Elderly Couple Safeguards 50-Year-Old Ledger of 181 Fallen Soldiers

In Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam, a couple, 96-year-old Dao Ngoc Thanh and his 81-year-old wife Mai Thi Kim Ngan, have meticulously preserved a ledger for over 50 years, detailing the names, circumstances of death, and burial sites of 181 fallen soldiers. This invaluable record offers a crucial link for families and comrades seeking to locate lost loved ones and comrades. The ledger, kept in their home in Cam Thanh ward, Quang Ngai city, spans dozens of pages, documenting the names, birthplaces, and dates of death of soldiers and medical personnel who served at the former B23 military hospital. Though aged, the book remains intact, carefully preserved by the couple. Mr. Thanh was assigned to B23 military hospital in 1968 from the North, serving as a medical officer involved in surgeries and treatments for wounded soldiers. Due to his meticulous nature, he created this ledger, recording information when colleagues fell and later verifying and supplementing it for archival purposes. Mrs. Ngan also worked at the hospital from 1965, treating wounded soldiers, before pursuing pharmaceutical studies in 1970 and returning to the hospital in 1974 to continue her service. According to the couple, B23 military hospital sometimes received 300-400 wounded soldiers after major battles. For security reasons, the wounded were transported only to a designated point before being handed over to medical staff for transport to the hospital. The fallen were buried in three areas: near the former Quang Nam (now Da Nang), near the former Son Tinh district in the plains, and further west in the mountainous region near former Kon Tum and the Laos border. The couple notes that many remains in the mountainous burial sites remain undiscovered. The ledger lists not only soldiers and wounded from various combat units but also 19 staff members of B23 military hospital itself, including medical officers, nurses, pharmacists, and political officers. The fallen soldiers' birthplaces span from northern provinces like Ha Tay and Thai Binh to the central province of Quang Ngai. Many were conscripted and sent to the battlefield between 1965 and 1970. The couple states that many soldiers died from severe injuries, malignant malaria, tetanus, or from bomb attacks. Some military medical personnel were killed while transporting the wounded, carrying weapons, or during ambushes. Mr. Thanh meticulously recorded as much detail as possible, including age, birthplace, enlistment date, rank, unit, cause of death, burial site, and next of kin. Mrs. Ngan recalls directly participating in the burial of many fallen soldiers. During wartime, burials were often conducted near the hospital, marked by wooden stakes. The couple hopes their recollections of burial locations will aid in search efforts. This ledger has become a vital resource for families searching for their lost loved ones, with over 60 families having visited to verify information about those who died at B23 military hospital. However, Mr. Thanh points out that DNA testing is necessary for definitive identification. Currently, Quang Ngai Province is undertaking a "500-day, 500-night" bone collection campaign, and the couple hopes this initiative will allow their comrades who lie in the mountains to return to their families after more than half a century. Colonel Trinh Cong Son, Deputy Political Commissar of the Quang Ngai Provincial Military Command, acknowledges the valuable information provided by Mr. Thanh's couple for the bone collection efforts. The province is currently collecting DNA samples from 13,656 graves, with about one-third completed. Many graves are located in the old Tra Bong district, where B23 military hospital was situated, opening opportunities for identification and locating relatives.