On July 15, the Standing Agency of Steering Committee 515 of the Military Command (CHQS) of Can Tho City in coordination with Team K90/Military Region 9 is actively excavating 2 mass graves of martyrs in Truong Long Tay commune, Can Tho City.
Witness Mr. Nguyen Quat Khoi (born in 1958, Truong Tho hamlet, Truong Long Tay commune) said that during the time he was assigned by the organization to weed for public use, he knew about the location of 2 mass graves of martyrs.
According to witnesses, the martyrs belonged to Regiment 10 - Song Huong, who sacrificed themselves from about March to April (lunar calendar) 1973 when coordinating with the Tay Do Battalion to participate in the Cai Tuc battle.
Two mass graves are located near the old cemetery in the area of Truong Loc market intersection, now belonging to Truong Tho hamlet, Truong Long Tay commune, Can Tho city. A total of 12 martyrs were buried here, including one pit with 5 martyrs and one pit with 7 martyrs. The two pits are about 1 meter apart.
Mr. Khoi added that some people assigned to bury the martyrs transported the martyrs' bodies by two nylon-covered three-leaf boats, because the enemy patrolled strictly, and helicopters frequently circled and bombed, so those on duty could not bring the martyrs inside the cemetery for burial.
Therefore, to avoid being detected by the enemy, they took advantage of the dense terrain outside the cemetery fence to bury the martyrs. After the cemetery was relocated, the locality has not yet discovered these two mass graves of martyrs.
Regarding information about 2 collective martyrs' graves, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tong Hung Vinh - Deputy Head of Politics Department, Can Tho City Military Command said that after receiving information, the team conducted a field survey. Through initial surveys, the unit coordinated with Team K90 to continue verifying to accurately determine the location.
Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tong Hung Vinh added that during the search, if a mass grave is discovered, the team will stop to report and ask for instructions from the City Steering Committee 515 and Military Region 9. After receiving instructions, the unit will continue to exhume and exhume the remains, and take them to the Martyrs' Cemetery to organize a reburial ceremony.
