Cooperation with US University to Apply Ground-Penetrating Radar in Locating Remains of Fallen Soldiers

	Overseas Vietnamese Commemorate Gac Ma Fallen Soldiers
	Overseas Vietnamese Commemorate Fallen Soldiers in Gac Ma Battle

On October 7, the Vietnam Martyrs’ Families Support Association held a working session with a delegation from the University of Georgia to discuss the potential application of GPR technology in the search for martyrs’ remains.

According to Nhan Dan Newspaper, during the meeting, experts from the University of Georgia introduced the GPR technology, a device integrating magnetic sensors and geological imaging capable of detecting underground anomalies such as mass graves. This technology has been effectively applied in archaeological work and in the recovery of remains in many countries.

The working session between the Vietnam Martyrs’ Families Support Association and the University of Georgia delegation (US). (Photo: Bao Tin tuc và Dan toc)

For Vietnam, as most martyrs’ remains were buried in mountainous regions during wartime and have since been affected by geological changes over time, the search process faces significant challenges. The application of ground-penetrating radar technology is therefore expected to mark a breakthrough in locating and recovering the remains of fallen soldiers.

The University of Georgia proposed organizing a short-term training course in Vietnam for the Association’s technical staff on radar operation, calibration, signal analysis, and 3D data modeling. The university also plans to assign experts to provide remote supervision and technical support during field implementation.

Representatives of the Vietnam Martyrs’ Families Support Association expressed their hope to soon receive and apply GPR equipment in practice to enhance the effectiveness of future search and recovery efforts.

According to Bao Tin tuc va Dan toc, in recent years, the Vietnam Martyrs’ Families Support Association has expanded its cooperation with the US Institute of Peace and several American universities, including the University of Georgia, in locating mass burial sites of Vietnamese soldiers. American veterans have contributed by providing records, documents, and coordinates of wartime burial sites, as well as returning wartime artifacts to the families of fallen soldiers. In 2024, a delegation of American veterans conducted field trips and handed over 21 sets of records on locations of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains.

The Vietnam Martyrs’ Families Support Association was established on September 17, 2010. At the ceremony marking its 15th anniversary on September 16, Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, President of the Association, stated that over the past 15 years, the Association has collected and connected information on martyrs’ remains, publishing 207,121 data entries through public media. It has processed more than 40,000 case files to advise 36,861 families in their search for the remains of their loved ones, successfully locating 661 sets of remains. The Association has also guided procedures for DNA testing of 1,258 remains, successfully identifying 488 martyrs. Through evidence-based verification and DNA analysis, the Association has helped restore the names of over 1,000 fallen soldiers.

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