Quang Tri (VNA) - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on May 23 attended a memorial service and burial ceremony for the remains of 28 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during wartime.
The ceremony, held at the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery in the central province of Quang Tri, took place in a solemn, sacred and emotional atmosphere.
It drew central and local officials, delegations from Laos’ Savannakhet and Khammouane provinces, and local residents.
In a eulogy delivered at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee Le Van Bao said the repatriation reflected Vietnam’s enduring tradition of gratitude and remembrance, following the Party General Secretary’s directions on further improving care for people with meritorious service to the revolution.
He noted that authorities and people in the Lao provinces of Savannakhet and Khammouane, together with Quang Tri’s Search Teams 584 and 589, have overcome numerous difficulties to recover and bring home the martyrs’ remains after decades away from their homeland.
Their sacrifices, he said, symbolised Vietnam’s spirit of international solidarity and played an important role in the revolutionary victories of both Vietnam and Laos, while further strengthening the special friendship between the two countries. Their legacy remains an enduring testament to courage, sacrifice and proletarian internationalism.
The Party, State and people of Vietnam are deeply proud of and eternally grateful to the heroic martyrs and generations of revolutionary soldiers who gave their lives for the country’s independence, unity and territorial integrity, bringing freedom and happiness to the people, Bao said.
He affirmed that Quang Tri will continue implementing the nationwide “500-day campaign” to accelerate the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains with strong political resolve and coordinated action, contributing to gratitude policies and preserving the national tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source”.
In a solemn tribute, PM Hung and delegates expressed deep gratitude to the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for national independence, reunification and international obligations, helping nurture the enduring Vietnam–Laos friendship.
Over the past year, under the direction of the special task forces of both governments and Military Region 4, authorities in Quang Tri, Savannakhet and Khammouane coordinated search and repatriation efforts. During the 2025–2026 dry season alone, Teams 584 and 589 recovered 28 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in Laos.
On the occasion, the Government leader presented gifts to officers and soldiers of Teams 584 and 589 in recognition of their efforts.
Following the ceremony, the PM and delegates offered incense at the Road 9 National Martyrs Cemetery, the resting place of more than 10,800 martyrs who fought and sacrificed their lives on the Road 9 front, in Quang Tri and in Laos during the resistance war against US imperialists./.
