As the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday approaches, Mr. Đào Trung Lệ, a resident of Noong Luống Commune, Điện Biên District, Điện Biên Province feels emotions that are difficult to describe. This marks the second New Year since his family found the remains of his older brother, martyr Đào Trung Nhẫn, who sacrificed his life in the Southern front during wartime.

Unlike previous years, for the past two years, Mr. Lệ’s family has had the honor of preparing an additional offering tray and visiting the grave to invite martyr Nhẫn to join the family for the Tết celebration. On the altar, incense continuously burns alongside fresh peach blossoms and yellow daisy, honoring the memory of the martyr.

For decades, Mr. Lệ’s family relentlessly sought information, asking for clues from former comrades of martyr Nhẫn, war veterans, and official archives. The search often seemed hopeless, as war had erased many traces and time made information increasingly fragmented. Yet, after over 50 years of waiting and hoping, the remains of martyr Nhẫn were finally found and returned home, reuniting him with his family.

With tears in his eyes, Mr. Lệ shared: “The reburial ceremony for martyr Nhẫn was held solemnly and sacredly, attended by neighbors, relatives, and local authorities. The national anthem echoed as the red flag with a yellow star draped over his remains, surrounded by vibrant flower wreaths. Our family can now feel at peace, my brother no longer lies in the cold but rests in our hometown’s cemetery.”

After more than 5 decades in the remote mountains near the Vietnam-Laos border, the remains of martyr Lường Văn Hương were found and reburied at the Tông Khao Martyrs' Cemetery in Điện Biên District. The long-standing hope of his family, including Mrs. Quàng Thị Tún from Mường Phăng Commune, Điện Biên Phủ City, has finally become a reality.

In the spring atmosphere of family reunions, stories around martyr Hương are retold. Mrs. Tún slowly recounts his childhood and the time he spent fighting in Laos, as well as the years of waiting and searching for his remains. Her nearly ten grandchildren attentively listen, gaining a deeper appreciation for the value of today’s peace.

Though the country is now at peace, the scars of war linger in countless families, as tens of thousands of martyrs’ remains have yet to be repatriated. For families of martyrs, locating their loved ones’ graves provides immense solace and helps ease the pain of loss. In fulfilling the commitment to honor those who gave their lives for national independence, the Party, State, and various agencies and organizations have continuously prioritized the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains.

Driven by profound gratitude and responsibility to those who sacrificed for the nation’s independence and freedom, Điện Biên Province has made significant efforts since 2021. It has received, held funeral ceremonies for, and reburied 39 remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers laying down their lives in Laos. Additionally, 13 martyrs’ remains have been located, exhumed, and reburied within the province. DNA analysis has been used to confirm the identities of 21 martyrs, and corrections have been made to gravestone inscriptions based on verified information.

The mission of locating, repatriating, and identifying martyrs’ remains is vital, addressing the wishes of people and families of martyrs while ensuring policies for the military rear. In the future, the province will continue to implement decisive and coordinated measures, mobilizing the entire political system, leveraging all resources, and uniting agencies, mass organizations, armed forces, and the people to bring these heroes back to their homeland.

Every Spring, the return of martyrs’ remains allows families to experience the joy of true reunions, cherishing the profound gratitude of a nation that never forgets people’s sacrifices.