Remembering guerrilla fighters: Search for soldiers' remains continues in Quang Ngai

Authorities in Nghia Giang commune, Quang Ngai province, are meticulously searching for the remains of soldiers who died during the Vietnam War, based on accounts from locals and historical witnesses. The ongoing operation focuses on the Go Tram area, aiming to locate and repatriate the fallen heroes.

Following leads from residents, including former female guerrilla fighter Le Thi Xuan Duoc, 74, officials are systematically excavating the area. Duoc, who served in various guerrilla roles from 1969 to 1972, recalled a fierce battle in Phu Son village in 1969 where enemy tanks were deployed. Many Vietnamese soldiers were killed or wounded in the intense fighting.

“

Our comrades could not retreat, so many sacrificed their lives. I, along with the villagers, mobilized people to take the wounded to the clinic, and those who died were organized for burial. Some who couldn't be found were buried right in the bunkers.

"Our comrades could not retreat, so many sacrificed their lives. I, along with the villagers, mobilized people to take the wounded to the clinic, and those who died were organized for burial. Some who couldn't be found were buried right in the bunkers," Duoc recounted, her eyes welling up with tears as she remembered the 1969 battle.

“

Now with the '500-day and night campaign', I am providing information to the Nghia Giang Commune Military Command to search for and collect them, so that the soldiers can be brought back to their homeland and families soon.

After the country's reunification, some of the buried remains were moved to military cemeteries. However, many soldiers still lie in trenches and shelters, yet to be found. Duoc provided information to the Nghia Giang Military Command for the current "500-day and night campaign" to locate and gather these remains, hoping to bring them back to their homeland and families.

On August 23, soldiers and militia members from the Nghia Giang Military Command continued their painstaking search at Go Tram under the intense sun. They are carefully excavating layer by layer. To date, they have recovered one set of remains along with personal items such as buttons, a pen, a spoon, and rubber sandals, indicating the presence of fallen soldiers.

“

Finding the remains of fallen soldiers makes my heart ache.