Late General Giap to be flown home in civil aircraft

October 10, 2013 | 08:39

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The coffin of the late General Vo Nguyen Giap, who died last Friday, will be brought home by a civil aircraft from Hanoi to central Quang Binh Province, his native land, on October 13 for burial services, the State Funeral Committee said.

Accordingly, Vietnam Airlines, VNA, the country’s national flag carrier, has been assigned by the Committee to fly the coffin from Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport to Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh.

Currently, General Giap’s coffin is being placed at the National Funeral House at 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, where an official tribute ceremony will be conducted at 7:30 am on October 12, the Committee said.

A solemn memorial service for the late General will be held at the same place at 7:00 am on October 13, and after that, the coffin will be put in a car that, along with others for funeral services, will be paraded through some streets in the capital, including Hoang Dieu, where the deceased’s family have been living for years, before heading for Noi Bai for the flight.

VNA expects to use an ATR 72 aircraft for the mission and another plane, an Airbus, for carrying the late General’s family members and relatives.

After reaching Dong Hoi Airport, the coffin will be carried to the Vung Chua- Yen Island area in Quang Dong Commune, Quang Trach District, about 60 km away, for burial services.

This area is located seven kilometers from the Ngang Pass, which links Quang Binh and Ha Tinh Province.
Vo Quang Dat, chairman of the commune People’s Committee, said, “We local residents are very proud to know that the late General will be laid to rest there. We have yet to recover after being hit by a typhoon recently, but we all will try our best to prepare for burial services.”

Dat also said the terrain of the burial place is very good. “It is surrounded by the Rong Cap to the northeast and is shielded by the Yen Island.”

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

As previously reported, Vo Nguyen Giap, the first four-star general and the former commander-in-chief of the Vietnam army, died on October 4 at the 108 Army Hospital in Hanoi, more than a month after he celebrated his 103rd birthday.

He started his career as a history teacher before joining the army to become a legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to defeat the French and US invaders in 1954 and 1975 respectively.