NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed that caring for martyrs' families, Heroic Mothers, and wounded and sick soldiers has always been regarded as a focal political task, reflecting the nation’s enduring tradition of gratitude towards those who contributed to national independence and reunification.
The nationwide 500-day campaign to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers is being stepped up. Most recently, a mass grave containing soldiers killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive was uncovered at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Archived records played a crucial role as the golden key that led search teams to the site.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that every set of remains recovered represents far more than a technical achievement. It marks the return of a son or daughter to the Fatherland and to his/her family, the restoration of a missing chapter of history, and a reaffirmation of the country's enduring tradition of remembering those who served the nation.
Among the materials transferred is a research dossier decoding the designation of Unit 962. It provides additional leads in the search for fallen soldiers believed to have been buried at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City, including martyr Huynh Van Quen.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on July 17 laid flowers and offered incense in tribute to late Party General Secretary Tran Phu and the nation's heroic martyrs at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City. During the visit, he also inspected the ongoing search for and recovery of martyrs' remains under the 500-Day-and-Night Campaign.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on July 15 offered incense and laid flowers in tribute to fallen soldiers at the Vi Xuyen National Martyrs' Cemetery in Tuyen Quang province during a working visit, ahead of the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947–2026).
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on July 15 affirmed that caring for revolutionary contributors is both a political responsibility and a moral obligation, calling for more comprehensive and timely policies to ensure that those who sacrificed for the nation receive the care and respect they deserve.
The northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh has completed DNA sample collection from the remains of all unidentified war martyrs buried at 18 cemeteries across 15 localities, achieving full completion by July 14.
The remains of 81 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts were recovered during the 2025–2026 dry-season search campaign, all of them yet to be identified.
Each DNA sample represents a renewed hope and another step towards reuniting the nation's fallen heroes with their families and hometowns.
Under the signed record, the Takeo Special Task Committee handed over the remains of 14 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts to its An Giang counterpart, including 10 sets of remains recovered in Kirivong district and four in Tram Kak district.
Quang Ngai currently has 127 martyrs' cemeteries containing 37,689 graves, including 26 collective ones. Of these, 16,758 have complete information, 5,134 contain partial information, while 15,771 remain unidentified. Around 6,000 martyrs from the province have yet to have their remains located.
During the 2025–2026 dry season, Team K51 recovered and repatriated the remains of 27 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia. The achievement came after nearly seven months of searching through forests, crossing streams and following even the smallest leads.
Once digitisation is completed and a unified database is established, searches will become much faster and more accurate, providing an important foundation for the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains and for better implementing policies for people with meritorious service.
Members of Team K51 under the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command are continuing their search for the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers across the Central Highlands, overcoming difficult terrain to help reunite missing war heroes with their families decades after the war ended.
Situated between protection and production forests in Ha Nha commune, the cave remains largely untouched since the war. Huge boulders blasted down by bombing still block part of the entrance, making excavation difficult and hazardous.
With the NGS-SNP technology, kinship analysis can now extend beyond immediate family members to relatives as distant as the fourth or fifth generation, significantly increasing the chances of identification.
The samples will feed a national DNA database for fallen soldiers’ relatives, creating a critical resource to match unidentified remains and put names to martyrs whose information has long been lost.
Nghia described the ongoing 500-day campaign as a sacred mission that embodies the Vietnamese tradition of remembering those who served and sacrificed for the nation. The current generation, he said, must spare no effort in carrying out the Party’s policy and fulfilling the aspirations of the people, particularly the families of the fallen.
The work, which began on July 9, is being carried out by military and medical personnel following strict technical procedures. The process includes exhumation, biological sample collection, sealing and preservation of samples, documentation, and digitalisation of all relevant information. Each sample is carefully verified and catalogued, while excavation sites are accurately marked.
