Taking DNA samples of the fallen soldiers' remains at Le Thi Rieng Park. Photo: VNA   

Ho Chi Minh City will continue to intensify efforts to search for and recover remains of fallen soldiers, with the goal of leaving no valuable information about fallen soldiers or burial sites overlooked, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee and head of the municipal steering committee for the work, has said.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Cuong said the city regards the search, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers' remains as a particularly important political task and a responsibility to those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and freedom.

During the 500-day-and-night campaign, the city has mobilised agencies, localities, armed forces and residents to accelerate the work.

A major result has been the completion of biological sampling from remains at all 18 martyrs' cemeteries in the city, with 9,854 samples collected ahead of schedule. Of these, 7,104 samples were assessed as suitable for DNA testing.

At Le Thi Rieng Park in Hoa Hung ward, the site of the former Do Thanh Cemetery, search teams recovered 664 sets of remains during three months of excavation. Five additional sets of remains were recovered in Thuong Tan commune.

Cuong said every set of remains and artefact discovered is being handled and managed in accordance with established procedures to support verification, DNA testing and identification. The work is not measured only by the number of remains recovered, but also by the possibility of returning fallen soldiers to their families and hometowns after decades.

Regarding plans for a memorial service and reburial for the remains recovered at Le Thi Rieng Park, Cuong said the event would be prepared with the highest level of solemnity and care. The city will ensure proper ceremonies, transport of the remains, reception of relatives and delegates, as well as logistical, technical, security and safety arrangements.

He stressed that the memorial service and reburial would not mark the end of the work. Authorities will continue to manage records, information, artefacts and biological samples and pursue identification efforts.

Looking ahead, the municipal steering committee will continue reviewing and completing records, lists, diagrams and maps, while making full use of available documents and meeting historical witnesses, war veterans and local residents to gather information.

“This is an urgent task,” Cuong said, noting that many witnesses are elderly and delays could make verification increasingly difficult.

The city will also strengthen coordination between the municipal Military Command, relevant agencies and localities, Military Region 7, central agencies and other provinces and cities, while ensuring sufficient personnel, equipment and working conditions for those directly involved.

Cuong stressed that the city would continue verifying all available information and pursuing searches wherever there were grounds to do so. He called on families of fallen soldiers, war veterans, historical witnesses and local residents to provide documents, biological samples and any information related to places where soldiers died or were buried, noting that even small details could provide valuable leads for identification and help reunite fallen soldiers with their families and hometowns.

He affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City would continue mobilising resources and pursuing the work with the highest sense of responsibility and determination./.