Amid Cambodia’s forests, the mission to search for and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts has continued for many years. Nearly half a century after the war, the traces of conflict have been erased by time and nature. Many battlefield maps are no longer intact, the terrain has changed, and the forests are no longer as they once were. Under such circumstances, many searches have begun from an extraordinary source of information: the memories of local residents.

In early 2026, while carrying out a mission in the O Toi Stream area (Dak Dam Commune, O Rang District, Mondulkiri Province), Team K51 under the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command met Chan Da, a local resident. He recalled an area where the graves of Vietnamese soldiers had once been located, although after several decades he could no longer remember the exact site.

Based on this limited information, Team K51 decided to station a task force at the location. For three consecutive days and nights, the officers and soldiers painstakingly searched every suspected area across rugged mountains, dense forests, and numerous streams. Eventually, beneath a large tree beside the stream, the team discovered the remains of a fallen soldier along with several personal belongings, including a hammock poncho, rubber sandals, uniform buttons, and a bottle of penicillin. After lying in the deep forest for 47 years, the soldier was finally brought home by his comrades.

Team K51 discovered the remains of a fallen soldier along with several personal belongings based on information provided by Chan Da. (Photo: Vietnam Veterans Newspaper)

For Chan Da, assisting the search effort was no coincidence. He explained that the Cambodian people have never forgotten the years when Vietnamese volunteer soldiers stood alongside them in helping the country escape the genocidal Pol Pot regime. Whenever he learns of information that could help locate the remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers, he is always willing to share it with the recovery teams. “Our people are deeply grateful to the Vietnamese soldiers,” he said.

Chan Da’s story is far from unique. In early May 2026, in Lam Village (Ia Tung Commune, O Ya Dao District, Ratanakiri Province), 65-year-old Seu Chenh voluntarily informed Team K52 under the Gia Lai Provincial Military Command about an area where Vietnamese soldiers had once been buried. Remarkably, the information had been passed down from his father, Puih Chenh, who had directly served and fought alongside Vietnamese soldiers between 1968 and 1973.

Acting on Seu Chenh’s information, Team K52 conducted on-site verification and recovered the remains of two fallen soldiers together with numerous personal effects, including a canteen, medical scissors, a Hong Ha fountain pen, a medicine bottle, military uniform buttons, Vietnamese coins, and fragments of a nylon poncho. After decades underground, these artifacts have provided additional evidence to help identify the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Officers and soldiers of Team K52 search for personal belongings found alongside the remains of fallen soldiers. (Photo: Gia Lai Newspaper and Radio-Television)

The support has not been limited to Ratanakiri or Mondulkiri. Vietnamese recovery teams operating across Cambodia have consistently received valuable assistance from local authorities and residents. Some people remember where Vietnamese military units were once stationed, others discovered traces while cultivating farmland, while many have voluntarily guided search teams through remote forest areas that are no longer accurately reflected on maps.

Such cooperation is not merely a series of isolated acts of goodwill. It has become an integral part of the joint efforts of Vietnam and Cambodia to search for and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives on Cambodian soil. Every year, the two countries’ specialized committees coordinate to exchange information, conduct field surveys, encourage local residents to provide leads, and facilitate the deployment of recovery teams across numerous localities.

The effectiveness of these joint efforts is reflected in the results achieved over the years. Since 2000, Team K51 under the Dak Lak Provincial Military Command has recovered the remains of 769 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in Mondulkiri Province alone, including 27 sets of remains during the 2025-2026 dry season. Since 2002, Team K72 under the Dong Nai Provincial Military Command has recovered 3,627 sets of remains of fallen soldiers from both Vietnam and Cambodia. During the 2025-2026 dry season, Teams K90, K93, and several other units continued to work closely with their Cambodian counterparts to search for, recover, and repatriate hundreds of additional sets of remains.

A memorial and burial ceremony for 158 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia was held at Vinh Hung-Tan Hung Martyrs’ Cemetery (Vinh Hung Commune, Tay Ninh Province) on May 13, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

The memories of Vietnamese soldiers continue to be preserved by many Cambodian people. Today, those memories not only help bring the fallen home to their homeland, but also stand as a vivid testament to the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship, one forged through shared sacrifice in wartime and continually nurtured through compassion and solidarity in times of peace.

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