Vietnam Accelerates DNA Collection to Identify 300,000 Unaccounted Soldiers

Vietnam is rapidly accelerating the collection of DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers, aiming to identify approximately 300,000 individuals who have remained unaccounted for since the Vietnam War. This initiative is part of a nationwide '500-Day Operation,' offering a final glimmer of hope to families who have long searched for their loved ones. In Huong Khe commune, Ha Tinh province, a community hall was filled with relatives of fallen soldiers coming for DNA testing. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh, 90, was among the oldest participants. Her biological sample will be entered into the national gene bank, serving as a reference for identifying the remains of her younger brother, Lieutenant Nguyen Van Lac. "I am happy to be alive to provide genetic samples for my brother, but I am also saddened that he has not yet been found," said Ms. Dinh. In Thanh Hoa province, the family of Ms. Le Thi Quynh, 97, completed their DNA sample collection by the end of 2025. Due to mobility issues following a stroke five years ago, Ms. Quynh was brought to a police station by her children to provide samples along with two other family members. Although her memories are fading, Ms. Quynh weeps each time her eldest son, Lieutenant Le Thanh, is mentioned. Ms. Le Thi Que, Ms. Quynh's fifth child, expressed the family's greatest concern: that her mother might pass away before Lieutenant Le Thanh's remains can be returned. The '500-Day Operation' and the DNA sample collection represent the last hope for over 300,000 families like Ms. Dinh's and Ms. Quynh's, who have been searching for their missing relatives for decades. Many soldiers never returned from the battlefield. Lieutenant Nguyen Van Lac, Ms. Dinh's brother, enlisted in 1960 and was reportedly a reconnaissance operative in a special forces unit, working secretly. The last contact the family had was in late 1961. Years later, they received a death notice stating he died in Quang Ngai province in 1966. However, discrepancies between witness accounts of his activities in Quang Tri and the location of his reported death in Quang Ngai made the family's search arduous. His relative, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son, investigated military records and archives extensively, but without success. It is explained that due to his covert special forces mission, records are extremely limited or have been lost. Lieutenant Le Thanh, Ms. Le Thi Quynh's eldest son, died in Gia Lai province in 1972 at the age of 20. His remains were buried by local residents. After the war, when remains were consolidated at the Mang Yang National Cemetery, his body, along with two other fallen soldiers, was interred as 'Unidentified Soldier.' The family has identified one of the three anonymous graves as their son's but requires cooperation from the families of the other two soldiers for DNA confirmation, a process delayed by economic difficulties. The '500-Day Operation' aims to collect 7,000 sets of remains, collect samples from 230,000 unidentified graves, and conduct DNA identification for 18,000 samples. Nationwide, there are approximately 1.2 million fallen soldiers, with over 900,000 sets of remains collected, but the identities of around 300,000 remain unknown. Relatives' DNA samples will be stored in a national database for cross-referencing with military records. The race against time continues, with elderly relatives' health and the natural decomposition of remains posing significant challenges. Source: VnExpress