60 generals to be on duty beside General Vo Nguyen Giap’s coffin

VietNamNet Bridge – Preparations for an October 12-13 state funeral honouring General Vo Nguyen Giap have been completed. The national flag was flown at half-mast at State agencies and public works as of 12.00pm today.

VietNamNet Bridge – Preparations for an October 12-13 state funeral honouring General Vo Nguyen Giap have been completed. The national flag was flown at half-mast at State agencies and public works as of 12.00pm today, October 11.

Two artillery tractors, tens of military vehicles and more than 100 guards of honor representing the navy, the land forces and the air force will be mobilized to escort the coffin of General Vo Nguyen Giap. In addition, 60 generals will be on duty besides the coffin during the two-day state funeral.

In particular, an artillery tractor and a group of guards of honor will escort the coffin from the National Funeral House at No. 5 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi through streets to Noi Bai airport. The remaining artillery tractor was transported from HCM City to Quang Binh yesterday, October 10, to escort the coffin from the Dong Hoi Airport to the burial site in Vung Chua – Swallow Island in Quang Dong commune, Quang Trach district, Quang Binh province.

During the two-day state funeral, the Ministry of Defense also assigned 60 generals to be on duty besides the coffin. At the same time, 103 people including the Minister of Defense and representatives of all units of the Ministry of Defense, representing the age of the General will attend the funeral in Quang Binh.

To prepare for the funeral, the road to the burial has been repaired. The site aims to serve the General coffin of final resting place, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the authorities of Quang Binh province to mobilize all forces , rushing to expand and move tens of kilometers long route to the burial place of General . In that there are about 2 km to refresh completely.

On October 10, a rehearsal with an artillery tractor and many military vehicles was held in Hanoi.

Departing from the National Funeral Home No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, 25 cars carrying guards of honors and an artillery tractor carrying the coffin stopped in front of the house at No. 30 Hoang Dieu, then continued running to Noi Bai International Airport, under the escort of police and military cars and motorcycles.

The same day, 17 specialized military vehicles and an artillery tractor serving the funeral of the General were transported from HCM City to Quang Binh by train.

According to a military officer, this artillery tractor escorted the coffins of the first female general of the People's Army of Vietnam – Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dinh in 1992, Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh in 1998, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in 2008, Chairman of the State Council Vo Chi Cong in 2011 and many senior leaders of the Party and State.

Also on October 10, a military rites team was at the Noi Bai airport for a rehearsal for the funeral of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

At the VIP parking area of Noi Bai International Airport, the ATR72 VN - B225 plane is ready to serve the funeral.12 soldiers practiced of moving the coffin from a specialized truck to the plane.

According to Vietnam Airlines, two flights carrying the coffin and the General’s family will leave the Noi Bai International Airport at 11am on October 13. All pilots and flight attendants will wear uniform and black armbands.

The airlines will increase more flights from Hanoi to Quang Binh and use bigger planes on October 12-13.

The requiem for General Vo Nguyen Giap and the souls of martyrs and the people who died in the struggle for independence took place yesterday, October 10 at Van Ho Temple, Hanoi.

More than 1,000 monks and nuns, Buddhists and people joined the ceremony from 7am to 9pm. The requiem was chaired by Venerable Thich Thanh Phuong.

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