the event of April 30, 1975 was one of the most brilliant milestones in history, opening an era of unification, peace, independence, freedom and the building of socialism.
The 50th anniversary of national reunification took place in the context of the country entering a new era, affirming the achievements of the past 50 years. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Nen, this is a difference that needs to be clearly shown in the preparation and script of the program.
The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee agreed to expand the ceremony center, using the Reunification Hall (Independence Palace) as a highlight to recall memories of 50 years ago, and at the same time arrange the stage reasonably so that delegates can easily follow the parades and marches.
As for the mass parade, Mr. Nguyen Van Nen suggested adding a lineup of historical witnesses, heroic Vietnamese mothers and heroes of the armed forces, to honor the past and demonstrate responsibility for the future.
"The more we respect history, the more we are responsible for the future" - Mr. Nguyen Van Nen affirmed.
Speaking at the meeting, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Party Central Committee's Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia said that the Politburo and the Secretariat set very high requirements for the organization of the celebration. The celebration must be attractive, safe, economical, and serve the people best.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia suggested that Ho Chi Minh City complete the overall plan for commemorative activities by mid-December 2024 and send it to the Central Propaganda Department to present to the Secretariat for comments.
Regarding the parade and marching activities, Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia noted that further research should be done to highlight the image of the five armies marching towards Saigon 50 years ago.
Regarding the speech, the Head of the Central Propaganda Department emphasized that it must be consistent with the current relationship between Vietnam and the US, which is agreed upon by senior leaders to put the past behind, overcome differences, promote similarities, and move towards a sustainable development future.
