The journey to restore the names of heroic fallen heroes
This activity carries profound political and humanitarian significance, reflecting the gratitude and responsibility of the Party, the State and the people towards the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the nation. The event forms part of the “500-day campaign to accelerate the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains”, in preparation for the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27, 1947–July 27, 2027).
At present, nearly 300,000 martyrs’ graves across the country remain unidentified. Each nameless headstone is a source of sorrow and a reminder of the sacred responsibility and deep affection of the Party, the State and the people towards those who devoted their youth and lives to the cause of national liberation and national defence. Therefore, the journey to restore the names of fallen heroes is not only a political task but also a mission of the heart, reflecting the profound gratitude of the entire Vietnamese nation.
Professor Dr Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and member of the National Steering Committee 515, delivers remark
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Dr Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and member of National Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains, emphasised that the campaign embodies profound humanitarian values and reflects the Vietnamese traditions of gratitude and remembrance of those who have contributed to the nation. It is also a sacred responsibility to fulfil the wishes and aspirations of families seeking to recover the identities of fallen heroes and bring them home after many years of waiting.
VAST has been assigned key tasks including DNA analysis of martyrs’ remains in localities designated by National Steering Committee 515; research and development of next-generation DNA identification technology (NGS-SNP); participation in developing regulations, standards and a genetic database of martyrs’ relatives; and coordination in formulating plans for collecting samples from unidentified graves in martyrs’ cemeteries.
In 2025, the new DNA identification process (NGS-SNP) was applied to 58 samples collected at Tra Linh Martyrs’ Cemetery in Cao Bang Province, demonstrating a significantly improved success rate of 93% compared with previous methods. Based on these results, the excavation and collection of biological samples from martyrs’ remains at Giong Rieng Martyrs’ Cemetery on a larger scale represents an important step in testing and evaluating the feasibility of deploying the next-generation DNA identification process more widely to determine the identities of martyrs’ remains lacking information.
Le Van Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee, speaks at the ceremony
According to Le Van Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee, the province currently has 20 martyrs’ cemeteries containing nearly 36,000 graves. Of these, more than 17,000 graves remain unidentified and more than 13,000 contain incomplete information. At Giong Rieng Martyrs’ Cemetery alone, 962 graves remain without identified information.
Marialice Ariens, Political Officer at the US Embassy, delivers remarks
In her speech, Marialice Ariens, Political Officer at the US Embassy, stated: “For decades, Vietnam has assisted the US in searching for and verifying information relating to missing American service members. We are deeply grateful for that support. It is this gratitude that has brought us to where we are today. With funding from the US Department of State, this pilot project uses next-generation DNA sequencing technology developed by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to identify cases that previous technologies were unable to resolve.”
Translated by Phuong Huyen
Link to Vietnamese version
