HCMCity (VNA) – A grand ceremony was held at the Thong Nhat(Reunification) Palace, Ho Chi Minh City on January 31 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the General Tet Offensive in the spring of 1968.

Theevent saw the attendance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam(CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, President of theVietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, former Party, State,Government, National Assembly and Vietnam Fatherland Front leaders, and foreigndiplomats, among others.

The Tet Offensive began in the early morning of January 31 in 1968 whenliberation forces simultaneously launched attacks on American and SouthernVietnamese bases in cities such as Hue, Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Saigon, andhundreds of towns from Quang Tri to Ca Mau.

The offensive helped destroy huge amounts of facilitiesand logistics used by the US and the Southern regime’s armies. The seven-monthlong campaign ended with tens of thousands of enemy troops dead, 600 strategichamlets destroyed and 100 communes liberated with a population of 1.6 millionpeople.

People in rural areas also took this opportunityto rise up against the US-backed government’s administration.

Sai Gon-Gia Dinh (now HCM City), theheadquarters of the US-backed Southern regime, was a focus of the offensive.

The Tet Offensive marked a strategic turning point for theresistance war against the US and its allies. It caused the US a ‘suddenshock’, disrupting their strategic plan, shaking the White House, the Pentagonand all of the US and forced President Johnson to deescalate the war and agreeto sign the historic Paris Peace Accord. The victory also helped lead to theliberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification in 1975.

Addressing the ceremony, Secretary of the HCM City Party CommitteeNguyen Thien Nhan described the Tet Offensive the peak of Vietnam’s history inthe 20th century, and a symbol of patriotism, iron will anddetermination, and combat spirit of the entire Party, people and army under theclear-sighted leadership and right guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnamand President Ho Chi Minh to gain national liberation.

“Wewill always be proud of the 1968 Tet Offensive,” Nhan said.

Thecelebration of the Tet Offensive which took place almost the same time with thefounding anniversary of the CPV (February 3, 1930) has helped raise the prideof the Party and national strength, he said.

TheParty has learnt from the success of the offensive to serve the present causeof nation-building and development, he noted, saying it is the people’s assistanceand support that helped the country overcome all challenges to win the ultimatevictory.

Therefore,Nhan said, it is necessary to build a pure and strong Party, improve theleadership capacity and combat capacity of the Party, and prevent the degradationof political ideology, morals and lifestyle, as well as the signs of“self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party.

Atthe same time, efforts should be stepped up to fight against bureaucracy,corruption and wastefulness to affirm the Party’s prestige and consolidatepublic trust, and mobilise national strength in order to fulfill tasks, he said.

Nhanalso emphasised the need to build up patriotism, especially among the younggeneration, to bring the country towards prosperity.

ColonelNguyen Van Tau (Alias Tu Cang), a Hero of the People’s Armed Forces who foughtin the Tet Offensive, shared his pride of the victory, saying war veterans willcarry forward characteristics of Uncle Ho’s soldiers and continue to devote tonational construction and development.

NguyenThi Phuong Nghi, a student of Vietnam National University-HCM City, said theyoung generation will uphold the values of the historic victory to embark on theforth industrial revolution and affirm Vietnam’s position in the internationalarena.

Thecelebration featured special art performances in tribute to heroes of the Tet  Offensive.-VNA