Lighting up hope for martyrs' families

Rekindling hope for the families of fallen soldiers.

Mr. Trinh Van Tuan and his wife stand beside the certificate of recognition from the Fatherland for the martyr Trinh Quang Lam.

Heartbreaking pain

In his newly built house in Thanh Son alley, Dong Thanh commune, Mr. Trinh Van Lai still meticulously tends to the altar of his older brother, martyr Trinh Van Hai, who died in 1971 in the resistance war against the US to save the country. His eyes welled up with tears as he tremblingly held his brother's certificate of service to the Fatherland in his hands, then recounted: "I was very young when my brother went to the battlefield, so all my memories of him are through my mother's stories. At the age of 18, answering the call of the nation, he volunteered to go to war. My mother said he was very thin then, and not very tall. But he was very brave and courageous, determined to go and protect the Fatherland. Before leaving, he didn't forget to chop firewood for my mother, and then he slipped his favorite shirt into her hand, telling her to pretend he was still by her side. And so, for so many years, my mother cherished that shirt as a treasure, carefully wrapped up so that when my brother returned, he could wear it. Then, one day in mid-1971, my mother collapsed when she received her son's death notice. She still hoped that the death notice was just a mistake. But, the war ended, and the young men who enlisted at the same time as my brother returned one by one, but he remained." "No, Mom waited and waited but didn't see him anywhere."

Recalling the more than twenty years of searching in the hope of bringing his brother's remains home, Mr. Lai sighed and said, "My mother said that even if only a handful of bones and ashes remain after death, she hoped to bring him home to rest peacefully in the embrace of family and loved ones." But, her wish remained unfulfilled before she passed away.

Silently holding the certificate of recognition for his brother, martyr Trinh Quang Huu, and a faded photograph of martyr Trinh Quang Lam, the paint on the wooden frame worn in many places, Mr. Trinh Van Tuan from Hamlet 12, Nga An Commune, seemed to be looking at his two brothers during their farewell before they could say goodbye. His voice choked with emotion, Mr. Tuan recounted: “My family has two brothers who are martyrs. Huu volunteered to go to war first, and a few years later, Lam also asked to join. They encouraged their mother not to cry, saying, ‘Our soldiers are fighting for every inch of our homeland against the enemy, blood is staining the battlefield, how can your sons be at ease staying at home?’ So they asked permission from their mother to go to the battlefield.”

In those days, there were late afternoons when, upon returning home, my mother wouldn't eat the food that was served. She would sit there in a daze for a long time, then sob: "When they were still at home, every afternoon after school or tending the buffalo and cutting grass, Huu and Lam would often cook for me. Now they're gone forever, not a letter, not even a word of inquiry." Then, the long days passed, and countless afternoons my mother went to the river to wait, only to return with a distant, pensive gaze. During those times when she sobbed, reminiscing about the past, she often skipped meals. Until one day she received the death notice for Trinh Quang Huu, who died on January 2nd, 1968. A few years later, the family received the death notice for Trinh Quang Lam, who died on January 20th, 1971. From then on, my mother's health deteriorated, and she didn't live to see the day when the remains of her brothers would be brought home.

“After visiting battlefields and places where our loved ones fought and died many times, the family found the grave of my brother Lam in a martyrs' cemetery in Binh Phuoc province (now Dong Nai province), but my brother Huu's grave has yet to be found. However, circumstances no longer allow it; the family's situation is difficult, so the long trips to search for Huu's grave have become less frequent. I only hope that one day, his grave will be found and his name will be engraved on a tombstone, instead of being listed as 'Unknown Martyr'," Mr. Tuan said, his voice choked with sobs.

The heartfelt wish of Mr. Hai and Mr. Tuan's families is also the sentiment of tens of thousands of families of fallen soldiers across the country. The country may be silent now, but there are still countless mothers waiting for their sons, wives longing for news of their husbands, and children waiting for news of their fathers...

The wish has come true.

In the early mornings of July 2025, even a heavy downpour couldn't deter relatives and friends from visiting Mr. Trinh Van Lai's home to inquire about his well-being and chat with him.

Rekindling hope for the families of fallen soldiers.

Mr. Trinh Van Lai gazes at the photograph, a memento of his older brother, the martyr Trinh Van Hai.

“Today, my children and many relatives from both sides of the family have finally found my brother, Mom,” Mr. Lai slowly confided, adding, “That day, when we heard that the Provincial Police were coordinating with relevant agencies to collect DNA samples to identify fallen soldiers, my whole family was overjoyed. My sisters and I immediately went to the commune police station to have our DNA samples taken. This was like a last glimmer of hope for my family to find my brother after so many long years of waiting and searching. Fortunately, just a few days after taking the DNA samples, my family received the information that the DNA sample taken from the grave of fallen soldier Trinh Van Hai was related to my sample. After so many years of waiting, the family's long-awaited dream has come true. This is also the greatest comfort for my deceased mother.”

Joy and tears – that was the shared emotion of Mr. Trinh Van Tuan's family upon receiving the news that the DNA sample taken from the grave of martyr Trinh Quang Lam matched Mr. Tuan's sample. With a choked voice, Mr. Tuan said: "Throughout our decades-long journey searching for the graves of my two older brothers, my family has endured countless hardships. For years, we believed that the grave of my brother, Trinh Quang Lam, was located in a martyrs' cemetery in Dong Nai province because his name and hometown matched. Every year, my family would visit and offer incense at his grave. However, upon receiving the DNA test results, it was revealed that Lam's grave is now in Duc Co cemetery (Gia Lai). Based on this information, my family will soon arrange to travel to both provinces to verify the information and the exact location of Lam's grave. However, what worries us most is that the grave of Trinh Quang Huu has yet to be found. Therefore, we hope to find Huu's grave soon so that our reunion can be more complete."

The war is long over, but the pain of its aftermath lingers. Across this S-shaped land, countless remains of fallen soldiers lie buried in deep forests and cold valleys. To rekindle hope for thousands of families still anxiously awaiting news of their sons, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police have established task forces, working closely with local authorities, the Provincial Military Command, and relevant units to review, update data, and collect DNA samples. This aims to create a gene bank for comparison and identification, thereby bringing the fallen soldiers back to their families and hometowns. During the first phase, from May 12th to 16th, 2025, authorities collected DNA samples from 933 individuals, including the mothers and close maternal relatives of the fallen soldiers. In particular, the identities of two martyrs whose information was previously unknown have been successfully verified: Martyr Trinh Van Hai, born in 1952 in Dong Thanh commune, and Martyr Trinh Quang Lam, born in 1952 in Nga An commune.

Following that success, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police are continuing with the second phase of the campaign, from July 1st to 27th, 2025, to complete the collection of DNA samples for all relatives of martyrs whose information is unknown in the province.

Although we know that the "journey" to find the remains of unidentified martyrs will be fraught with difficulties and challenges, we hope that with the efforts of all levels and sectors, the souls of these unknown martyrs will soon find their loved ones and return to their hometowns.

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