Efforts to bring them back to their homeland.

QTO - Quang Tri, a land once ravaged by the flames of war, where every inch of soil is still steeped in the blood and bones of countless soldiers who fell for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Implementing the "500-day and night campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers," the search and collection team of the 968th Division (Military Region 4) continues to work day and night, braving the sun and rain, racing against time to bring these heroes back to their homeland.

The northeastern area of ​​Hill 278, Hieu Giang commune, was the site where many officers and soldiers of Regiment 27, Front B5, bravely sacrificed their lives during the fighting at Hill 544 (Phu-lo Hill) in 1970-1971. After many years buried amidst the fierce battlefield, the traces of these heroes gradually faded into the earth.

The search and recovery team of the 968th Division found three sets of remains of fallen soldiers in the northeastern area of ​​Hill 278, Hieu Giang commune - Photo: TH

Based on information gathered from various sources, the 968th Division's search and recovery team persistently stayed in the area, conducting searches and excavations in the northeastern part of Hill 278. After many days of effort, on April 20-21, 2026, the unit found three sets of remains of fallen soldiers in an old combat bunker at a depth of about 0.7 meters. The remains were found close together, as if they had fought side-by-side when they were alive.

Although time has eroded almost everything, alongside the remains, many artifacts still remain, such as: bunker lining, B52 tanks, communication wires, a rusty AK submachine gun, and especially a water bottle engraved with the word "brother".

That detail caught the attention of the recovery team's officers and staff. Amidst the countless losses of war, the short inscription on the water bottle could be a precious clue to identifying a fallen soldier after more than half a century.

The water bottle engraved with the word "brother" was found along with the remains of the fallen soldier - Photo: TH

According to initial assessments, the fallen soldiers may have belonged to Battalion 3, Regiment 27, Front B5, and died sometime between 1970 and 1971 while fighting in the area of ​​Hill 544 (Phu-lơ Hill).

Lieutenant Colonel Le Truong Giang, Political Officer of the Search and Collection Team for the remains of fallen soldiers of the 968th Division, said: “The water bottle engraved with the word 'brother' is one of the very important clues for the unit to continue cross-referencing information and verifying the identity of the fallen soldier. We hope that from this trace, we will soon find relatives and restore the names of these soldiers after many years of unidentified identities. In addition to focusing on expanding the search area in the vicinity, the collection team also closely coordinates with local Party committees, authorities, and the people to review and cross-reference information related to the combat unit, the list of fallen soldiers, and the characteristics of the remaining artifacts.”

Memorial service and burial for the three remains of fallen soldiers recently found in the northeastern area of ​​Hill 278, Hieu Giang commune - Photo: TH

Colonel Nguyen Chinh Trieu, Deputy Political Commissar of the 968th Division, emphasized: "In implementing the '500-day campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers,' the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and the Division Command have identified this as a particularly important political task. Therefore, the division has focused on leading and directing the collection team to proactively review and exploit information sources; at the same time, encouraging officers and staff to uphold a high sense of responsibility, overcome all difficulties, and resolutely search for the remains of fallen soldiers still lying in the area."

Lieutenant Tran Duc Hung, a member of the 968th Division's team searching for and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers, emotionally shared: "Every time we find the remains of a fallen soldier, we are deeply moved. Especially when we discover artifacts that still bear the names or symbols related to the fallen soldiers, everyone hopes that we can help them be identified soon so they can return to their hometowns and families."

The search will not stop as long as there are still soldiers lying on the old battlefields who cannot return to their homeland, families, and comrades.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202605/no-luc-dua-cac-anh-tro-ve-dat-me-f406c45/