Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains of Ho Chi Minh City on July 9 received war memorabilia and burial records of fallen soldiers from the research team for the Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative (VWAI).
VWAI is led by the Vietnam Centre and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive (VNCA) and the Institute for Peace and Conflict (IPAC) at Texas Tech University, focusing on researching and analysing archival materials to support search efforts.
The donated materials include files on three martyrs’ personal belongings, burial records and maps identifying the graves of 21 martyrs at K76A Hospital, and decoded documents relating to Unit 962, linked to artefacts unearthed during excavation work at Le Thi Rieng Park in Hoa Hung ward.
The documents are expected to strengthen Vietnam’s efforts to cross-reference historical records, verify witness accounts, conduct field surveys and identify burial sites of martyrs whose resting places remain unknown.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee and head of the steering committee, described the materials as invaluable historical evidence. He said every recovered document, photograph and personal item contributes to clarifying information about those who died during the war and supports the country's sacred mission of returning fallen heroes to their families and hometowns.
He pledged that the documents would be used responsibly by relevant agencies, particularly the Ho Chi Minh City High Command, which is directly responsible for the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains.
Associate Professor Dr. Alex Thai Dinh Vo, co-head of the research team and a representative of the Vietnam Centre and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, said the donated records were compiled from more than 2.7 million pages of battlefield documents held by the university, along with over three million pages from other US sources, including the US National Archives and the Library of Congress.
He expressed confidence that the research team could continue supporting Vietnam by analysing historical records to reconstruct wartime events and verify information related to missing soldiers, complementing DNA identification efforts.
Lawyer Ta Thu Phong, head of the research team in Vietnam, said the restored military records and three recovered personal belongings originated from original US military documents captured during the war. The burial files for the 21 martyrs include coordinates of K76A Hospital and detailed burial maps containing the identities and military units of those buried there, helping facilitate future excavation and recovery work.
The research team also handed over decoded documents on Unit 962 after analysing archival sources linked to artefacts discovered during the excavation of martyrs' remains at Le Thi Rieng Park.
In addition, the team has collected 10 photographs and four US military film clips believed to be related to the mass burial site of soldiers killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Following further verification, these materials will also be transferred to the city to support future recovery operations./.
