Behind those lines are lives that have dedicated their youth to the country. They are children who left and have never returned. They are families who have waited in weariness for many years, even generations.
Therefore, identifying martyrs in many localities, in which Quang Tri is typical with the peak campaign of taking biological samples of martyrs' remains for DNA testing, is an effort to identify those who fell for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
In Vietnamese culture, name is not only a sign identifying a person. It is also the origin of family, homeland and memories. When a martyr's identity is identified, what is found is not only information on a tombstone but also the connection that has been divided by war for many decades.
There are mothers who died before knowing where their children would lie. There are younger siblings who are now in their twilight years and still carry the remorse for not being able to bring their brothers back to their homeland. There are families that through many generations still preserve some old photos and few memories as a hope that has never faded.
So, each successful DNA test result, first of all, is a true reunion.
What is commendable is that today's science and technology are opening up opportunities that were almost impossible to achieve before. Bone samples and tooth samples that have been underground for decades can provide information to identify identities. Or digital data helps connect information between localities, units and relatives of martyrs.
These advances are helping to shorten the gap between the past and the present. In other words, science is becoming a bridge between those who have sacrificed and their families.
Of course, behind these scientific achievements is the dedication of so many people with the same goal of not letting those who have sacrificed be forgotten. Those are officers and soldiers who quietly search in the deep forest every day, are experts and doctors who are careful with each biological sample, are policy makers who persistently review dossiers and compare information for many years.
The peaceful atmosphere we are breathing today is exchanged for the blood and bones of so many generations of fathers and brothers. So as long as there are martyrs who have not been called by their proper names, we will continue the work of gratitude, searching to correctly call the names of those who sacrificed for the Fatherland.
That is the responsibility, the way the Vietnamese nation preserves memories, preserves morality and maintains full affection for those who have contributed to making national history.
