On the morning of August 13, at Binh Phuoc Martyrs' Cemetery, a ceremony was held to pay respects, commemorate and bury 29 sets of remains of martyrs who were searched for and gathered in Minh Duc commune, Loc Tan commune and Loc Ninh ward.
Attending the ceremony were Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Ms. Ton Ngoc Hanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairwoman of the People's Council of Dong Nai city and leaders of agencies and units directly under the Ministry of National Defense and Dong Nai city.
Implementing the "Operation 500 days and nights to promote the search, repatriation and identification of martyrs' remains", from July to August 2026, officers and soldiers of Team K72, Dong Nai City Military Command searched and repatriated 26 martyrs' remains in Minh Duc commune and 2 martyrs' remains in Loc Ninh ward. On the first day of performing the task, officers and soldiers of Team K76 searched and repatriated 1 martyr's remains in Loc Tan commune.
Due to the fierce war, the time lasted for decades, the terrain and artifacts changed a lot, so 29 sets of remains of martyrs being commemorated and buried in this phase have not been identified for their identities and hometowns.
Along with the martyr's remains, the search force discovered many artifacts such as cylinders, rubber sandals, hammocks, sacks, portraits, family photos, watches, badges, medicine bottles, combs and a pen engraved with the words "Tien Quy"...
Reading the eulogy at the memorial service, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang, Vice Chairwoman of Dong Nai City People's Committee, Head of the City Steering Committee for searching, repatriating and identifying martyrs' remains, said: From 2002 to 2026, officers and soldiers of Team K72, Dong Nai City Military Command overcame many difficulties and hardships, surveyed and searched at thousands of locations, and repatriated 4,038 martyrs' remains who sacrificed in the war periods.
Among the 29 martyrs' remains being commemorated and buried this time, there are 19 biological samples that meet the conditions to be sent for DNA testing. Dong Nai City will continue to coordinate with functional agencies to collect DNA samples from relatives of unidentified martyrs for comparison, with the desire to gradually identify the identities, return the names and homeland to the martyrs, meeting the expectations of relatives and families of martyrs.
Along with that, officers and soldiers of Team K72 and Team K76 continue to review, verify information, survey, and expand the search area with the determination not to ignore any information, traces and opportunities; continue the journey to bring comrades who remained on the battlefields of the past back to their homeland, families and comrades.
After the memorial service, delegates and officers and soldiers performed the burial ceremony of 29 martyrs' remains at Binh Phuoc Martyrs' Cemetery.
