TaiShang
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[VIDEO]
Forty years ago, 18 Chinese soldiers were killed in a #battle with #Vietnamese troops in the South China Sea.
Prior to the conflict, #Vietnam had controlled some #islands within the Paracel Archipelago, known in China as the Xisha Islands.
While it might not fill history books and light imaginations like World War II or China’s revolutionary struggle, the small naval engagement has reverberated over the years.
For the veterans who were there, it was a transformative engagement and one that must never be forgotten.
"The extraordinary experience of the war against the invaders at the Xisha Islands will always stay clear in our minds. We have spilled our blood and sacrificed our lives to safeguard the country’s sovereignty," said veteran Huang Ben.
Huang and his comrades are older now, some have even passed away, but they have never forgotten the struggle.
Almost every year, they gather to commemorate the historic event, and pay tribute to those who were killed at sea.
Believe it or not though, none of the Xisha Battle veterans have ever returned to the islands they fought for. Many, however, yearn to return.
"We miss Xisha so much. We’d like to go back to see it, live in a tent, light an oil lamp, drink the island’s water, sing a song for it, and recall our glorious past when we were the Xisha soldiers," said Huang.
CCTV
Forty years ago, 18 Chinese soldiers were killed in a #battle with #Vietnamese troops in the South China Sea.
Prior to the conflict, #Vietnam had controlled some #islands within the Paracel Archipelago, known in China as the Xisha Islands.
While it might not fill history books and light imaginations like World War II or China’s revolutionary struggle, the small naval engagement has reverberated over the years.
For the veterans who were there, it was a transformative engagement and one that must never be forgotten.
"The extraordinary experience of the war against the invaders at the Xisha Islands will always stay clear in our minds. We have spilled our blood and sacrificed our lives to safeguard the country’s sovereignty," said veteran Huang Ben.
Huang and his comrades are older now, some have even passed away, but they have never forgotten the struggle.
Almost every year, they gather to commemorate the historic event, and pay tribute to those who were killed at sea.
Believe it or not though, none of the Xisha Battle veterans have ever returned to the islands they fought for. Many, however, yearn to return.
"We miss Xisha so much. We’d like to go back to see it, live in a tent, light an oil lamp, drink the island’s water, sing a song for it, and recall our glorious past when we were the Xisha soldiers," said Huang.
CCTV
