Vietnam’s National Day: A Moment to Honor Sacrifice and Renew a Pledge to Independence

HANOI — Sept. 2, 2025. Vietnam marked National Day by paying tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, fallen heroes and generations of compatriots who sacrificed for the country’s independence and freedom—while calling on today’s and tomorrow’s citizens to study, work and steadfastly protect the nation’s hard-won sovereignty.

On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square—an event that remains the cornerstone of the modern Vietnamese state and the foundation of the “2 September spirit.” Contemporary English translations of the proclamation highlight its appeal to universal rights and national self-determination.

This year’s 80th-anniversary commemoration featured Vietnam’s largest military parade in decades, with tens of thousands gathering at Ba Dinh Square as troops, tanks and aircraft took part in a nationally televised display; related commemorations were held across the country.

In a keynote address, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm emphasized remembrance and responsibility: “We forever remember the contributions by Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, war veterans, wounded and sick soldiers, [and] families of martyrs,” underscoring that national development must be paired with safeguarding sovereignty.

The day’s message echoed a famous call Ho Chi Minh sent to students in September 1945, urging learning and nation-building so Vietnam could “stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents”—a line often cited as a generational mandate for progress.

Analysts and educators note that the ideals voiced in 1945—equality, freedom and the right of peoples to be independent—continue to animate Vietnam’s development goals and civic ethos tied to National Day.