Tong Khao cemetery is located at Tong Khao village, Thanh Nua commune, Đien Bien district. The graves in Tong Khao cemetery were collected from Hoa Binh, Bản Kéo and Vietnamese volunteer cemetery in Udomxay province since 1982. Currently, the cemetery is constantly expanded and has more than 2,800 martyr graves.
Ladies and gentlemen! To perform the Party's foreign policy on the close co-operation between Vietnamm and Laos, and follow the President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of “Helping friends is helping ourselves”, many volunteer soldiers of Vietnam together with Lao people have sacrificed to fulfill the mission of protecting and liberating Laos. The volunteer soldiers have made a valuable contribution to the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos, a rare model of international solidarity and faithfulness. The 82nd Regiment (predecessor of the 82nd Division) was one of volunteer units with huge contribution in this glorious international mission.
From the early years of the French war to 1988, the 82nd Regiment continuously engaged in combat in six Northern Lao provinces. Since 1988, this Regiment occupied in Đien Bien Phu with the mission of a mobile unit.
In the fierce battle, many brave soldiers have sacrificed in Laos. The later generations are in charged of bringing the remains of sacrificed martyrs in Laos and in the Vietnam War to Khong Khao cemetery. These activities are the return the favor of the previous generation.
The Vietnamese martyrs sacrificed on the battlefields of northern Laos in the 316th, 308th company, the 82nd regiment, civilian, youth volunteers and in the Vietnam war were gathered in the same cemetery.
Their sacrifice for independence, whether in motherland or elsewhere is for the revival, freedom and peace as the poet To Huu wrote:
"Sisters, brothers
You fell in the battlefield
Your blood is not wasted
It will bring life to Vietnam
Mường Thanh, Hồng Cúm, Him Lam
The flowers will bloom again..