During the historic month of May, at Cam Tuyen Martyrs' Cemetery (Quang Tri), the team responsible for collecting the remains of fallen soldiers, Political Department of Division 968, in coordination with the local Party committee and government, solemnly organized the burial ceremony for 3 fallen soldiers whose remains were recently found and exhumed in the area of Hill 278, Tan Hoa village, Hieu Giang commune, Quang Tri province.
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| Officers and staff of the 968th Division's HCLS Collection Team are carrying out the collection of the remains of fallen soldiers in Cam Lo commune, Quang Tri province. |
Based on information provided by Mr. Tran Van Huynh, residing in Dau Binh village, Hieu Giang commune, during the process of clearing his garden, he discovered many traces suspected to be relics of soldiers, such as tanks and hammocks, in the area of Hill 278. Immediately after receiving the information, the team responsible for collecting fallen soldiers' remains quickly mobilized to the scene, conducted a survey, and expanded the search area.
Lieutenant Colonel Cao Xuan Cuong, Team Leader of the Remains Collection Team, Political Department of Division 968, said: “During the excavation process, the search team discovered traces of a large burial chamber with many artifacts such as canteens, belt buckles, rice bowls, shoe soles, grenades... Believing there were likely remains of fallen soldiers, the unit continued to expand the excavation layer by layer. When digging to a depth of about 70cm, the search team discovered leg bones, skulls, teeth, and many other remains.”
After two days of urgent and responsible work, the team found the remains of 3 martyrs along with many important artifacts including 2 canteens, one of which was engraved with the word "Brother"; 3 belt buckles, one of which was a women's belt buckle, and many other items used in daily life and combat.
All remains and artifacts were carefully and properly exhumed by the officers and staff of the Martyrs' Remains Collection Team. Before moving the remains, the officers and staff of the team lit incense sticks in the mountains and forests, silently commemorating those who fell more than half a century ago. Afterwards, the remains were brought to the Memorial House in Tan Quang village, Hieu Giang commune, before being interred at Cam Tuyen Martyrs' Cemetery.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Cao Xuan Cuong, the 968th Division's Revolutionary Remains Collection Team, established in December 2017, is responsible for searching and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers in four communes of Quang Tri province: Hieu Giang, Cam Lo, Con Tien, and Ba Long. These are all areas with rugged mountainous terrain, harsh weather conditions, and frequent floods and landslides. Besides the difficulties posed by harsh weather and climate, the search operation also faces many other challenges. Previously easily accessible areas have been thoroughly searched; the remaining areas are mostly deep in the mountains and forests, with difficult access, and many places still contain unexploded bombs, mines, and other remnants of the war. Over time, the terrain has changed due to farming and reforestation, causing the initial traces to almost completely disappear.
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| Officers and staff of the 968th Division's HCLS Collection Team are collecting the remains of fallen soldiers in Hieu Giang commune, Quang Tri province. |
Meanwhile, the number of historical witnesses is dwindling. Many veterans are elderly, their memories are declining, or they no longer have the health to return to the battlefields to assist in on-site verification. Many remains have decomposed significantly, making it difficult to obtain DNA samples for comparison, while the source of samples from relatives for identification is also limited.
Despite the difficulties, the officers and staff of the Martyrs' Remains Collection Team always recognize that continuing to promote the search and collection of martyrs' remains is not only an important political task but also a sacred responsibility with profound humanitarian significance. Each set of remains found means another family's pain is eased, and another figure is returned to their motherland.
Therefore, during the mission, the team always stayed close to the area, coordinating closely with local Party committees, authorities, functional agencies, veterans, relatives of martyrs, and the people to verify information and actively search; along with applying many flexible search methods such as using manpower combined with machinery, and creatively using a "probe" tool to check soil quality and detect unusual traces underground. When the remains of martyrs were discovered, the entire excavation process was carried out meticulously, carefully, and in accordance with local procedures and customs.
From December 2017 to the present, the Remains Collection Team of the Political Department of Division 968 has searched for and recovered 154 remains of fallen soldiers, including 6 whose identities have been confirmed.
In addition, the unit focused on researching the combat history of units on the Quang Tri battlefield; identifying battle sites, mass burial locations, field hospital locations, as well as the history of previous search and repatriation efforts to avoid missing any information. From the information gathered, the team compared maps with the field, surveyed the current state of the land through different periods of use by the people, and from there made accurate assessments to organize effective search operations.
Despite the many challenges ahead, with a sense of responsibility, profound gratitude, and determination to overcome difficulties, the officers and staff of the Fallen Soldiers' Remains Collection Team, Political Department of Division 968, are still persistently and quietly carrying out the journey of bringing the fallen soldiers home.
According to the People's Army Newspaper
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/202606/dua-voi-thoi-gian-di-tim-liet-si-f912681/
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