50 years after the war, Vietnam marks reunification with a call for reconciliation and peace

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam. Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of North and South Vietnam, the country marked the anniversary on Wednesday with a powerful message of reconciliation, unity, and forward-looking diplomacy amid rising regional and global tensions.

Thousands gathered in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, to witness a large-scale military parade and cultural performances near the historic Independence Palace, where a North Vietnamese tank famously crashed through the gates on April 30, 1975, ending the war and solidifying the formation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Unlike previous anniversaries that emphasized military victory, this year’s commemorations placed reconciliation and cooperation at the forefront of the national message.

“National reconciliation does not mean forgetting history or erasing differences, but accepting different perspectives in tolerance and respect, to work towards a greater goal: building a peaceful, unified, powerful, civilized and prosperous Vietnam,” Communist Party General Secretary To Lam wrote in an article published on a government website.

To Lam acknowledged the deep divisions rooted in the country’s wartime past, but emphasized that Vietnam is now “armed with lessons of its past.”

According to analyst Nguyen Khac Giang of Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, the shift in messaging signals a pragmatic shift by the Communist Party.

“The Vietnam War remains central to how the Communist Party frames its legitimacy, not just as a military triumph but also as a symbol of national unity,” he said. “But To Lam’s comments underline that the reconciliation remains unfinished. The war still defines Vietnam’s unity, and its unresolved divides.”

Pham Ngoc Son, a 69-year-old war veteran who served as a truck driver along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, returned to Ho Chi Minh City to remember the day his troops entered the city. Though he recalled that moment with joy, he said his focus now is on peace.

“The war is over a long time ago,” he said. “Now there is only space for peace and friendship.”

Local resident Nguyen Thi Hue shared a similar sentiment.

“The war has ended and we shake hands [with the former enemy] for development. Now it’s time for peace. Peace is the dream that everyone in the world wants,” she said.

This year also marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States, a relationship that has deepened significantly. In 2023, Vietnam elevated its partnership with the U.S. to the level of a comprehensive strategic partner, its highest diplomatic status, on par with that of China and Russia.

Officials in Hanoi have credited the strength of this bond to Washington’s ongoing efforts to address war legacies, including the cleanup of unexploded ordnance and remediation of areas contaminated by Agent Orange. However, the sustainability of these efforts has been called into question due to drastic cuts to USAID under the Trump administration.

Vietnam, heavily reliant on global trade, also finds itself vulnerable to shifting U.S. economic policies. In recent years, it was hit with a staggering 46% reciprocal tariff, one of the highest imposed by the Trump administration.

An estimated 13,000 people, including soldiers, veterans, militias, and local residents, took part in the parade. Troops from Laos and Cambodia also joined the event. Notably absent was a formal Chinese contingent, although a viral video showed Chinese troops singing the Vietnamese song “As If Uncle Ho Were With Us on Victory Day” during an earlier rehearsal, a symbolic gesture after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Vietnam.

The parade route passed by the U.S. Consulate, a reminder of how far the two nations have come from former enmity to close strategic partners.

According to Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group, Hanoi’s growing ties with Washington have helped it maintain balance in its complicated relationship with Beijing, particularly in light of South China Sea disputes.

However, she warned that the U.S.’s focus on tariffs and short-term economic priorities could undermine long-term strategic ties.

“It really will be shaping up [on] how the new administration sees the strategic picture in the Indo-Pacific and where countries like Vietnam would fit in,” she said.

As Vietnam reflects on a half-century of peace, the focus is no longer on the bitter divisions of war but on its vision of unity, development, and resilience, a message deeply resonant in a time of global uncertainty.

Despite lingering scars, both physical and political, the country is determined to transform its past into a foundation for peace.