According to General Nghia, the campaign aims to leverage the combined strength of the entire political system to fulfill this particularly sacred political mission and honor the immense sacrifice of Heroic Martyrs and their families.
The campaign will also educate the younger generation about Vietnam’s traditions of "When drinking water, remember its source" and "Paying debts of gratitude" to commemorate the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27, 2027.
“More than half a century is a very long time in a human life, but mothers, fathers, wives, children, and comrades have never stopped waiting for their fallen loved ones. Every verified piece of information and every set of remains brought back to their homeland is a deeply sacred and meaningful reunion,” General Nghia said.
“The 500-day campaign to locate, recover, and identify martyrs' remains is a journey of responsibility, gratitude, and comradeship. On this journey, we are searching for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, recovering the memories, stories, and values that form the spiritual strength of the Vietnamese nation. This is a humane endeavor that will allow present and future generations to more fully appreciate the value of peace, independence, and national unification,” he added.
The 500-day campaign hopes to find and recover 7,000 sets of martyrs' remains, sample 230,000 unidentified graves in martyrs' cemeteries, conduct DNA profiling of 18,000 samples, and build a genetic database of relatives of unidentified martyrs. The campaign also aims to complete landmine and unexploded ordnance clearance in key areas of Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, and Lang Son province to facilitate search and recovery operations.
As of mid-August, 32 search and recovery teams comprising 1,600 personnel were operating. The campaign obtained, stored, and preserved 35,000 samples. 360 landmine and unexploded ordnance clearance teams are currently in the field.
