Part 2: “Naming” those who embodied the Fatherland

Every verified source of information, every exhumed grave, and every preserved DNA sample carries the hope of returning these soldiers to their names, native lands, and family embrace. This is not merely a mission, but a promise and a tribute from today’s generation to those who devoted their entire lives to the Fatherland.

Bringing them home

Peace returned. Trench lines and former battlefields are now blanketed in the lush green of cornfields and rice paddies; roads that once bore the marching footsteps of soldiers now bustle with new vitality. Điện Biên changes day by day, yet amid this rhythm of life, silent searches endure. It is a journey seeking fallen soldiers who remain unidentified or have yet to return to their families after the war.

Carrying out the “500-day-and-night Campaign”, based on information provided by Lường Văn Tâm in Mường Pồn commune, functional forces conducted surveys at a suspected grave site in Mường Pồn 1 village. Following verification and excavation steps, vestiges such as parachute fabric, steel wire, and remaining materials were unearthed, shedding further light on locations where soldiers had fallen. While not yet the definitive answer, each discovered trace forms a thread linking the past with today’s responsibility.

That search is a vignette in the persistent journey that Điện Biên has pursued over many years. In the last five years alone, the entire province mobilized over 21,000 turns of cadres, soldiers, civil servants, public employees, and citizens to participate in surveying, excavating, exhuming, memorializing, and interring martyrs’ remains. Over 50 sources of information were received, leading to the repatriation of 16 sets of remains.

And then, after years of persistently tracing every lead, emotional homecomings have touched many hearts. At the top of Pha Đin Pass in Quài Tở commune, two martyrs’ graves were discovered and excavated based on information preserved for nearly 20 years by Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Ngọc Toan from Battalion 97, Staff Department of Military Region 2. After nearly two decades of waiting, a clue thought to have faded into oblivion was finally awakened, paving the way to bring home sons of the nation who rested on the battlefield.

Beyond Pha Đin, that journey extends through search operations in neighboring Laos. Recently, at the Tông Khao Martyrs’ Cemetery, the province held memorial and burial services for 10 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Laos and were repatriated. This resulted from extensive surveying, verification, and searching. Yet, behind the joy of welcoming them home remains a lingering void: 8 out of the 10 repatriated remains remain unidentified.

Amid returns shadowed by the longing for names and homelands, some soldiers have achieved complete homecomings. Martyrs Hà Văn Thọ (Phú Thọ) and Hà Văn Ân (Hà Nội) were fully identified after years of resting on Lao soil. They returned not only to the Fatherland, but to their true names, homelands, and families. That outcome reinforces faith among thousands of martyrs’ families who still await the day their loved ones are called by their proper names.

Senior Colonel Dư Công Thịnh, Head of the Martyr Remains Search and Repatriation Team, Political Department of Military Region 2, stated that searching for martyrs’ graves faces significant hurdles due to expansive areas, altered terrain, and dwindling witnesses and records. Nevertheless, driven by responsibility and profound gratitude, forces persistently coordinate with local authorities and functional agencies to survey, verify, and repatriate remains, extending the journey to bring fallen heroes back to their homeland and country.

Bringing them home represents only half of the journey of gratitude. What martyrs’ families yearn for most is restoring their loved ones’ names. Therefore, alongside search and repatriation, Điện Biên is collecting DNA samples from remains and relatives, opening up opportunities to identify those who sacrificed for the Fatherland.

Guided by science

Across the province, 4,594 martyrs’ graves across 7 cemeteries require excavation and sampling for DNA testing. The workload is massive, while several cemeteries built decades ago have undergone multiple renovations, making access to remains arduous. Some graves lie 2 to 3 meters deep, requiring officers and soldiers to operate with utmost care to satisfy technical standards while preserving the sanctity of the martyrs’ resting places.

At the A1 National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the resting place of soldiers who fell during the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign, reviews indicate that 635 out of 645 graves require excavation and biological sampling for DNA matching. Constructed in 1958, decades of environmental impact and repeated renovations have complicated excavation and the selection of qualified biological specimens for DNA analysis.

Soldier Khoàng Văn Đạo from Regiment 741 of the provincial Military Command, shared: “The work is very demanding at times, especially when peeling back each layer of earth to reach the remains. But we always recognize this as a sacred mission, so every step must be handled with care. Everyone hopes each collected sample will help identify a fallen soldier and return him to his family and homeland.”

Confronting difficulties, numerous on-site initiatives have been applied. Handheld cutters allow neat and precise grave opening, reducing restoration time for each grave from over an hour to just 3 to 5 minutes. Chain hoist systems assist in lifting 300-to-350-kilogram grave lids safely, saving manpower and facilitating sampling and restoration. Handheld water pumps tailored for narrow grave chambers shorten dewatering times and accelerate sampling stages.

Senior Colonel Trịnh Đức Thiêm, Commander of the provincial Military Command, stated that grave structures were built across different eras and many positions shifted, while heavy rains created notable challenges during excavation. With a high sense of responsibility, every cadre and soldier in the campaign works with heartfelt devotion, gratitude, and deep tribute toward the heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

These efforts are steadily bearing fruit. To date, Điện Biên has excavated and collected samples at 6 out of 7 martyrs cemeteries, completing work at the Tuần Giáo, Tủa Chùa, Him Lam, and Tông Khao Martyrs’ Cemeteries. Through August 19, the province excavated 3,835 graves, with 3,625 sets of remains yielding qualified specimens for DNA testing; 2,698 samples were handed over to the Military Institute of Forensic Medicine and 927 samples to the provincial Forensic Center for analysis and matching.

To reach final conclusions, remains samples must still be matched against genetic data from relatives. Therefore, alongside sampling at cemeteries, functional forces are collecting biological specimens from martyrs’ kin, step by step constructing a gene bank for identification.

For Điện Biên veteran Phạm Đức Cư in Mường Thanh ward, Điện Biên province, the search for his older brother, martyr Phạm Văn Tố, who died in 1951 during the Hà Nam Ninh Campaign, has spanned many years. Providing his DNA sample brought renewed hope: “For 75 years, my family has yearned to find my brother. I hope science will help identify him and his resting place so our family can welcome him home,” Phạm Đức Cư emotionally shared.

That longing is shared by martyrs’ families throughout the province. Điện Biên province alone has 820 martyrs, of whom 267 have identified graves, while 553 remain without identified grave locations or have lost remains. These are cases where every piece of information and every biological sample can unlock an added opportunity to find a loved one.

Senior Lieutenant Nguyễn Ngọc Tuấn from the Police Division of Administrative Management of Social Order under the provincial Police, stated that collecting DNA samples from relatives is conducted urgently while prioritizing accuracy above all. To date, DNA samples have been collected from 392 out of 426 consenting cases, reaching 92% and steadily augmenting data for matching and identification.

Behind every set of remains is a soldier. Behind every biological specimen is a family. And between two DNA samples lies a bridge linking past and present, connecting the departed with those who continue to wait. Matching results may not arrive immediately, but every sample preserved today creates another opportunity for a name to be spoken correctly tomorrow, a soldier to return home, and a family to conclude their enduring wait.