On the afternoon of 20/7, Fallen Soldiers' Remains Recovery Teams 584 and 589 from the Political Department, Quang Tri Provincial Military Command, recovered three fallen soldiers' remains in the Cau Nhi area, Nam Hai Lang commune. This discovery is part of ongoing efforts to locate and identify those lost in past conflicts.

The remains were found at a depth of 20-50 cm, approximately 4 meters apart. Due to decomposition, the fallen soldiers' remains consisted of fragmented bones, shin bones, and teeth. The recovery forces collected many accompanying artifacts, including: hammock tarps, shoe soles, belts, buttons, medicine bottles, gun straps, stick grenades, AK ammunition magazines, canteen pouches, and ink pen caps.

The three sets of remains were brought to Team 584 for preservation, care, and ceremonial incense burning, a traditional Vietnamese practice honoring the deceased. In the coming period, authorities will collect biological samples if conditions permit, for DNA identification to determine the identities of the fallen soldiers.

Forces searching for fallen soldiers' remains at Cau Nhi. *Photo: Xuan Dien*

The Cau Nhi area was the site of one of the fierce battles during the Tri-Thien campaign. At dawn on 26/5/1972, Battalion 6, Regiment 88, Division 308 was tasked with capturing the Cau Nhi bridgehead, blocking enemy forces from Hue to Quang Tri. Approximately 110 officers and soldiers of Company 9 crossed a shallow river section to attack. Unfortunately, a soldier triggered a flare mine, revealing their position. Enemy firepower from bunkers and fortifications immediately rained down on the formation in the open ground. The battle lasted less than two hours, resulting in the sacrifice of approximately 93 officers and soldiers. To date, their comrades have identified 83 individuals from this battle.

From the early 1990s until now, local residents, while renovating gardens on the former battlefield, discovered 20 fallen soldiers' remains. Team 584 subsequently recovered 9 more sets of remains in this area. The 29 sets of remains were interred at Hai Lang Martyrs' Cemetery.

As part of the 500-Day-and-Night Campaign to search for, recover, and identify fallen soldiers' remains, authorities cross-referenced aerial photographs, foreign documents, witness testimonies, and conducted field surveys, identifying 9 suspected locations of fallen soldiers' remains at Cau Nhi. Ground-penetrating radar survey results also revealed an area with anomalous geological structures, coinciding with a suspected point. Authorities estimate that between 26 and 54 fallen soldiers' remains in this area have yet to be found and recovered, underscoring the continued importance of these recovery efforts.

Dac Thanh