Vietnam celebrates 40th anniversary of liberation

War veterans recall massive sacrifice made to secure nation's reunification

Thousands of troops and civilians marched in a huge parade in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday to mark the 40th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and the culmination of the Vietnamese people's long struggle for national reunification.

Elaborate floats, including one bearing a giant portrait of founding president Ho Chi Minh, made their way through the city's streets, celebrating the moment 40 years ago when tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace in the then-southern capital of Saigon - now named Ho Chi Minh City.