Finding memories of people who stopped in their youth
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khanh - Secretary of the Youth Union of Tam Son commune, Phu Tho province - said that every July, the youth class is moved and grateful for living in peace. That is what motivates youth union members to do something for families of wounded soldiers and martyrs.
From that thought, in 2023, the Tam Son Commune Youth Union began the journey of restoring martyrs' portraits. Through review, many families in the area no longer have portraits of their loved ones. The historic flood in 1971 swept away papers, keepsakes and even precious photos. Many families for decades only remember the faces of their loved ones through memories.
The Commune Youth Union has mobilized social organizations to accompany and coordinate with specialized units to restore the photos. Up to now, about 22 martyrs' memorial photos have been returned to families. Recently, the Commune Youth Union continued to donate 5 restored memorial photos of martyrs Ha Quang Tieu, Ha Van Ich, Khong Van Thang, Nguyen Van Phuong and Nguyen Ngoc Son.
Old photos that have blurred with time now appear clearly in the new photo frame. The moment relatives receive the portrait is also when many emotions burst out. Some people quietly reach out their hands to touch the faces of fathers, husbands, and brothers who have been apart for more than half a century. Some people cannot hold back their tears.
Not only giving valuable photos, many youth unions at the grassroots level really consider wounded soldiers and martyrs' families as their own families to show gratitude and care.
On July 27 this year, the Tam Son Commune Youth Union coordinated to organize a family meal at the house of Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Quoc. Mother Quoc is 102 years old this year. Mother has two sons, one who sacrificed in the resistance war against the US, and the other who fell while protecting the northern border. To date, one of Mother's sons has not been found.
Understanding those losses, the union members did not come just to visit or give gifts. They cooked hometown dishes together, gathered with Mother like children returning home. In a simple meal, everyone listened to Mother tell stories, ask about health and share stories of a wartime.
The tireless footprints of a female veteran
At the age of 75, illness has slowed down Ms. Dang Thi Cuc's steps, and her memory has declined. But for the past 20 years, that veteran has been painfully following the traces of the battlefield, helping many families find and bring martyrs' remains back to their homeland.
Ms. Dang Thi Cuc (commonly known as Mrs. Hai, residing in Duc Phu commune, Da Nang city) was born into a family with rich revolutionary traditions, at the age of 15 she enlisted in the army, taking care of wounded soldiers at CK150 Hospital (Nui Thanh). Memories of battles, old ways of transferring wounded soldiers have turned her into a priceless "living data warehouse".
For nearly 20 years, through hundreds of trips, Ms. Cuc has supported functional forces and families to search for and repatriate 21 martyrs' graves (9 graves brought to Tam Son Martyrs' Cemetery, 12 graves returned to their hometowns) and is continuing to search for 7 other cases. Her steps are slowing down, her memory is sometimes interrupted, but the promise "while I have strength, I will remember the way" is still the motivation for the female veteran to race against time to bring her comrades back to their families.
According to Mr. Tran Cong Hieu, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Duc Phu Commune Party Committee, Ms. Cuc's silent but persistent actions have been recognized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Association and provincial, city and local levels, awarding many certificates of merit.
Old age and declining health make Ms. Cuc no longer go to the forest for long days as before. Memory is also sometimes interrupted, making her more worried than illness. She places many hopes on DNA testing to identify martyrs whose names are still unknown...
DNA collection work in the scorching sun
In July days, the National Martyrs' Cemetery of Road 9, Quang Tri province, is scorching hot. However, from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM every day, dozens of officers and soldiers and doctors are still on duty next to the graves of unidentified martyrs in hexagonal zone 1.
According to the plan, functional forces must take samples at 5,929 martyrs' graves that lack information at Road 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery. To collect a standard bone or tooth biological sample, the process is strictly implemented in 8 steps.
From the time of exhumation to the completion of the tomb, the implementing force had to take 16 photos to digitize, enter data and transmit them to the National Steering Committee.
Because many graves have been built solidly through periods, officers and soldiers have to use specialized hammers and chisels to break thick concrete blocks before raising the tomb base.
To reduce labor capacity and speed up progress, soldiers of Team 584, Political Department, Quang Tri Provincial Military Command have self-made a field pole system to serve the lifting and lowering of tomb platforms.
Every day, inter-sectoral teams collect samples at about 40 graves. Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Thanh Liem - Team Leader of Team 584 said that the biggest difficulty is that the entire working area is outdoors, while concrete drilling consumes a lot of effort.
Identifying this as a special task, officers and soldiers, along with doctors and nurses, made efforts to overcome the weather and work overtime to ensure progress. The sample after collection and sealing was transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Health for testing and DNA comparison.
In parallel with taking samples from graves, Quang Tri Provincial Police deployed DNA collection of relatives of unidentified martyrs throughout the province. Through review, functional forces updated information of 3,966 relatives of maternal lineages of 3,012 martyrs into the National Population Database. After three peak periods, the whole province has collected 3,959 DNA samples of eligible relatives.
From the living memories of veterans, the dedication of the young generation to the drastic involvement of functional forces in applying DNA technology, all are becoming a strong flow of gratitude. July is not only an occasion to recall the past, but also a season of returns - bringing heroic martyrs back to their homeland, in their family's arms.
Searching for and repatriating 1,491 sets of martyrs' remains
As of July 26, 2026, the forces have searched and collected 1,491 sets of martyrs' remains, including 467 sets in the country, 174 sets in Laos and 850 sets in Cambodia.
Notably, units have discovered and repatriated 10 collective martyrs' graves. In which, in Tuyen Quang, 5 collective graves with about 23 remains were discovered; in the Le Thi Rieng Park area, Ho Chi Minh City, 104 martyrs' remains and 5 collective sets of remains, with about 13 remains were found.
To carry out the task, 32 search and repatriation teams with a total force of 1,541 people were mobilized. Among them, 13 teams are on duty domestically, 19 teams are operating abroad, including 8 teams in Laos and 11 teams in Cambodia. Along with the search work, localities and units have organized 13 memorial services, received and buried 735 sets of remains of martyrs, expressing gratitude to those who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
A key task of the 500-day and night Campaign is to build a DNA database to serve the identification of remains of martyrs who lack information. To date, the forces have surveyed and taken samples at 80,882 martyrs' graves. Of which, 56,425 graves are eligible for sampling, reaching a rate of 69.76%. To complete a large volume of work, 264 groups and teams with about 3,500 officers, soldiers and professional staff have been mobilized nationwide.
In parallel with taking remains samples, units have collected 93,464 DNA samples of relatives of martyrs. Of these, 53,036 samples have been analyzed and synchronized into the database for comparison and information verification.
As of July 26, 2026, units have also received, stored, and preserved 15,729 sets of martyrs' remains from localities, ensuring scientific and legal requirements. Cam Ha
Building a powerful country is the most meaningful gratitude.
According to Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau - Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Defense Strategy and History Institute, gratitude does not stop at incense sticks, wreaths or meaningful gifts, but must be expressed by practical actions, by better caring for the lives of people with meritorious services, searching for and repatriating martyrs' remains, identifying the names of martyrs' remains that are still unknown, and at the same time educating the young generation to appreciate the values of peace, independence and freedom.
Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau said that building a peaceful, sustainable, strong, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam is the greatest, most sustainable and meaningful gratitude to those who have dedicated their youth, blood, and whole lives to the Fatherland. It is also a way for the flame of patriotism, gratitude, and aspiration for development to continue to be passed from generation to generation, becoming a source of spiritual strength to lead the nation to move steadily in the new era of development.
TRAN VUONG
