Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Units tasked with searching and recovering the remains of fallen soldiers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue have reported new progress in the efforts.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City High Command, after three days of urgent operations, the search and recovery of martyrs’ remains at Lac An 3 hamlet, Thuong Tan commune, has been completed, with five sets of remains recovered.
During the operation, the search and recovery team processed more than 1,000 cu.m of earth, excavated to a depth of about 10 metres and expanded the search area by more than 10 metres around a water well in Lac An 3 hamlet. Based on documents, traces found at the site and information provided by witnesses, the remains were initially identified as those of five soldiers who died in 1968 and 1970 and were buried at the site.
The team completed all procedures in accordance with regulations, while the collection, preservation and handover of the remains and personal effects were conducted in a solemn and meticulous manner. Relevant agencies are continuing to verify information and complete dossiers to serve the identification of the fallen soldiers.
The recovery of the five sets of remains demonstrates the Party and State’s deep gratitude and responsibility towards fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence and freedom. It also provides a basis for further reviewing and verifying information and conducting searches in other areas showing signs of possible wartime graves.
On August 19, the Martyrs’ Remains Search and Recovery Team of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command continued operations at Zone B of Le Thi Rieng Park in Hoa Hung ward, recovering 11 sets of remains and five sets of personal belongings.
As of August 19, a total of 379 sets of martyrs’ remains had been recovered at Le Thi Rieng Park, including 211 sets accompanied by personal belongings. The remains comprised 346 individual sets and 33 sets found at eight mass grave sites, including two in Zone A and six in Zone B.
In Hue city, a delegation from the Hue City Military Command, led by Colonel Ha Van Ai, Deputy Political Commissar, conducted a field survey of a site suspected to contain martyrs’ graves north of Phuoc Tuong Pass in Phuoc Tuong village, Phu Loc commune.
Thanks to witnesses and information collected by Hue’s Steering Committee 515, about 140 bodies of officers and soldiers who died between 1968 and 1970 were recovered and buried in the area north of the pass.
Ai called on witnesses and residents to provide further information, while requesting local military commands to coordinate with authorities and relevant agencies in reviewing and verifying suspected grave sites and promptly report findings to facilitate search and recovery operations.
The Hue Steering Committee 515 and Hue City Military Command urged agencies, units, witnesses and residents to continue providing information to help bring the fallen soldiers back to their homeland./.
