On July 13, the Steering Committee for searching, repatriating and identifying martyrs' remains of Thanh Hoa province organized the collection and handover of martyrs' remains biological samples at Hoa Loc Martyrs' Cemetery, Hoa Loc commune.
Hoa Loc Martyrs' Cemetery currently has 114 graves, of which 69 graves have no information. This is the entire number of graves sampled for biological products in this phase.
Nearly 30 people were mobilized to participate, divided into operating departments and specialized teams, including the excavation team, the medical team - sampling team, the digitization and data management team, and the record making team.
The excavation and sampling process is carried out according to an 8-step process. At each time, functional forces only open a part of the remains; each biological sample is contained in a separate box and uses a unique identification code throughout the excavation, sampling, preservation, and handover process.
Sampling must ensure proper technique, avoid confusion or cross-impact between samples. After completion, martyrs' remains are brought back to the correct grave location, ensuring solemnity.
According to the plan, the sample collection and handover at Hoa Loc Martyrs' Cemetery will take place from July 13-16, striving to complete the biological samples of all 69 graves that lack information.
Previously, from July 1 to 5, Thanh Hoa province's functional forces deployed to take biological samples at Trieu Son Martyrs' Cemetery. This cemetery has 486 graves that have not been identified, of which 92 graves are in need of excavation and sample collection during the deployment.
At Vinh Loc Martyrs' Cemetery, from June 15-17, functional forces took samples for 32 graves that have not been identified out of a total of 264 graves being buried here. Records and data of each grave have also been digitized to serve management and DNA comparison.
At the end of May 2026, the Steering Committee of Thanh Hoa province also organized the collection of biological samples for 19 sets of remains of martyrs who were volunteer soldiers and Vietnamese experts who sacrificed in Hua Phan province, Laos, searched by the Thanh Hoa Provincial Martyrs' Repatriation Team in the dry season of 2025-2026. The remains were then buried at Dong Tam International Martyrs' Cemetery.
According to the results of the search and repatriation work in the dry season 2025-2026 announced at the end of June, Thanh Hoa has exhumed 126 graves and taken DNA samples from 110 graves, creating a basis for analyzing, comparing, and identifying martyrs.
Thanh Hoa currently has nearly 60,000 martyrs, 32 martyrs' cemeteries and 3 memorials with martyr burials, with a total of 11,174 graves. The collection of remains samples, combined with DNA sample collection from relatives, is expected to gradually supplement data and return names to martyrs who lack information.
