In May, rain blanketed more than 10 kilometers of forest road leading to Chiềng 1 village, Võ Lao commune. On the mountain slopes, soldiers from the Provincial Military Command carefully used their hoes, turning over layers of soil and rocks to search for the remains of fallen soldiers.
After 73 years lying in the middle of the forest, the remains of martyr Hoang Van Pai were finally found and exhumed.
Martyr Hoang Van Pai - born in 1929, joined the revolution in January 1947 in Company 85, Van Ban; died in 1953, buried in Chieng 1 village, Vo Lao commune.
The memorial and burial ceremony for martyr Hoang Van Pai at the Van Ban Commune Martyrs' Cemetery took place in a solemn and moving atmosphere. The national flag draped over the small coffin, as if embracing the life he had dedicated to the nation. Incense sticks were lit amidst poignant music, causing many to shed tears.
Standing silently before the grave of martyr Hoang Van Pai, Mr. Hoang Van So from En 1 Hamlet, Khanh Yen Commune, the martyr's nephew, choked up as he said: "My family has waited a long time for this day. Today, to welcome him home, we are grateful to the Party, the State, the Army, and all the forces who spared no effort in searching for, excavating, organizing the welcoming ceremony, memorial service, and solemn burial."
Mr. Nguyen Huu Thien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Yen commune, shared: "The collection and burial of the remains of martyrs is not only a responsibility but also a command from the heart. Each martyr found means another family of a martyr is relieved of their grief and longing, and another opportunity to educate today's generation about our traditions."
From the beginning of 2026, along with the rest of the country, Lao Cai will vigorously implement the "500-day campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers." This is identified as a particularly important political task, reflecting the national tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source."
For mountainous, border provinces like Lao Cai, this task is even more challenging because most of the martyrs' graves are scattered in remote, high-altitude areas, where the terrain has changed over the decades. Many martyrs died during fierce wars, and their information is either lost or incomplete. Numerous original burial sites have been altered by natural disasters, landslides, or human impact. Some witnesses are elderly and have declining memories, making verification difficult.
Major Moc Linh Tiep, an officer from the Policy Department, Political Division, Provincial Military Command, shared: “The most difficult thing is that information about the burial places of fallen soldiers mostly only exists in the memories of the elderly. Over time, the terrain has changed, and many traces have disappeared. Sometimes we have to cross-reference many sources and travel back and forth many times to determine the location. The moment of finding the remains of fallen soldiers is difficult to describe. We are happy to have brought them home, but we also feel a lump in our throats thinking about the years they spent lying in the deep forests and mountains.”
Despite the difficulties, with the determination to achieve the goal set by Military Region 2 of searching for and collecting approximately 820 remains of fallen soldiers throughout the region, with a focus on Lao Cai and Tuyen Quang provinces, the Steering Committee for Searching, Collecting, and Identifying the Remains of Fallen Soldiers in Lao Cai Province (Provincial Steering Committee 515) has intensified its efforts to review and gather information from historical witnesses, veterans, and local people.
Simultaneously, training was conducted on collecting remains of fallen soldiers and DNA samples from their relatives; and the identification and verification of potential burial sites were organized. The search and repatriation efforts were carried out comprehensively, meticulously, and with solemnity.
Currently, the search operation is focused along National Highway 279 in the areas of communes such as Khanh Yen, Vo Lao, and Van Ban...
To date, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 has verified 12 pieces of information regarding martyrs' graves. Of these, the location of the graves has been identified for 10 pieces of information. Currently, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 has exhumed 4 martyrs' graves, with 6 more scheduled for exhumation in June 2026, and 2 pieces of information regarding martyrs still under verification.
Colonel Hoang Van Toan, Deputy Political Commissar of the Provincial Military Command, said: “The war is long over, but there are still families anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones. Each search today is a journey to preserve national values. In the coming time, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 will continue to promote propaganda to encourage people to provide information; closely coordinate with functional agencies in reviewing records, applying technology, and carrying out DNA identification of the remains of martyrs for eligible cases.”
The wind from the mountains still blows through the rows of white tombstones. Some graves still bear the inscription "Unknown Martyr." But behind the perilous journeys of today's soldiers lies the belief that many more comrades will return. Because the country has never forgotten those who fell for peace and independence, and the journey to find their names amidst the land and sky of the Fatherland will continue with all the gratitude, responsibility, and profound appreciation of today's generations.
Presented by: Huong Giang
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/tim-lai-ten-anh-giua-dat-troi-to-quoc-post900163.html
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