Quang Tri accelerates the 500-day campaign to collect the remains of fallen soldiers
The profound gratitude towards those who sacrificed for the Fatherland is being concretized by Quang Tri province through decisive action in the 500-day campaign to search for, collect, and identify the remains of fallen soldiers. With encouraging initial results, the campaign is entering an accelerated phase with many groundbreaking solutions in both personnel and communication efforts.
Initial results from the dictates of the heart.
As a land that suffered greatly during the war, the search, collection, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains has always been considered a crucial political task and a heartfelt imperative by the Party Committee, government, military, and people of Quang Tri province. Immediately after launching the 500-day campaign, functional forces simultaneously mobilized with the highest sense of responsibility.
Information from the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command indicates that, As a result of the "500-Day Campaign to Intensify the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains," leading up to the 80th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2027), from March 15, 2026 to the present, the entire province has searched for and collected 59 remains of martyrs. Of these, the Provincial Military Command collected 44 remains (16 within Vietnam and 28 in Laos ); Division 968 collected 7 remains; and Economic-Defense Group 337 collected 8 remains. In particular, on the morning of May 23, 2026, the locality solemnly and respectfully organized the memorial service and burial for 28 martyrs whose remains were searched for and collected in Laos during the 2025-2026 dry season, fulfilling the aspirations of the people and relatives of the martyrs.
Alongside the repatriation efforts, a campaign to collect biological samples for identification has also been implemented cautiously and rigorously. To date, authorities have excavated and collected samples from 721 martyrs' graves; of which 598 samples were successfully collected (samples could not be obtained from 123 graves). Currently, all these biological samples are being strictly preserved in the temporary sample storage room of the Department of Internal Affairs for further examination.
Accelerate toward big goals
According to the plan, from now until November 2026 – the end of Phase 1 of the campaign – the goal is to collect samples from 12,000 graves of martyrs whose information is unknown and newly collected remains of martyrs.
To realize this ambitious goal, Quang Tri province is focusing on directing units to develop detailed plans for each area, locality, and martyrs' cemetery. Currently, forces are racing against time to complete sample collection at Ba Doc Martyrs' Cemetery before July 15, 2026, and at the Duong 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery before July 27, 2026 – the anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day.
Breakthroughs in human resources and building an "interactive communication network"
To address the enormous workload during this crucial phase, the specialized agency put forward specific proposals to strengthen and supplement the elite forces for the front lines of attack.
Regarding indirect personnel, we propose adding 3 capable, responsible, and IT-savvy individuals to the Policy Department (Political Office). For the direct excavation force at the cemeteries under the command of Team 584 and Team 589, we propose a significant increase in personnel. Specifically: Team 584 (responsible for 7 teams, requiring 54 personnel, currently with 23, needing an additional 31); Team 589 (responsible for 5 teams, requiring 38 personnel, currently with 23, needing an additional 15). This timely reinforcement will help ensure the excavation proceeds safely, thoroughly, and on schedule.
In particular, the groundbreaking aspect of this proposal is the shift in the approach to information dissemination through the creation of a separate communication page on social media platforms .
The goal of this media platform is not merely to disseminate information about the significance of the 500-Day Campaign in a one-way manner, but to build a highly interactive "two-way information network." Through the digital space, all segments of the population, including veterans and relatives of fallen soldiers both domestically and internationally, can easily access official information about lists, burial site diagrams, and the results of repatriation efforts. Conversely, this will be an extremely effective channel for receiving feedback. People from all over the country can provide and share information and clues about the burial places of fallen soldiers and their memories of the battlefield with the relevant authorities.
The combination of the armed forces' sense of responsibility and the informational power of the people on digital platforms is expected to create a strong transformation, helping to achieve the highest efficiency in the search, collection, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers.
To ensure the campaign truly has a widespread impact, in the coming period, the Quang Tri provincial authorities are urgently advising on the issuance of a Directive from the Provincial Party Standing Committee, as well as a specialized Resolution from the Quang Tri Provincial Military Party Committee, to unify will and action. Showing gratitude and repaying kindness is not just a slogan, but is being demonstrated in Quang Tri through its urgency, scientific approach, and complete commitment throughout the campaign.