Vietnamese ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong offered incense to General Vo Nguyen Giap, commemorating one of Vietnam’s greatest military leaders, at a ceremony in Washington DC on October 12. Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong and his staff pay tribute to General Giap in front of his altar He highlighted the General’s substantial contributions to Vietnam during the past struggle against foreign aggression and current national development. Representatives of US Congress, administration, diplomatic corps in Washington DC and Vietnamese nationals in the US, attended the ceremony. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Marciel expressed deep sympathy towards the ambassador following the General’s passing. In the funeral book, he wrote that General Giap is a key Vietnamese leader who supported reconciliation and improvement in relations between the US and Vietnam. Senator Tom Harkin recalled his meeting with General Giap in Hanoi in 1995, saying General Giap has taught valuable lessons to everyone struggling for independence, self-reliance and dignity. In his notes, David Schwartzman, a Washington DC resident, described General Giap as a hero of humankind in the struggle for national liberation against imperialism. Vo Thi Thanh Tuyen, a Vietnamese national residing in the Virginia State, told a Washington DC-based correspondent that she was saddened to hear about the General’s passing. “The General will live forever in our heart and mind because he is a great leader,” she said. VOV