A search and repatriation team under the Military Command of the central province of Nghe An has located and collected the remains of 65 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during wartime.
The recovered remains have been brought to the Memorial House dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese martyrs in Phonsavan township in Xiangkhouang province of Laos.
The search and recovery mission, conducted during the 2024–2025 dry season, faced numerous challenges due to harsh weather conditions and rugged terrains. Most of the graves were located in remote mountainous areas and dense forests with difficult accessibility. Many of these sites had been heavily bombarded during wartime and remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Additionally, information regarding the burial locations has become increasingly sparse and scattered.
Despite these difficulties, the team successfully completed its mission thanks to the guidance and support of the Steering Committee for the Search, Collection, and Identification of Fallen Soldiers’ Remains (Steering Committee 515) as well as the cooperation of local authorities, armed forces, and residents in the Lao provinces of Xiangkhouang, Xaysomboun, and Vientiane.
Of the 65 sets of remains recovered, 58 were found in Xiangkhouang province, six in Xaysomboun province, and another in Vientiane province.
Following the recent discovery of one martyr’s remains in the area, the team is continuing to expand search operations near Loong Cheng village in Loong Cheng district, Xaysomboun province./.
