Bringing martyrs back to the beloved motherland

Searching for and gathering martyrs' remains is a particularly sacred and noble political task of the entire Party, people, army and political system; demonstrating the tradition and morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", "Repaying gratitude", expressing gratitude for the great contributions of heroic martyrs, contributing to easing the pain of war, responding to the feelings and earnest wishes of relatives, families of martyrs and compatriots and soldiers nationwide.

Clearly defining the task, in recent years, Nghe An province has made continuous efforts to carry out the work of searching for and collecting martyrs' remains; organizing memorial services and burying martyrs' remains in a solemn and dignified manner; actively coordinating with all levels and sectors to identify martyrs and bring them back to their homeland.

To achieve results in searching and gathering the graves of martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the national defense period, in addition to the efforts of relevant levels, sectors and localities, there are also tireless efforts of the unit directly carrying out that task, the Gathering Team, Nghe An Provincial Military Command.

In the context of harsh climate and weather conditions; complex terrain with many changes, very difficult roads; martyrs' graves are mainly located in high mountains, caves, deep forests, areas previously targeted by enemy attacks, a large amount of remaining bombs and mines; information about martyrs' graves is increasingly scarce and scattered in the area... The officers and staff of the collection team did not hesitate to face difficulties and hardships "eating in huts, sleeping in the forest" to search for and collect martyrs' remains.

“

We know that behind us, there are countless families and relatives of martyrs who are day by day, hour by hour longing to find the graves of their loved ones. The further the war recedes, the more difficult it becomes to find the remains of martyrs. Therefore, no matter how difficult and arduous this task is, with the highest determination, awareness and responsibility, we will do everything we can to bring our uncles and brothers back to their motherland as soon as possible.

Lieutenant Colonel Che Ngoc Ha - Captain of the Collection Team of Nghe An Provincial Military Command

It is known that during the search process, the Nghe An Provincial Military Command's Collection Team tried to find all the accompanying relics. This is extremely important information to identify the martyrs. Up to now, over 1,600 martyrs have been identified and their hometowns.

The "returns" are filled with gratitude

For the relatives of martyrs, there is no greater joy than seeing their loved ones again after years of searching and waiting.

“

I am 2 years older than my brother but we both studied in the same class. When we grew up, I joined the army first, my brother followed. In 1972, my brother volunteered to join the army at the age of 17, and in 1973, he died on the battlefield in Xieng Khouang province, Laos. My family and his comrades searched for him many times but could not find him. My parents' greatest wish when they were alive was to find him. Now, after many years of searching, he has been found by the officers and soldiers of the regrouping team and brought back to his homeland. My family is very moved, thanking the Party, the State, Military Region 4, and the Military Command of Nghe An province very much.

Mr. Le Van Ky - brother of martyr Le Van Kiem (Gia Van commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province)

On the day he welcomed his comrade back, veteran Nguyen Dy Tan (Gia Tien commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province) could not hold back his tears and choked up, saying: “Martyr Kiem and I joined the army on the same day; trained in the same unit; fought in Laos in the same company. When Kiem died, we let him rest in peace in the Doc Chuoi area, Nong Het district, Xieng Khouang province; then continued to march and fight. When peace was restored, every day, we - his old comrades - still visited and encouraged his family. We and his family have coordinated with the Nghe An Provincial Military Command many times to organize searches. The day we received information that he had been found and were preparing to bring him home, we were very happy...”.

Martyr Nguyen The Khai, from Thai Binh province, fought side by side with the army and people of Vietnam and Laos, and sacrificed his life for the noble international duty. After more than half a century, the remains of martyr Nguyen The Khai were found and brought back to his homeland. "Reuniting" with his brother, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Minh - the younger brother of martyr Nguyen The Khai was moved: "I am very happy and grateful to the Party, the State, the Army and the cadres and soldiers of Nghe An province for their efforts in searching for and bringing my brother back to his family and homeland."