Unfinished journey to find the graves of loved ones
For many years, the heart of Mr. Vo Tien Dung's family (residing in Dak Lak province) has been haunted by the journey to find the grave of his father-in-law - martyr Nguyen Van Ngoan (from Quynh Son commune, Nghe An province), who sacrificed in 1968 on the Quang Tri battlefield.
That journey began in 1996, when Mr. Dung and his mother found a grave named after their father at a martyrs' cemetery in Quang Tri province.
Here, the family completed procedures to request the relocation of the remains back to their hometown. However, when excavating, there were no remains under the tombstone. This incident was recorded and confirmed by functional agencies in coordination with the family.
Since then, Mr. Dung has constantly sent petitions, searched for information and prayed for support from functional agencies.
Mr. Dung said: "Although there were times when the signs of finding my father's grave were close to the family, now everything has become distant. We day and night look forward to knowing where my father's grave is to burn incense to show our sincerity.
More than three decades have passed, that longing has not subsided, as the journey to find relatives is still unfinished" - Mr. Dung added.
Looking forward to the results
In that search, in 2019, Mr. Vo Tien Dung's family returned to contact the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Tuyen Hoa district (former Quang Binh province) to ask to enter the cemetery to offer incense to martyr Nguyen Van Ngoan.
Here, the family was informed that the martyr management records were no longer kept in the local list. Returning to Dong Le Martyrs' Cemetery, the family was shocked when the grave bearing the name of martyr Nguyen Van Ngoan no longer existed.
Before this incident, Mr. Dung requested the Department of Home Affairs of Quang Tri province (after the merger) to restore the current state of the grave at the cemetery, and at the same time restore the martyr management records in the archives system so that the family has a place to burn incense and keep information about the person who sacrificed.
In particular, the family also wishes to take personal samples for DNA testing, comparing them with unidentified graves at Dong Le Martyrs' Cemetery so that the family has more opportunities to find the remains of martyr Nguyen Van Ngoan.
Just knowing where my father is, my family will be extremely satisfied," Mr. Dung expressed. Mr. Dung wishes to coordinate with functional agencies to continue the journey to find his father's grave.
Ms. Le Thi Thanh - Director of Quang Tri Department of Home Affairs said that the unit has received Mr. Dung's complaint. Immediately after that, the Department directed professional departments to coordinate with the locality to inspect and verify information.
According to Ms. Thanh, resolving issues related to martyrs is an important responsibility, which needs to be handled promptly to show gratitude to those who sacrificed for the Fatherland. When there are results, the Department will inform families and functional agencies.
