Vietnam has begun celebrations marking the victory of communist forces 30 years ago in the Vietnam War.
Soldiers and elephants paraded today (Thursday) in the Central Highlands town of Buon Ma Thuot. The fall of the stronghold of the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese army marked the beginning of the end of the war.
Parades will also be held in Hue, Danang, Hha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City.
The North Vietnamese assault on Buon Ma Thuot on March 10th 1975, began a series of military reversals culminating in the fall of Saigon on April 30th. The fall of Saigon ended the Vietnam War and reunified the country. The war claimed the lives of some 58,000 American troops and an estimated three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.