The excavation followed a survey by specialists, who reviewed information provided by witness Nguyen Quat Khoi, 68, residing in Truong Tho hamlet, Truong Long Tay commune, and cross-referenced it with relevant documents.

Nguyen Quat Khoi performs an incense lighting ritual while participating in the search for martyrs' graves. *Photo: Ha Nguyen*

Khoi stated that in 1973, Regiment 10 – Song Huong from central Vietnam was stationed in the area. At that time, he was assigned to oversee the cemetery in Truong Tho hamlet. During the Cai Tuc battles in March and April 1973, 12 soldiers from Regiment 10 – Song Huong died.

According to him, those assigned to the burial task used two three-plank boats to transport the soldiers' bodies, which had been carefully wrapped and covered with nylon, to Truong Tho cemetery.

"However, due to intense enemy patrols and constant helicopter surveillance and bombardment," Khoi said. To avoid detection, the team utilized the dense terrain outside the cemetery fence to bury the martyrs.

Khoi stated that the 12 soldiers were buried in two pits: one containing 5 bodies and the other 7, approximately one meter apart. Later, when the cemetery was relocated, these two mass graves were not found by local authorities.

Personnel take turns excavating pits in search of the martyrs' mass graves in Truong Long Tay commune. *Photo: Ha Nguyen*

Lieutenant Colonel La Phu Huy, team leader of Team K90 (Military Region 9), reported that the location indicated by residents currently features a concrete road and closely built houses. A force of about 40 people, equipped with excavators and drills, has been mobilized for the excavation. As the area was once a fierce battlefield, bomb and mine clearance must be conducted before any digging.

"The team has excavated a pit approximately 8 m wide, nearly 20 m long, and over 2 m deep, but has not yet found the martyrs' mass graves," Lieutenant Colonel Huy said, adding that the search will continue.

According to Huy, if a mass grave is found as reported by residents, the unit will report it to superior authorities to proceed with the collection of remains as regulated.

The search and collection of martyrs' remains in Can Tho are part of the 500-Day and Night Campaign, running from 15/3/2026 to 27/7/2027. This campaign aims to collect 7,000 martyrs' remains, gather biological samples from 230,000 unidentified graves, and conduct DNA testing on approximately 18,000 samples.

By An Binh