A ceremony was held at the Son My relic site in Tinh Khe commune of Quang Ngai city, the central province of Quang Ngai, on March 16 in memory of 504 local civilians massacred by US troops 51 years ago.

The Son My relic site in Tinh Khe commune of Quang Ngai city, the central province of Quang Ngai

On March 16, 1968, US troops raided My Lai hamlet of Son My village, slaughtering 504 innocent villagers, mostly the elderly, women and children. The bloody massacre shocked the world and left indescribable pain and losses on the victims’ families, as well as people in Vietnam and around the world.

At the ceremony, Director of the Quang Ngai provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Minh Tri said over the last 51 years, Son My has recovered strongly with material and spiritual lives of local residents increasingly improved.

The massacre’s location has become a relic site attracting special attention of domestic and international visitors who come to learn about the killings to treasure the values of cooperation and peace, he noted.

In front of the Son My Memorial, participants observed a moment of silence and offered flowers and incense in commemoration of the victims.

VNA