Vietnamese veterans visit Khammuan province and are welcomed by Brigadier General Somkane Apphasone.

Vietnamese veterans visit Khammuan to honour shared history

Former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who once assisted Laos visited Khammuan province last week to reaffirm their friendship and remember their sacrifices during the wartime struggle.
The delegation of 42 veterans from Ha Tinh province, led by Mr Nguyen Tien Dung, met with members of the Khammuan Provincial Veterans Federation from August 15-16.
They were welcomed by the President of the Federation, Brigadier General Somkane Apphasone, who praised the visit as a symbol of the lasting bond between Laos and Vietnam.
The two sides shared updates and expressed their commitment to continue strengthening relations between the veterans of both nations.
Brigadier General Somkane highlighted the sacrifices of the Vietnamese soldiers, who fought alongside their Lao comrades in the most difficult of times, describing their contribution as an inseparable part of Laos’ independence and peace.
During the visit, the veterans recalled crossing mountains, forests and dangerous battlefields to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lao soldiers. They recalled how they shared food, shelter and hardship, earning the title of “brother soldiers” among the Lao people.
The delegation paid tribute to the supreme sacrifice made by Vietnamese and Lao leaders and soldiers who gave their lives for independence and freedom. Their struggle, they said, laid the foundation for the peace and development that Laos enjoys today.
Mr Nguyen Tien Dung said the visit to Khammuan was not only a reunion but also a return to what he described as their second home. He noted that the friendship between Laos and Vietnam remains as strong as ever, and will endure for generations.
The delegation described the trip as both emotional and historic, symbolising how former battlefields of blood and tears have now become places of peace, harmony and growth.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 19, 2025)