Relics of fallen soldier returned to family after 58 years in Vietnam

Personal effects of Huynh Van Quen, a soldier who died 58 years ago, have been returned to his family in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The relics were discovered in a mass grave at Le Thi Rieng Park. The returned items include a wallet, a fountain pen, a comb, and an oil bottle. Quen's eight siblings were moved to tears and embraced each other upon receiving these belongings during a live broadcast program of Vietnam Television (VTV) called "Sao sáng dẫn đường." Huynh Thi Le, 72, Quen's sister, recounted how she, at the age of 12, along with her father, rowed a boat to help her brother join the guerrilla forces. However, in 1968, the family lost contact with Quen and never knew where he died or was buried. For nearly half a century, Le has preserved her brother's death notice and his "Bằng Tổ quốc ghi công" (Certificate of National Merit) in an incense burner on the family altar. Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City Military Command, stated that through historical document verification and information confirmation, Huynh Van Muoi, Quen's younger brother, was recognized as the next of kin. Muoi shared that his elder brother died in a battle near Chu Y Bridge in 1968, and the return of the relics allowed the family to learn about Quen's final moments. Born in 1946 in Tan Tru, Long An, Quen was the eldest of 11 siblings. He enlisted in March 1966 and lost contact with his family in 1968 at the age of 22. On July 18, Nguyen Thi Le, 79, who was engaged to Quen before he went to war, was officially recognized as the soldier's wife after nearly 60 years. Verification by Military Region 7 identified Quen as a soldier of the Liberation Army's Battalion 1, which operated in Long An, now part of Tay Ninh province. This battalion participated in the battle near Chu Y Bridge during the Tet Offensive in 1968, approximately 6 kilometers from Le Thi Rieng Park. Authorities believe Quen died in this battle and was subsequently buried with his comrades at the former Do Thanh cemetery, now Le Thi Rieng Park. Source: VnExpress