A performance during the political-art program. Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA  

The event was organised by the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army and attended by Politburo members General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, and General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the General Department of Politics.

Also present were Party Central Committee members, representatives of ministries, sectors and central agencies, as well as Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, heroes of the people's armed forces, war veterans, relatives of martyrs, and representatives of forces engaged in searching for and recovering martyrs' remains.

The programme was a profoundly significant political communication event, reflecting the care and responsibility of the Party, State, military and society towards the search, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers' remains. It also expressed the deep gratitude of today's generation to the martyrs who sacrificed their youth for national independence, freedom and peace and happiness. 

Inspired by Vietnam's tradition of “when drinking water, remember the source”, the programme recounted the country's enduring efforts to complete unfinished wartime missions. It portrayed the decades-long wait of mothers and martyrs' families, as well as the unwavering determination of former comrades to search for those who never returned from the battlefields.

Under the leadership of the Party and State, the political system, particularly the Vietnam People's Army, together with scientists and the community, has continued to make every effort to recover and identify the remains of martyrs.

Through authentic stories, real-life characters featured in documentaries and emotional artistic performances, the programme highlighted the journey of bringing fallen soldiers home to their families, hometowns and identities.

It also underscored the significance of the 500-day campaign to accelerate the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs' remains, describing it as a special peacetime mission that demonstrates the determination and responsibility to identify the remains of martyrs.

It was not only a tribute to those who laid down their lives for the nation but also a promise by today's generation to continue bringing fallen heroes home to their families and loved ones. Every recovered grave and every identified martyr represents the reunion of comradeship, family and homeland, while reaffirming Vietnam's enduring traditions of gratitude and repaying the sacrifices of previous generations./.