A tireless journey

Memorial service and burial of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos.

In the context of harsh climate and weather conditions; complex and ever-changing terrain; the graves of fallen soldiers are mainly located in high mountains and deep forests, in areas previously targeted by enemy attacks, with a large amount of unexploded bombs and mines remaining; and information about the graves of fallen soldiers is increasingly scarce and scattered throughout the area... However, with the close guidance of the Provincial Steering Committee 515, the cooperation of our Lao counterparts, and the high sense of responsibility of the officers and soldiers, the Remains Collection Team has overcome difficulties, implemented the task according to plan, expanded the search area, and completed and exceeded the assigned targets.

Every year, from October of the previous year to May of the following year, the Search and Collection Team of the Provincial Military Command is assigned the task of going to Hua Phan province (Laos) to carry out the search and collection of the remains of fallen soldiers according to the approved plan. During the mission, the unit regularly coordinates with Hua Phan province to promote propaganda and mobilize local people to provide information about fallen soldiers and their graves from various periods of war, creating favorable conditions for the search and collection work to achieve high efficiency. As a result, in the period 2021-2025, 109 remains of fallen soldiers were searched for and collected (83 in Laos, 26 in Vietnam); in the dry season of 2024-2025 alone, 22 remains of fallen soldiers were searched for and collected (21 in Laos, 1 in Vietnam). Memorial services and burials of martyrs' remains during the 2021-2025 period were meticulously organized and directed by the leadership, ensuring solemnity and adherence to military protocol. The organizational work saw many innovations, ensuring educational value and widely disseminating the traditions of "Remembering the source when drinking water" and "Showing gratitude," while also expressing the profound gratitude of the Party committees, government, people, and armed forces for the noble contributions and sacrifices of the heroic martyrs.

Alongside fulfilling its political mission, during the 2021-2025 period, with a budget of over 3.3 billion VND, the Team for the Collection of Remains of Fallen Soldiers also effectively carried out civilian outreach work such as medical examinations, treatment, and provision of medicine to the people of the neighboring country where the unit operates; dedicating time during holidays and breaks to help people in villages repair temporary bridges; upgrading and expanding roads leading to villages... This contributed to strengthening the friendly relations between the people of the two provinces and supporting the search and collection efforts. From the 2023-2024 dry season, the Team for the Collection of Remains received support from the National Steering Committee 515 in policies serving civilian outreach and foreign relations work (200kg of dried food and 30 million VND/year for medicine), creating favorable conditions for its mission and contributing to consolidating the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. In May 2025, the working group of the Provincial Steering Committee 515 visited the Hua Phan provincial government to survey and determine the location for building a barracks for the Remains Collection Team, ensuring the long-term task of searching for and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers in Laos.

During the implementation of the task, the Steering Committee 515 of Thanh Hoa province regularly exchanged experiences, strengthened coordination, inspected and evaluated results, and promptly commended and rewarded organizations and individuals from each side who achieved outstanding results in carrying out the task. They actively advised and proposed content and solutions to promote the search and collection of the remains of martyrs. They strengthened exchange and coordination in reviewing, collecting, and providing information about martyrs and their graves. They inspected and evaluated the coordination of the task of searching for and collecting the remains of martyrs in Hua Phan province. They organized widespread communication to Party committees, government agencies, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations at all levels, and the people to inform them of the places of worship for martyrs, and proactively advised working groups to visit, offer incense, and pay tribute to the martyrs.

Recognizing the increasing difficulties in identifying and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers in Laos due to limited information and search areas, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Steering Committee 515 directed the team responsible for searching and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers to conduct surveys and gather information, while also organizing training that was thorough, comprehensive, and of high quality. All necessary materials, logistics, military equipment, food, medical supplies, technical equipment, and weaponry were prepared in full and in accordance with regulations.

To successfully complete its tasks, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 continues to thoroughly understand the Party and State's policies and guidelines on the search and repatriation of martyrs' remains. In addition, it effectively organizes activities to search for, repatriate, and identify the remains of martyrs whose information is incomplete; strengthens and enhances the role and responsibilities of the steering committee and its standing agencies; and consolidates the forces tasked with searching for and repatriating martyrs' remains. Attention is paid to ensuring timely and adequate provision of benefits and policies for the forces involved; and it effectively carries out military diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, promoting activities to assist Laos in order to continuously consolidate and strengthen the special friendship and great solidarity between Vietnam and Laos in general, and between Thanh Hoa and Hua Phan provinces in particular, ensuring that this friendship remains ever-lasting and enduring.

Text and photos: Hoang Lan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hanh-trinh-khong-moi-255244.htm