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At the conference summarizing the implementation of tasks for the 2025-2026 dry season and outlining tasks for the 2026-2027 dry season, the Steering Committee stated that the search and repatriation of the remains of fallen soldiers continues to face many difficulties due to complex terrain, harsh weather conditions, increasingly scarce information about initial burial sites, and the fact that many historical witnesses are elderly.

Authorities are collecting samples and digitizing information from unidentified graves at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery in Quang Tri province (Photo: VGP).

The 589th and 584th Search and Recovery Teams of the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade Search and Recovery Team, and the 968th Division Search and Recovery Team (Military Region 4) continued to closely monitor the area, expanding surveys and verifications, thereby searching for and recovering 28 remains of martyrs in Laos and 123 remains of martyrs in Quang Tri province. As the result, the identities of 2 martyrs have been confirmed.

Regarding the "500-Day Campaign to Intensify the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains" (500-Day Campaign), from March 15th to the present, the search teams have searched for and collected an additional 59 remains of martyrs both domestically and internationally. Simultaneously with the search efforts, functional forces have collected biological samples for DNA testing on 29 newly collected remains and 1,402 unidentified martyrs' graves in cemeteries throughout the province.

Collecting biological samples and digitizing data are considered important solutions for building a synchronized database to facilitate comparison and identification of fallen soldiers, especially as traditional information sources are increasingly limited.

Speaking at the conference, Major General Le Van Vy, Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 4 and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains in Military Region 4, highly appreciated the achievements of Quang Tri province in the past period, especially the effective implementation of the 500-day campaign, the organization of biological sample collection, the digitization of information, and the meticulous conduct of the memorial service and burial of martyrs who died in Laos.

Emphasizing that the tasks ahead will become increasingly difficult, Major General Le Van Vy requested the Steering Committee and the forces to continue to thoroughly understand the policies of the Party and the State, and to implement comprehensive solutions to improve the effectiveness of searching for, collecting, and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers.

This includes strengthening propaganda efforts, promoting the role of organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally in providing information about martyrs and their graves; enhancing connectivity, data collection and processing; and closely coordinating with units that fought in the area, Veterans' Associations at all levels, and historical witnesses to verify information.

In addition, units are required to focus on completing the objectives of the 500-day campaign, ensuring that excavation, biological sampling, and DNA testing are carried out according to proper and scientific procedures; while also continuing to strengthen the task force and paying attention to fully implementing the regime and policies for officers and soldiers directly involved in the search and repatriation.

The leaders of Military Region 4 also emphasized the need to strengthen military diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, continuing to effectively coordinate with Lao agencies and localities in searching for and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos, contributing to consolidating the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

To implement the 2026-2027 dry season tasks, the Quang Tri Provincial Steering Committee assigned targets to the search and recovery teams to strive to find and recover over 770 remains of martyrs both domestically and internationally; complete the collection of biological samples and digitization of information for approximately 22,500 unidentified martyrs’ graves , contributing to the achievement of the goals of the "500-day campaign to intensify the search, recovery, and identification of martyrs' remains".

On this occasion, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province awarded Certificates of Commendation to 31 collectives and 51 individuals; the Provincial Military Command awarded Certificates of Merit to 6 collectives and 17 individuals for their outstanding achievements in the task of searching for, collecting, and identifying the remains of martyrs during the 2025-2026 dry season.

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