Processions of military troops and festive floats marked the capture of Danang DANANG - Hundreds of troops from the army, air force, navy and militia paraded past a giant soldier's memorial inscribed with the words ``The nation remembers their contributions.'' Clusters of multicolored balloons filled the air as a procession of decorated floats and costumed performers streamed through the giant public square in a two-hour event, televised live nationally. On March 29, 1975, Danang ; the largest military base north of Saigon ; became the third city to fall as North Vietnamese forces advanced down the country's coastline in an offensive that ended April 30 with the capture of the South Vietnamese capital. That victory reunited the country and ended a painful conflict that killed 58,000 Americans and 3 million Vietnamese. The Vietnamese government, in an effort to boost patriotism as its leadership faces a crisis in confidence, has been holding celebrations in each of the cities taken during the spring of 1975 to mark their victory. Danang was a flurry of activity Tuesday, with red and yellow flags and colored banners planted along every corner. Performers practicing for Wednesday's formal parade filled the streets with music and dance. Some 10,000 to 15,000 people are expected to turn out for the celebration, to be held in a public square beneath an obelisk-like war memorial. Col. Nguyen Ngoc Phi, now 75, led the forces that took over the city and hoisted a communist flag over the government building shortly before noon on March 29. ``The city was in chaos. The Saigon army tried to evacuate with their families, and they ran leaving their weapons and uniforms behind,'' he recalled. Danang fell with no bloodshed as Southern troops and their families frantically sought escape routes via boat, plane or road. A few made it out, evacuated by ship and plane. During the war, Danang served as a major base of U.S. troops, with nearby China Beach a favorite rest and relaxation spot. These days, boosted by its shipping port and manufacturing industry, the city has doubled in population to 700,000, becoming one of Vietnam's four largest cities. The city is under a constant dust cloud as construction crews widen roads, and scaffolding covers many new homes along the roadside. As part of anniversary festivities, Danang will officially inaugurate its third bridge spanning the Han River and a cable-car system from the mountainous Ba Na resort area. ``You can say that Danang is a construction project these days,'' Vice Mayor Nguyen Hoang Long said. ``Anyone who lived here 25 years won't recognize it anymore.'' The dividends of peace from years of wartime sacrifice have paid off, said Pham Trung Kien, who was a 23-year-old soldier when the war ended. ``Things were tough after the war, but I think my son will have a brighter future than me, '' Kien said of 6-year-old Hien, who won a city student drawing contest held in conjunction with the anniversary. ``I believe he will enjoy a life of peace, not like me, who experienced the destruction and misery of war,'' he said. Associated Press, March 28, 2000.