Responsibility and gratitude

BDK - The war is over, but the wounds of war remain unhealed. Among the more than 35,000 martyrs who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives in the struggle for national liberation and the defense of the Fatherland, the province still has over 6,000 martyrs whose remains have not been found, and whose final resting place is unknown, to be brought to the martyrs' cemetery. With all responsibility and gratitude, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 has coordinated with relevant agencies to actively search for, collect, and rebury the remains of martyrs in the province's martyrs' cemeteries. The recent memorial service and reburial of 51 sets of martyrs' remains at the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery was held solemnly and respectfully, demonstrating the moral principle of "drinking water, remembering the source" of the people of Ben Tre in commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2025).

The ceremony of commemorating and burying the remains of fallen soldiers takes place at the provincial Martyrs' Cemetery. Photo: A. Nguyệt

Efforts to search and gather

In accordance with the Government 's guidelines on searching for and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers, for many years, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 has coordinated with relevant agencies to actively search for, collect, and bury the remains of fallen soldiers in the province's martyrs' cemeteries. In May and June 2025, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 organized the search, excavation, and collection of remains of fallen soldiers at temporary cemetery sites in Thanh Phu and Giong Trom districts.

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Bot, Head of the Policy Department - Political Department of the Provincial Military Command (the permanent agency of the Provincial Steering Committee 515), said that the search process encountered many difficulties, such as: the historical witnesses who directly managed the cemetery at that time are no longer alive, or only a few related witnesses remain, but they are elderly and no longer able to clearly remember the burial locations of the martyrs. Furthermore, records and grave site maps are no longer stored, making it impossible to determine the exact time the cemetery was established, the time of collection, the number of martyrs, and the burial locations. During the war, enemy aircraft sometimes bombed the temporary cemeteries; after peace was restored, people reclaimed the land for use or built structures such as martyrs' memorials, schools, and fiber optic lines, so the terrain has completely changed.

“The search for the remains of fallen soldiers cannot succeed without the cooperation of the people. Local people, especially historical witnesses, have been making important contributions by providing information and guidance on burial locations, helping to make the repatriation process more effective. Many localities have actively participated, building databases, completing records of fallen soldiers, and supporting relatives in searching for graves. Organizations, individuals, and philanthropists have also accompanied and supported this work with funding and resources,” Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Bot stated.

The Standing Agency, in coordination with the Party Committee and local authorities, continued the search. With the enthusiastic help and support of the locality and the people, the search and repatriation team found 51 sets of remains of fallen soldiers, which were brought to the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery for solemn, dignified, and meaningful burial. The ceremony was attended by leaders from all levels of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Steering Committee 515, provincial departments, districts, localities, and the armed forces of the province.

Paying tribute to the heroic martyrs.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee 515, Nguyen Thi Be Muoi, emotionally expressed that from today, these women and men have returned to their comrades in the common home – the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery. The heroic martyrs here have gained new comrades. The remains of most of these women and men have not yet been identified by name, age, or hometown, but wherever their ancestral home was, they were all soldiers who bravely sacrificed themselves for the independence and freedom of their homeland. The blood of these heroic martyrs has stained every inch of the homeland, glorifying the glorious flag of the Fatherland, contributing to writing the glorious history of the nation and of the heroic Dong Khoi homeland.

“We are immensely grateful to the heroic martyrs who bravely sacrificed themselves for the cause of national liberation and reunification, forever keeping the national flag bright red, and ensuring peace and happiness for our homeland. The generations of today and tomorrow will forever remember the contributions of these heroic martyrs as a source of faith and strength. We will dedicate all our strength and intellect to fulfilling the aspirations of these martyrs during their lifetime, protecting and building a more prosperous and beautiful country, so that the peace that these heroic martyrs achieved will last forever,” said Nguyen Thi Be Muoi, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee 515.

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Be Muoi - Head of the Provincial Steering Committee 515, in the coming time, all levels, sectors, and localities, with the armed forces as the core, will continue to promote the search and repatriation of the remains of martyrs to meet the aspirations of the martyrs' relatives and the earnest wishes of the people and soldiers nationwide, contributing to firmly consolidating the "people's support" in the cause of building and protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

At the Provincial Martyrs' Cemetery, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 solemnly held a memorial service and reburial ceremony for martyrs whose remains were collected in Thanh Phu, Giong Trom, and Binh Dai districts. Attending the ceremony were Ms. Ho Thi Hoang Yen, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Ms. Nguyen Thi Be Muoi, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee 515; Colonel Nguyen Van Han, Head of the Policy Department of the Political Bureau of Military Region 9 and Member of the Military Region 9 Steering Committee 515; Ms. Doan Thi Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Affairs and Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee 515; and Colonel Nguyen Thanh Xuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Military Party Committee, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Provincial Military Command.

At the ceremony, delegates respectfully offered incense to the heroic martyrs, and the ceremonial team solemnly performed the ritual of reburying the martyrs.

A. Nguyet - D. Thach

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/trach-nhiem-va-long-tri-an-30062025-a148926.html