Without roll calls or urgent commands, each person took on their designated task. Some carried equipment, others prepared materials, while others moved to individual graves to begin the work.

A new workday begins, and before them lie dozens, hundreds of graves awaiting excavation and sampling. These are days when the officers and soldiers carrying out the “500-day-and-night Campaign” hardly know the concept of a day off. The harsh sun makes labor more grueling. Rains make earth and stones heavier, with groundwater constantly seeping in. Yet what keeps them restless is not the physical strain, but the yearning to quicken the pace so those who fell decades ago may soon have the chance to be reunited with their names.

Days of doubled effort

The Độc Lập National Martyrs’ Cemetery currently has 2,060 graves requiring excavation and sampling. By the end of August 26, the operational force had completed 1,999 graves, collecting 1,878 biological specimens. Just over 60 graves remain ahead.

On paper, that figure may seem like a mere workload tally. But standing in the cemetery, looking at the endless rows of graves, one truly grasps the weight of the task these soldiers shoulder. On average each day, 60 officers and soldiers divided into two teams conduct excavation and sampling from early morning until late evening.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Văn Ngọc from the Political Division of the provincial Military Command, stated: “Since setting the goal to finish work at the Độc Lập National Martyrs’ Cemetery before August 31, every cadre and soldier has proactively worked extra hours. No one calculates whether their share of work is large or small. When one team finishes, they assist another; those with experience guide newcomers.”

Each grave possesses distinct characteristics. Some lie at a depth of about 1.5 meters, while others reach over 2 meters. The underground structure is also inconsistent due to the cemetery’s long history and repeated renovations. “Comrades encourage and support one another; whoever can help with a task pitches in, with the sole hope of speeding up progress,” Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Văn Ngọc shared.

Under the August sun, layers of earth are peeled away with care. The work demands physical stamina, but above all, meticulousness, patience, and strict adherence to protocol.

Soldier Tòng Văn Hưng from Squad 2, Regiment 741, together with his comrades, takes charge of excavating each grave. Working in pairs, one soldier excavates while the other assists; once officers finish sample collection, the soldiers restore the grave before moving to the next. “The commander’s requirement is rapid progress, but every step must be done neatly. We remind each other to do our absolute best,” soldier Tòng Văn Hưng said.

That simple remark reflects how these soldiers navigate their extraordinary days: working swiftly, but never carelessly; racing against time, but never skipping a single step.

Shielding against rain, enduring the heat

Excavation work is inherently arduous. At the Độc Lập Martyrs’ Cemetery, adverse weather makes the mission even more challenging.

Senior Colonel Dương Quốc Long, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command, regularly visits the cemetery to inspect and encourage officers and soldiers. Every time he arrives on-site, he reminds the troops to prioritize safety and follow standard sampling procedures, because beneath these graves lies more than just earth and stone.

“On rainy days, groundwater surges in heavily. The soldiers must scoop out earth while bailing out water. As soon as a ladle of water is removed, more seeps right back in. Without quick action, progress gets bogged down by water,” Senior Colonel Dương Quốc Long recounted.

On sunny days, sultry air combined with heat radiating from concrete blocks turns the excavation area into an outdoor kiln. Yet amid these conditions, the soldiers work quietly on.

Some soldiers perform double or triple their usual workload each day, moving from one task straight to another. Sweat drenches their uniforms and mud covers their hands, but few speak of fatigue. For them, every assigned mission and every completed task is an act of heartfelt tribute.

The “500-day-and-night Campaign” is a journey to identify heroic martyrs who sacrificed for national independence but remain without full biographical records. Behind each biological specimen lies a beacon of hope: the hope that soon, the names, native lands, and military units of the martyrs will be determined, so that tombstones will no longer bear missing details.

For every cadre and soldier taking part in the “500-day-and-night Campaign”, the mission is both a duty and an honor. Senior Colonel Dương Quốc Long shared: “The soldiers of today are undertaking a special task: using their strength, patience, and extreme care to help restore names to heroic martyrs - those who fought valiantly and laid down their lives to win back independence and freedom for the Fatherland.”

In early August, officers and soldiers of the provincial Military Command resolved to accelerate their pace, striving to complete excavation and sampling before September 2. Since then, the tempo of work at the Độc Lập National Martyrs’ Cemetery has grown even more urgent.

Every day, from early morning until operations pause, earth is carefully peeled away layer by layer. Tools quietly strike into the soil. At times under scorching sun, at times through pouring rain, work might appear to advance only inches at a time. Yet every inch carries profound significance: bringing the fallen closer to their names.

Just over 60 graves remain to be excavated and sampled. If weather permits, the work can be completed within a single day; in case of heavy rains, progress may extend by one or two days. Driven by high determination, the excavation and sampling mission will finish on schedule. Yet that is not the final step. Following each excavated grave is an equally crucial task: grave restoration.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Văn Ngọc stated: “While excavation and sampling take one unit of time, restoration can take three times as long. Therefore, as soon as sampling concludes, we will immediately organize forces to carry out restoration, returning each grave and the cemetery landscape to its original state.”

In the late afternoon, the cemetery returns to its inherent tranquility. The soldiers pack up their gear, inspect completed work, and only then depart the site.

Tomorrow, they will return. Ahead still lie unexcavated graves, uncollected biological specimens, and names awaiting to be called. On this journey, their hearts may not truly rest until the final task is complete. For today’s soldiers, every grave opened is not just a finished task, but a stride on the path of gratitude. And deep beneath that earth, soldiers have waited a very long time for the day their true names are spoken once more.