On September 22, the Steering Committee for searching, repatriating and identifying martyrs' remains of Lao Cai province said that since the deployment of the "Operation 500 days and nights to promote the search, repatriation and identification of martyrs' remains", the forces have searched and exhumed 60 martyrs' remains, including 53 individual graves and 1 collective grave.
That number was created after more than 4 months of quiet time on the mountainsides, in the forests and lands that were once battlefields.
Lao Cai is one of the key areas for the search and repatriation of martyrs' remains.
After decades, the terrain has changed many times, trees cover the old traces, while information about the location of the graves mostly only remains in the memories of those who fought here.
During the campaign, hundreds of meetings with veterans who fought in the area were organized.
The old soldiers became special "witnesses", contributing pieces of memory for the search force to rebuild the battlefield map.
Some memories have faded over the years. There are details that some people remember, others forget. But each piece of information, no matter how small, is recorded and compared with military maps and other sources of information before the search force determines the survey area.
Amidst the hillsides, the search work took place slowly but meticulously. Each layer of soil was peeled off, and each unusual sign was checked.
A bone fragment, a relic or trace of a burial pit can become a clue opening the journey to bring a soldier back.
The important task being implemented in parallel is to collect information, take biological samples to serve DNA testing, and gradually identify remains that do not have sufficient information.
This work is carried out according to a strict process, ensuring professional requirements and respect for the person who sacrificed.
For relatives of martyrs, a name is identified as having special meaning. After decades of waiting, the family can know where their loved one has lay and have the opportunity to bring the grave closer to their hometown.
According to the plan, on the morning of September 30, Lao Cai province will organize a memorial service for the remains of martyrs at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs, Cam Duong ward.
After the memorial service, the martyrs' remains will be buried at Cam Duong Ward Martyrs' Cemetery and Bao Thang Commune Martyrs' Cemetery, depending on the gathering location.
The memorial service will be the end point of a search journey but also a milestone for the soldiers of the past to officially return to their motherland.
Mr. Giang Quoc Hung - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for searching, repatriating and identifying martyrs' remains of Lao Cai province - emphasized that this is not only a professional task but also the responsibility of today's generation towards those who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
The search, repatriation and identification of martyrs' remains is the way today's generation fulfills its responsibility to those who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
Each grave found, each identity identified not only helps a soldier return but also helps a family close the years of waiting," Mr. Giang Quoc Hung expressed.
