Collecting DNA samples from martyrs' relatives - A journey of gratitude and hope

In Quang Ninh , from the "Gen Bank - DNA of unidentified martyrs" managed by the Ministry of Public Security , Quang Ninh Police are coordinating with the Department of Administrative Police for Social Order and the Department of Home Affairs to collect DNA samples of relatives of martyrs in the area with the hope of gradually decoding the identities of the unnamed graves.

Traveling was difficult, but the mother of martyr Vu Thi Sot (Cong Hoa ward, Quang Yen town) was determined to go to the ward police station to take a DNA sample in the hope of soon finding the grave of her son who died in the war against America.

In Cong Hoa Ward (Quang Yen Town), for more than 50 years, the mother of martyr Vu Thi Sot (93 years old) has not stopped waiting for news of her son. These days in April, approaching the anniversary of her son's death, Mrs. Sot received news that there was a program to collect DNA samples from martyrs' relatives to find the identities of heroes and martyrs whose identities and graves have not been determined; although it was very difficult to travel, she was determined to go to the ward police headquarters to complete the procedures, with the hope of finding the grave of her deceased son.

Martyr Nguyen Thi Sot’s mother said that her eldest son died exactly the year before the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Peace has been around for a long time, but the location of her son’s remains has not been determined. Over the years, her family and the unit where her son fought have searched many times but with no results, so participating in the DNA sample examination has given her more hope.

Many relatives of the heroic martyrs, who are over 80 and 90 years old, were extremely moved and asked their children to take them to the police headquarters to get DNA samples in the hope of finding the names on the tombstones of the heroic martyrs who are still nameless.

Not only Mr. Sot, in this DNA sampling, the authorities recorded 37 mothers of martyrs and 35 cases of maternal relatives of martyrs whose identities and graves have not been determined. Many people, even though they are over 70, 80 years old, still have a burning hope - like a more than half-century appointment with their fallen relatives.

Mr. Dang Van Muu in Quang Yen town shared that he had a younger brother who died in 1974 on the southern battlefield. It has been more than 50 years since receiving the death notice, but his grave is still unknown. During the days when the whole country was excited and happy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, his family was extremely moved when they received a notice from the ward police to take DNA samples to compare and find the identity and grave of his fallen brother. This was also the wish and concern that his parents had entrusted to him before they passed away. Mr. Muu hopes that with science and technology and the efforts of authorities at all levels, the police and military forces, his younger brother, after more than 50 years of his death, will have his grave found and brought back to his hometown.

The police force coordinated with local authorities to go to the homes of the martyrs' mothers who were elderly and weak and unable to move.

Major Pham Duc Hiep, Chief of Cong Hoa Ward Police (Quang Yen Town) said: The task of searching, collecting and identifying the remains of martyrs is a meaningful and humane task, demonstrating the Vietnamese people's morality of remembering the source of water when drinking water and repaying gratitude. Implementing the direction of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors, the Provincial Police, Cong Hoa Ward Police coordinated with commune-level police in Quang Yen Town, the ID Team, the Department of Administrative Management of Social Order (Provincial Police) to make a list of martyrs' relatives in the area, prepare conditions and means of transport for those who need to go to Cong Hoa Ward Police headquarters to take DNA samples. In cases where the martyrs' relatives are sick and have difficulty traveling, the unit will organize a working group to go to their homes to take DNA samples.

The war has ended, but in Quang Ninh, there are still 3,718 cases of martyrs whose identities and graves have not been determined. Taking DNA samples from relatives allows comparison with the remains stored in the Martyrs' Gene Bank. If they match, the martyr's identity will be determined accurately. The provincial police aim to collect DNA samples for all relatives of heroic martyrs whose identities and graves have not been determined in the area this year.

On April 21, 2025, the provincial police collected DNA samples from 37 mothers of martyrs and 35 other relatives on the maternal side of martyrs whose identities have not been determined.

Each unmarked grave is an unfinished story, a son of the Fatherland who has not been able to return to the arms of his family. The journey to find names for the martyrs is a journey of gratitude, of tears, of hope. One day soon, each unmarked grave will have a name engraved on it.

Hong Viet

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/hanh-trinh-cua-long-biet-on-cua-niem-hy-vong-3354616.html