Special flight carries over 7,000 martyrs' remains to Hanoi for DNA identification

A solemn ceremony was held at Tan Son Nhat military airport in Ho Chi Minh City as over 7,000 sets of martyrs' remains were flown to Hanoi for DNA identification. The event, organized by the city's Steering Committee 515 and the Air Defense-Air Force, marked a significant step in identifying fallen soldiers.

Seventy-one boxes containing 7,104 remains suitable for DNA analysis were prepared for the flight. Among the attendees were Lieutenant General Le Xuan The, Commander of Military Region 7, and Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7, alongside local officials and military representatives. Ho Chi Minh City had previously collected 9,854 biological samples from martyrs' cemeteries, with 7,104 meeting the criteria for DNA testing.

The flight carried the hopes of many families who have waited years for news of their loved ones. The ceremony included a flower-laying and incense-offering tribute to the heroes and martyrs. Military honor guards performed the ritual of loading the sealed containers onto a CASA-295 aircraft. Lieutenant General Le Xuan The and Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Head of Steering Committee 515, oversaw the transfer.

Speeches at the ceremony emphasized that each discovered remains is not only a testament to a heroic historical period but also a reminder to the current generation of their debt to those who sacrificed their youth and lives for the nation's independence. Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong stated that the city began collecting samples in April 2024 and has since completed the task at all 18 martyrs' cemeteries. The collected samples will be handed over to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for DNA analysis. Concurrently, Ho Chi Minh City Police have collected 1,843 DNA samples from relatives of martyrs to aid in identification.

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This flight carries the hope of countless families who have waited for many years; it carries the feelings of comrades and the responsibility of today's generation towards those who dedicated their youth and their entire lives to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.