Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – The remains of 29 individuals, believed to be commando or infantry soldiers who perished during the Tet Offensive of 1968, have been discovered at Le Thi Rieng Park. This assessment was made by Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, political commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command (TP HCM), on the morning of 11/7.

The discovery was announced during an inspection of the search and collection efforts by General Nguyen Trong Nghia, head of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army. According to Major General Trung, after one week of searching, authorities unearthed 29 sets of remains layered in a pit approximately 2 m deep. The recovered artifacts bear the characteristics of the liberation army and the Saigon Commandos, suggesting their affiliation.

Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, political commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command (first from right), reports to General Nguyen Trong Nghia, head of the General Department of Politics, Vietnam People's Army, on the collection of martyrs' remains at Le Thi Rieng Park, on the morning of 11/7. *Photo: Dinh Van*

The search operation began on 4/7, with the collection team excavating a first trench, 25 m2 wide, where they found 11 sets of remains. Over the following two days, 9/7 and 10/7, search teams located an additional 18 sets of remains in a pit about 20 m2 wide. The search area has since been expanded into a T-shaped trench, approximately 50 m long and 3 m wide.

Significantly, among the discovered remains, search teams have provisionally identified martyr Huynh Van Quen, a member of the Long An 1st Battalion. This identification was made possible through personal documents and corroborating historical records. The Long An 1st Battalion was known for its involvement in the Y Bridge battle during the Tet Offensive and Uprising of 1968.

The remains of a martyr were found inside a body bag typically used for burying US army soldiers. *Photo: Dinh Van*

General Nguyen Trong Nghia lauded the discovery at Le Thi Rieng Park as a significant milestone in the ongoing "500-day and night" campaign dedicated to finding, collecting, and identifying martyrs' remains. He emphasized the importance of conducting these search efforts with utmost dedication, reflecting profound gratitude for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

This search at Le Thi Rieng Park is part of the broader "500-day and night campaign," which aims to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Day for Invalids and Martyrs. The campaign is scheduled to run from 15/3/2026 to 27/7/2027, with ambitious targets: collecting approximately 7,000 sets of remains and identifying 18,000 biological samples.

Dinh Van