VietNamNet Bridge – On the morning of October 13, two planes will bring the coffin of General Vo Nguyen Giap and the funeral board from the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi to his hometown of Quang Binh.

On the morning of October 8, Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty chaired a meeting at the Noi Bai airport on the plan to transport the General’s coffin from Hanoi to Quang Binh. The relevant bodies agreed to use an ATR72 aircraft of Vietnam Airlines to bring the General’s coffin home. In addition, an A321s plane will serve the General’s family and the funeral organizing board.

Earlier, the funeral organizing board had planed to use military planes.

Under the plan, after the memorial service on the morning of October 13, the coffin of General Vo Nguyen Giap will be carried from the funeral home at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street through the roads of Trang Tien, Trang Thi, Dien Bien Phu to his home at No. 30 Hoang Dieu Street.

After that, the coffin will go to Kim Ma Street through Cau Giay to Noi Bai airport. The coffin will be moved onto the plane to bring to the airport of Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province.

From Dong Hoi Airport, the General’s coffin will be carried by car for about 60 km to the burial site in the area of Vung Chua – Swallow Island in Quang Dong commune of Quang Trach district.

The General chose his resting place years ago

General Vo Nguyen Giap himself chose his resting place in the homeland of Quang Binh since 2006. The burial site is at the altitude of 110 m, on Vung Chua Mountain, facing the Yen (Swallow) Island, which is about 500 meters from shore.

From the mid-'90s, the General and his family began finding the resting place. Initially, the General intended to rest in the Viet Bac base in Thai Nguyen Province and sometimes he thought of somewhere close to President Ho Chi Minh in Son Tay district, Hanoi. Regarding this decision, the General left autographs. The Politburo agreed with the General's wishes.

Vung Chua is a small beach with flat white sand and soft waves, formed by a rocky mountainside crashing into the sea. The locals call it the Dragon Cape.

At an online interview with Tien Phong Newspaper on October 8, Ms. Vo Hanh Phuc, the daughter of General Giap, said that in the late 1990s, her father visited his hometown several times and thought that he would return to Quang Binh. The family also examined many sites in the province and finally chose Vung Chua – Swallow Island in Quang Trach district.

Ms. Phuc said, when answering the Party Central Committee and the Politburo about the funeral, the family expressed that during his life, the General did not inquire anything and this is his only requirement.

"He wanted to return to the Central Region, the land of heroic traditions. He wanted to return to Quang Binh hometown but not necessarily in his village of An Xa. The decision to rest in Vung Chua – Swallow Island was made in 2006," said Ms. Vo Hanh Phuc.

On October 8, after the family and the funeral organizing board agreed on the burial site, Mr. Vo Dien Bien - General Vo Nguyen Giap’s son and leaders of Quang Binh province went to Vung Chua – Swallow Island to prepare for the funeral.

The Department of Transportation of Quang Binh has mobilized vehicles and forces to quickly repair and open the road of about 1 km to the burial site, expected to be completed in two days. Currently, the entire area has been blocked to serve the construction.

General Vo Nguyen Giap passed away at 6.09pm on October 4 at the Army Hospital 108. His funeral will be held in state rites. The coffin is now placed at the National Funeral House, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi.

Funeral service is slated for October 12 at the national funeral house, 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi. Memorial service is scheduled for October 13 and burial service will be held at the General’s home province of Quang Binh at the wish of the General and his family.

Respect-paying and memorial services will also be held at the office of the Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee and the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City at the same time with the ceremonies in Hanoi.

During the two days of mourning on October 12 and 13, public offices and places will fly national flags at half-mast while entertainment activities will be postponed.

The memorial and burial services will be broadcast live by Vietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

The People's Army Newspaper quoted Colonel Nguyen Van Hieu, Commander of the Military Command of Quang Binh province, as saying that the Guards of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army from Hanoi will go to Quang Binh to perform the funeral rites.

Tran Cham