Don't let the mission be interrupted
During the September 2nd holiday, in Zone B, Le Thi Rieng Park (Hoa Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the work of searching for and repatriating martyrs' remains is still being continuously deployed.
Amidst many people entering the National Day holiday on September 2nd, officers and soldiers of Team K74 under the Ho Chi Minh City Command and related forces still maintained troop numbers, closely followed the scene and expanded the search scope.
Many excavators, one bulldozer, one dump truck and two trucks were mobilized to serve the excavation and transportation of hundreds of cubic meters of soil. Each layer of soil was carefully peeled off to search for remains and related artifacts.
Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Ha - Team Leader of Team K74, Ho Chi Minh City Command regularly is present at the scene to direct the implementation of tasks. Lieutenant Colonel Ha said that during the holidays, the search force is still urgently speeding up progress, not allowing the gathering work to be interrupted.
During the holiday, the task force continued to discover more martyrs' remains and artifacts. After being found, the remains and artifacts were transferred to the sampling and storage area for cleaning, sorting and processing according to procedures.
In the sampling area, Dr. Tran Van Ban - a veteran of Battalion 342, Regiment 42, Command 350 - and members of the team meticulously performed bone separation and sampling to serve DNA testing for martyrs' remains.
According to Dr. Tran Van Ban, National Day holiday is a time when everyone wants to rest and reunite with their families. However, the martyrs here have been lying underground for too long. Therefore, members of the repatriation team and the sample taking and sampling team encouraged each other to continue working to bring the martyrs back soon.
“We all promised each other that when there is a ceremony, there will be a ceremony, we will still try to continue the work to bring the martyrs back to earth soon, and return their names to them. We are happy for the day they are found,” shared Dr. Tran Van Ban.
Hoping to soon return the names to the martyrs
Doctor Tran Van Ban said that since the 500 Days and Nights Campaign was launched, tens of thousands of families have been waiting every day, every hour for news about their loved ones who have sacrificed.
That waiting is not only for mothers and fathers but also extends to the second and third generations. In particular, families who have had DNA samples are even more eager to have results to determine the identity of their loved ones soon. "Seeing that the brothers are still working here, I also try to come out to support. Although I can't do much, I want to both encourage everyone and contribute a part of my efforts. For martyrs, that is what I should do," said Dr. Tran Van Ban.
At the Funeral Home in Le Thi Rieng Park, soldier Nguyen Khac Lu, 28 years old, and his comrades received the remains, performed the national flag-laying ceremony, guided delegations to visit and ensured security in the area.
“Over the past two months, I have been moved and proud to directly take the uncles to the Nursing Home, covering the National Flag on each set of remains. From the first sets of remains in the early days of the campaign to now, more than 500 sets have been collected, but my emotions are still as intact as the first day” - Mr. Lu recounted.
From the search area to the Warden House, each force takes on a part of the work. Searchers, gatherers; cleaners, sorters, samplers; receivers, keepers and drapers of the National Flag. The stages follow each other, aiming to identify and bring the martyrs back to their families.
553 sets of martyrs' remains have been discovered and collected by forces at Le Thi Rieng Park from June 23 to the end of August 31, 2026. Of which, 520 sets are individual and 33 sets are at 8 collective grave locations.
