Around 2 p.m., the Gia Lai Provincial Military Command mobilized 40 officers and soldiers, along with two cranes and one excavator, for the salvage operation. The tank was submerged about 20 meters near the embankment. Two cranes parked on Xuan Dieu Street used cables to pull, while an excavator dug sand around the armored vehicle.

The tank was salvaged on the afternoon of 29/4, after resurfacing on the beach on 17/4. *Photo: Tran Hoa - Quoc Cuong*.

Authorities cordoned off the area to restrict public access. Militia and soldiers managed traffic. Engineers conducted mine clearance before the operation to ensure safety.

Within the sand layers surrounding the tank, authorities found numerous artillery pieces, guns, bones, and artifacts. After nearly two hours of digging several meters deep and removing a large amount of sand, the armored vehicle remained unmoved.

Many weapons and ammunition discovered at the tank salvage site. *Photo: Tran Hoa*.

The tank was identified as belonging to an armored unit of the 22nd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, destroyed during its retreat on 31/3/1975 at Quy Nhon military port. It was subsequently buried under sand, only becoming visible when the tide receded.

Colonel Nguyen Xuan Son, Deputy Political Commissar of the Gia Lai Provincial Military Command, stated that the salvage operation was conducted during low tide.

Previously, the unit surveyed the area, established a protective zone, and inspected and handled explosive materials before finalizing the plan. The estimated cost is 200-300 million VND, with the duration dependent on tidal conditions.

Many artillery shells were found around the tank. *Photo: Tran Hoa*.

At this same beach in 2007, authorities previously salvaged one M41 tank and two artillery barrels, also identified as remnants left by the 22nd Division in late March 1975.

Tran Hoa