On August 12, the Military Command (CHQS) of Da Nang City said that it is coordinating with agencies, units and localities to develop a plan to organize in-depth surveys in the area of Ho Chuoi, Mat Rang mountain, Hon Tau range, Duy Xuyen commune, where there are suspected to be more than 10 sets of remains of martyrs of Surgical Team 5.
Previously, from the request of martyr Vo Van Ngoc's family, on July 31, Steering Committee 515 of Duy Xuyen commune organized a field survey, document inspection and working with witnesses. Martyr Vo Van Ngoc is a doctor of Surgery Team 5 (Forward Surgery Team), who sacrificed with more than 10 comrades when a US plane bombed and collapsed Mat Rang cave in 1969.
Through comparison of records, the accounts of three Phu Loc villagers who participated in guiding the search team of Quang Nam province (old) in 2002 and traces at the scene, the working group initially determined that the Ho Chuoi cave area is located on the western slope of the Hon Tau range, at an altitude of about 500m above sea level, consistent with the descriptions of witnesses and archival documents.
At the scene, the team identified the cave entrance area that was once marked based on the instructions of Mr. Huynh Van Nghe, the only survivor of Surgery Team 5. The Ho Chuoi area is more than 20,000m2 wide, with many rocks weighing hundreds of tons above; surrounded by dense forests, with many subsidence points appearing. From the vehicle gathering point, the survey force had to walk for about 3 hours through the rugged mountainous terrain to reach the location.
Based on the initial survey results, the Da Nang City Military Command is directing specialized agencies to continue to collect and consolidate dossiers, verify information; and at the same time develop a plan to mobilize forces, vehicles and equipment to conduct a comprehensive survey, accurately determine the location and structure of the cave.
After having sufficient grounds, the City Military Command will report to competent authorities, advise on building a plan to search for and repatriate the remains of martyrs, contributing to the effective implementation of the "500-day and night campaign to search for and repatriate martyrs' remains".
