Return soldiers to the "common roof"

From political determination…

“When I left, I promised my parents/ When the country is unified, I will come back and build a home/ My wife must be like Tấm/ Grandparents will be happy to have grandchildren!”

(Excerpt from the poem "Cạnh mẹ cha ta lại được vuông tròn" by Nguyen Dinh Cuong)...

Responsibility, gratitude

Through wars to protect the Fatherland and perform international duties, there have been more than 1 million farewells without a day of reunion. They returned to their motherland, to mountains and rivers, to their ancestors when they were only eighteen or twenty years old, without families by their side, and even without their bodies intact due to the fierceness of war... For that reason, searching for and gathering the remains of martyrs is an extremely humane task, showing gratitude, kindness, and deep affection to previous generations, to those who left for a great cause. This is a major policy of our Party and State, and the responsibility of the entire political system, of all levels, sectors, units and localities.

In recent days, in quarters 4A and 4B, Dau Tieng town, Dau Tieng district, the work of searching, collecting and retrieving the remains of martyrs is being carried out very urgently. Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan, Political Commissar of Provincial Military Command, Deputy Head of Standing Committee of Provincial Steering Committee 515, said that according to recorded documents, on February 22, 1969, Battalion 5, Regiment 429 raided Dau Tieng base, where Battalion 3, Infantry Division 25 of the puppet army was stationed. In this battle, we destroyed many enemy forces, however, many soldiers of Regiment 429 were sacrificed. In the fierce war conditions, the bodies were not transported to the battlefield in time, but were collected by the US army and buried in mass graves.

Receiving information from American veterans, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 conducted a survey. Through the survey, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 identified the suspected burial site of about 70 martyrs of Regiment 429, which is now on the land of Mr. Hoang Van Noi's household, Ward 4A; and households of Mr. Nguyen Tan Loc and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Sang in Ward 4B, Dau Tieng town. Therefore, on March 4, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 held a groundbreaking ceremony to search and collect the remains of martyrs in this area.

Currently, the Provincial Steering Committee 515 is actively promoting propaganda and mobilization efforts. They gather, verify, and connect information about martyrs and their graves, organize extensive campaigns to search for and collect the remains of martyrs, and encourage everyone, especially those who participated in or coordinated combat efforts, to provide information about burial sites of martyrs.

"As long as there is information about martyrs and martyrs' graves, we will organize searches and collections."

In Binh Duong province, from 2013 to present, the Standing Committee of Provincial Steering Committee 515 has developed a plan to conduct surveys at over 90 locations; organized workshops over 40 times to determine information about locations of martyrs' graves; and has searched for and collected martyrs' remains at 85 different locations with an area of 180,000m2. As a result, the provincial Steering Committee 515 searched and gathered nearly 400 martyrs' remains, bringing them back to martyrs' cemeteries in the province for solemn burial in accordance with regulations.

Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan said that the search and collection of martyrs' remains is an important political task, the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people, and the support of international friends; deeply demonstrating the traditional morality of "When drinking water, remember its source" and "Repaying gratitude" of our nation.

Accordingly, Binh Duong province has thoroughly grasped and seriously, actively and effectively implemented Directive No. 24-CT/TW dated May 15, 2013 of the Politburo on continuing to promote the search and collection of martyrs' remains and Decision No. 1237/QD-TTg dated July 27, 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the Project on searching and collecting martyrs' remains.

In addition, the provincial Steering Committee 1237 has coordinated with localities outside the province to verify and correct information on martyrs' graves for 2,980 martyrs with missing or incorrect information. Thereby, receiving responses and confirming information for 1,417 martyrs and correcting information and verifying identities for 1,208 other martyrs. The province has completed more than 16,000 files on martyrs and martyrs' graves; determined the number and list of martyrs of units and localities through the resistance periods. Of these, there are more than 3,700 martyrs from the fighting period against the French, nearly 11,700 martyrs from the fighting period against the Americans, and 754 martyrs from the Fatherland defending period. The provincial Steering Committee 515 has completed data entry for 13,600 martyr records and nearly 12,300 martyr graves according to regulations; of which 3,089 graves have full information, 5,666 graves have partial information and 4,199 martyrs' graves lack information.

Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan stated that to achieve these results, there has been an increased focus on propaganda efforts aimed at raising awareness and responsibility among all levels of government, various sectors, and the general public regarding the search and collection of martyrs' remains. This initiative has produced tangible outcomes. National Steering Committee 515 mobilizes domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to provide information about martyrs and martyrs' graves, support and coordinate in searching for and collecting martyrs' remains. Staff agencies, command agencies, and specialized agencies at all levels and specialized forces of the army in charge of searching for and collecting martyrs' remains are regularly strengthened to meet the requirements and assigned tasks.

Reported by Thu Thao - Translated by Ngoc Huynh