Still a journey to find teammates

In recent times, cadres and members of the Veterans Association at all levels in Khanh Hoa province have always made efforts to implement the Project to search for, collect martyrs' remains and identify the remains of martyrs with missing information (Project 515). Not only actively cooperating to provide authentic sources of information, cadres and members have also directly participated in many survey and verification activities, contributing to bringing practical results in the journey of "finding comrades".

Actively coordinate in searching and collecting martyrs' remains

Implementing Project 515 for the period of 2021 - 2025, the Provincial Association of War Veterans has proactively coordinated with the Provincial Military Command, the Steering Committee for implementing regimes and policies for frontline laborers participating in the resistance war against France, against the US, the war to defend the Fatherland and performing international missions (Steering Committee 24) of districts, towns and cities in the province, relevant departments and branches to organize the collection and verification of information on martyrs, martyrs' graves, and remains of unidentified martyrs. In the past 5 years, the Association at all levels has issued more than 2,100 information collection forms and collected 200 forms of practical value, providing information on the place of sacrifice and the original burial site of martyrs. From this information, the authorities have organized surveys, compared records, collection maps, recorded combat and field history, effectively serving the search for martyrs' remains.

Mr. Tran Than - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Veterans Association (left) attended the memorial service and burial of martyrs' remains at Ninh Hoa - Van Ninh Martyrs Cemetery on May 31, 2025.

Not only making efforts in collecting and providing information about martyrs, many cadres and members also directly participated in guiding, surveying terrain, decoding combat unit symbols, comparing military records, and supporting martyrs' relatives in their journey to find graves. Typically, in 2022, members Cao Ma Day and Cao Xa Van (Lien Sang commune, Khanh Vinh district) crossed dangerous mountains and forests dozens of times, crossed streams, and surveyed areas suspected of containing martyrs' remains. Thanks to that effort, in August 2022, they found the remains of martyr Ca La Ni in the Gugana compound area (Xa Lien village, Lien Sang commune). After that, the authorities quickly exhumed the remains of martyr Ca La Ni and buried them at the Martyrs' Cemetery of Khanh Vinh district, ending the nearly 50-year-long wait of the family's relatives. Mr. Day shared: “I have fought and witnessed my comrades fall. Now that I still have the strength, I vow to continue searching, to bring them back to their homeland!”

Similarly, in Dien Tan commune, Dien Khanh district, member Dong Quoc Hung spent a lot of time contacting his old comrades, reviewing the records of the Sao Thuy Regiment, verifying and clarifying information related to the grave of martyr Giang Van Man (originally buried in Vinh Diem Thuong village, Vinh Hiep commune, Nha Trang city). After 6 months of persistent coordination, the martyr's records were clarified, the remains were exhumed and transferred to the Hanoi Martyrs' Cemetery for burial at the end of 2022. Mr. Hung emotionally said: "The journey to find the name of a comrade is a meaningful thing to do. For me, every time I contribute a small part to that work is a time to relive the time when my comrades fought side by side between the line of life and death."

In addition, in 2024, the Cam Ranh City Veterans Association coordinated a survey and discovered two martyrs' graves in Cam Loc Ward. Through comparing information and the collection map, one case was identified as martyr Tran Thom. This is the result of the efforts and dedication of the officers and members of the City Veterans Association, directly by Mr. Dao Van Hoa - Chairman of the Cam Ranh City Veterans Association.

Promoting the role in implementing Project 515

Implementing Project 515 for the period of 2021 - 2025, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee 515, the Provincial Veterans Association has widely deployed it to all cadres and members at all levels. With a team of more than 17,800 members, most of whom have experienced combat and understand the old battlefield, cadres and members have promoted their role, experience and sense of responsibility in providing information, directly participating in verifying, searching, collecting martyrs' remains and contributing to identifying remains with missing information.

The Associations at all levels have proactively coordinated closely with Party committees, authorities, military agencies and local departments, branches and organizations to organize propaganda on the Party and State's policies and guidelines in the search and gathering of martyrs. Propaganda work has been promoted in many forms such as: branch activities, thematic conferences, oral propaganda, internal newsletters of the Association, coordination of propaganda on mass media, etc. Thereby, contributing to raising awareness and responsibility of cadres and members and spreading the movement of gratitude to martyrs in the community.

Along with that, in the past time, the War Veterans Association at all levels in the province has advised and directly participated in organizing dozens of exhumations, memorial services, burials, or transportations of martyrs' remains after exhumation to other localities for handover and burial at martyrs' cemeteries in their hometowns according to the wishes of their families. At the same time, actively coordinated to resolve the regime for relatives to find martyrs' graves; supported the construction of files to identify martyrs' identities through DNA testing, electronic databases and combat unit symbols..., contributing significantly to improving the effectiveness of Project 515 implementation in the province in the past time.

Mr. Tran Than - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Association of War Veterans said: “One of the sacred and profound activities that the provincial Association of War Veterans has persistently carried out over the years is participating in the search and collection of martyrs' remains. The Associations at all levels clearly define their responsibilities, thereby proactively, practically and effectively implementing this sacred task. In the coming time, we will continue to promote propaganda, mobilize cadres and members to actively participate in providing information on martyrs and martyrs' graves and coordinate in activities to search and collect martyrs' remains in the locality; coordinate in organizing activities to identify the remains of martyrs with missing information; participate in providing information, verifying and concluding information to serve the identification of martyrs with missing information using empirical methods. At the same time, attach gratitude to martyrs witheducating the tradition of patriotism and the morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking" for the younger generation".

THE ANH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202506/van-mot-hanh-trinh-di-tim-dong-doi-17c4398/