On June 26, Vietnam Martyr Families Support Association met with a delegation of American veterans in Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting was also attended by search teams responsible for recovering the remains of martyrs from Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Long An, Tay Ninh, and Military Region 7.
Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Martyr Families Support Association, announced that the Association and Vietnamese authorities have collaborated with US veteran delegations on efforts to locate the remains of Vietnamese and American soldiers missing on Vietnam's battlefields. This initiative holds profound significance for both nations, marking a step towards healing past wounds.
During their current visit to Vietnam, the US veteran delegation has provided 20 sets of documents to Vietnamese authorities to assist in the search for Vietnamese martyr remains. These documents include crucial information such as coordinates, locations, and directions to mass graves buried by the US military after battles, including the 1968 Tet Offensive uprising at Bien Hoa Air Base, Dong Nai; Song Be battlefield (now spanning Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces); Tay Ninh battlefield; and the battle at Xuan Son Hill, An Huu Commune, Hoai An District, Binh Dinh Province.
According to Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, based on the records, approximately 3,000 martyrs could potentially be identified and either formally recognized or at least laid to rest in martyrs' cemeteries.
During this visit, the Vietnam Martyr Families Support Association and US veterans presented flowers and gifts to the families of martyrs whose remains have not yet been found after the war.
The Vietnam Martyr Families Support Association was established in 2010 under Decision No. 1081/QD-BNV dated September 17, 2010, by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In addition to honoring martyrs, the association has built and expanded a network that includes 13 provincial (municipal) level organizations, 22 central-affiliated chapters, and over 100 local chapters at district and commune levels.
Over the past three years, the association has collaborated with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), which organizes visits by US veteran delegations to Vietnam.
