On the morning of August 21, at the Military Terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery, and Identification of War Martyrs' Remains (Steering Committee 515), in coordination with the Air Defense-Air Force Service, held a flower- and incense-offering ceremony in tribute to fallen heroes and martyrs before transporting 7,104 biological samples from martyrs’ remains to Hanoi for DNA testing and identification.
The ceremony was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Le Xuan The, Member of the Party Central Committee and Commander of Military Region 7; Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7 and Head of the Military Region 7 Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains; Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and head of the city's Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery, and Identification of Fallen Soldiers' Remains; Major General Nguyen Huy Tuan, Deputy Political Commissar of the Air Defense - Air Force Service; Major General Vu Van Dien, Commander of the Ho Chi Minh City Capital Command; as well as representatives of relevant agencies, units and forces directly involved in the mission.
Ensuring absolute safety for the special flight
In a solemn atmosphere, delegates offered flowers and incense and observed a minute of silence in tribute to the fallen heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the nation.
In this transport operation, 7,104 biological samples from martyrs’ remains were sealed in 100 specialized containers draped with the national flag. All relevant records, documents, and handover minutes were fully prepared to ensure compliance with procedures for identifying the remains of martyrs whose identities remain unknown through DNA analysis.
Following the memorial ceremony, the containers were carried aboard a CASA-295 military transport aircraft of Brigade 918 under the Air Defense-Air Force Service by the honor guard. The aircraft departed from Tan Son Nhat and transported the samples to Gia Lam Military Airfield in Hanoi.
Colonel Phan Viet Anh, Deputy Commander of Air Division 370, said two CASA-295 aircraft had been assigned to the mission, one as the primary aircraft and the other on standby to ensure that the flight was conducted safely and according to plan.
The unit also coordinated with the Civil Aviation Flight Management Center to give the flight priority for an on-time departure while closely monitoring weather conditions and ensuring safety throughout the journey.
Ho Chi Minh City collects 9,854 biological samples
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong said that under the “500-Day-and-Night Campaign to Intensify the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains,” Ho Chi Minh City had completed 100 percent of its planned biological sample collection at all of the 18 martyrs’ cemeteries in the city, gathering a total of 9,854 samples. Of these, 7,104 samples met the requirements for DNA analysis.
According to the Vice Chairman, the special flight reflected the sentiments and sense of responsibility of the Party organization, authorities, armed forces, and people of Ho Chi Minh City toward the heroes and martyrs who fell on the land of Saigon—Gia Dinh—Cho Lon.
In the time ahead, Ho Chi Minh City will continue coordinating with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the Military Institute of Forensic Medicine, and agencies under the Ministry of Public Security to conduct DNA analysis, collect DNA samples from martyrs’ relatives, and build a database for cross-matching and identifying martyrs’ remains.
Regarding the search and collection of martyrs’ remains at Le Thi Rieng Park, Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong said that after more than a month of implementation, the forces involved would continue the work with urgency while maintaining the utmost care and meticulousness to ensure that no martyrs’ remains are overlooked.
The municipal steering committee will also continue coordinating with relevant forces and calling on residents and organizations to provide information to help verify 12 locations suspected of containing mass graves of martyrs’ remains across the city.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City would continue carrying out the mission with the utmost seriousness, responsibility, care, thoroughness, and reverence, remaining determined to search for, recover, and identify the remains of fallen martyrs and bring them home to their native places and families.
