On 9/5, A Hai, 32, from Doch 1 village, Ia Ly commune, received a certificate of merit from the Vietnam Youth Union of Gia Lai province for his contributions to the search and repatriation of fallen soldiers' remains.

A Hai expressed his surprise and emotion at the recognition. "I will hang the certificate in the living room as a meaningful memento for my family," A Hai stated.

A Hai (second from left) receives a certificate of merit from the Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union of Gia Lai province. *Kim Thi*

About 8 years ago, while herding cattle at the foot of Chu Pa mountain, A Hai and a friend entered a rock cave near a bat-hunting area. There, they discovered old items like tarpaulins, hammocks, parachute fabric, buttons, rubber sandals, other personal belongings, and numerous bone fragments.

Suspecting these were traces of wartime soldiers, he returned the next day to collect the remains and artifacts, carefully burying them near a tree. He also regularly lit incense whenever he passed by the spot.

In 2020, when the Corps 34 Fallen Soldiers' Remains Repatriation Team arrived in the area for their search, A Hai guided officials to the location.

Verification confirmed that the Chu Pa mountain area was once a revolutionary base. Based on the information A Hai provided, the repatriation team initially found the remains of 6 fallen soldiers along with many artifacts.

Expanding their search from this clue, the Corps 34 Fallen Soldiers' Remains Repatriation Team has, to date, discovered and repatriated the remains of 24 fallen soldiers from the rock cave.

Tran Hoa