On the morning of 29/7, the Ha Tinh Provincial Military Command conducted an excavation to collect samples for DNA identification at Nui Nai Martyrs' Cemetery in Thanh Sen ward.

At grave number 8, row 2, lot 8, soldiers discovered a piece of discolored military tarp made from parachute fabric, buried in the soil. Its surface bore faded, incomplete sentences such as: "People like you...", "that day my eyes filled...", "I tossed and turned...". Below these words was an ink drawing of chained feet.

The military tarp with the martyr's handwritten notes, found on 29/7. Photo: Hung Le

Additionally, the excavation team found other artifacts, including 10 buttons and a hair comb.

A military tarp is an essential item for soldiers, typically measuring about 1,6 meters wide and 2 meters long, used for makeshift shelters, sleeping mats, or stretchers. The recently discovered parachute fabric piece is likely part of a larger tarp previously used by the soldier.

Leaders of the Ha Tinh Provincial Military Command believe the surviving text on the tarp fragment could be a diary entry or verses of poetry written by the soldier during a rare moment of rest amidst the battlefield.

The grave where the military tarp was found. Photo: Hung Le

The grave excavations are part of the "500 days and nights of intensified search, collection, and identification of martyrs' remains" campaign. At Nui Nai Martyrs' Cemetery, DNA sample collection and excavation took place over two days, from 29/7 to 30/7.

Authorities will then continue collecting samples from 8 graves at the Dong Loc T-junction historical site (Dong Loc commune) and one grave at Ky Anh Martyrs' Cemetery (Ky Khang commune), with completion expected before 30/8.

Nui Nai Martyrs' Cemetery. Photo: Duc Hung

Nui Nai Martyrs' Cemetery was built in 1975 on an area of about 3 hectares in residential group 7, formerly Dai Nai ward, now Thanh Sen ward. It is the burial site for over 1,200 martyrs' remains.

Duc Hung