The event commemorated the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947 – July 27, 2026) and highlighted the "500 Days and Nights" Campaign dedicated to searching for, gathering, and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers.
The program was broadcast live, connecting the main stage at the HTV Theater with four field locations, including Le Thi Rieng Cultural Park in HCMC, Hang Duong Cemetery in Con Dao Special Zone in HCMC, Cao Lanh Martyrs' Cemetery in Dong Thap Province, and Phuoc Giang Commune in Quang Ngai Province.
Attending the event were Lieutenant General Tran Vinh Ngoc, Political Commissar of Military Region 7; Chairman of the HCMC Party Committee's Internal Affairs Commission Tran Van Tuan; Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Council Huynh Thanh Nhan; Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee Tran Van Bay; Major General Vu Van Dien, Commander of the HCMC Military Command; Major General Ta Van Dep, Deputy Director of the HCMC Public Security Department; and Le Van Minh, General Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Press and Radio-Television.
The program depicted the ongoing search, gathering, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains, an effort that continues even more than half a century into peacetime. It also captured the poignant, agonizing wait of mothers, wives, children, and comrades still yearning to find their missing loved ones.
At the Le Thi Rieng Park location, the broadcast recounted the arduous journey of search forces: from studying historical documents and interviewing witnesses to conducting field surveys and carrying out persistent excavation efforts.
From Hang Duong Cemetery, the story of To Ba, a former Con Dao political prisoner searching for his comrade Nguyen Giai, was connected live to Phuoc Giang Commune in Quang Ngai Province, where Mr. Nguyen Giai’s son, Nguyen Van Nghiep, currently resides. Mr. Nghiep shared that while his family had recently learned his father was buried in Con Dao, they had yet to locate the exact gravesite. Right during the broadcast, he saw his father’s name engraved on a tombstone at Hang Duong Cemetery for the very first time.
Meanwhile, at the Dong Thap location, the mission to reclaim the names of the fallen was highlighted through the tireless work of the K91 Team in searching for and gathering the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives during wartime.
The program also recounted the 60-year wait of Ms. Nguyen Thi Le and the family of martyr Huynh Van Quen, who made the ultimate sacrifice during the 1968 Tet Offensive. During search efforts at Le Thi Rieng Park, authorities discovered a set of remains alongside personal artifacts bearing the name Huynh Van Quen, reigniting hope for his family.
On this occasion, Major General Vu Van Dien, Commander of the HCMC Military Command, and Major General Ta Van Dep, Deputy Director of the HCMC Public Security Department, presented a restored portrait of martyr Huynh Van Quen to his family. After decades of waiting, the portrait now rests on the family altar beside the "To Quoc ghi cong" (The Fatherland Acknowledges the Merit) certificate, filling a long-standing void. The emotional moment touched the hearts of many in attendance.
