17 Remains Found in Da Nang Potentially Belong to Special Forces Soldiers

In Da Nang, Vietnam, authorities have indicated that 17 sets of remains discovered in the city are likely those of special forces soldiers who perished in combat in the area between 1969 and 1970. This assessment was presented at a workshop on verifying the identities of the remains, jointly organized by the Hiep Duc People's Committee and the Da Nang City Military Command on August 5. Vo Dinh The, who was present during the exhumation and relocation, stated that in 1986, during construction work near the old Hiep Duc District Military Command, a mass grave containing 17 sets of remains was found. Military items such as a parachute hammock, rubber sandals, shoes, and a gun were also recovered from the site. Mr. The and local residents reburied the remains near the discovery site. Later, when the area was leveled for construction, Mr. The moved the 17 sets of remains to his family's ancestral cemetery in Thuy Bon commune and has since cared for the graves. At the workshop, witnesses, former military officials, and representatives of local authorities reviewed information regarding the location, time of discovery, and characteristics of the remains and artifacts. Tran Phuoc Sao, former Battalion Commander of the 15th Battalion, 2nd Division, 5th Military Region, testified that during 1969-1970, the 2nd Division of the 5th Military Region engaged in numerous battles in the Doi Thi area, resulting in many casualties whose bodies could not be recovered by the unit. Based on the gathered information, Mr. Sao concluded that the 17 sets of remains are likely special forces soldiers from the 2nd Division who died fighting in this region. Colonel Do Nguyen Hoai, Deputy Political Commissar of the Da Nang City Military Command, instructed the Hiep Duc District Military Command to collaborate with specialized agencies, local authorities, and witnesses to continue reviewing and supplementing documentation to aid in the collection and identification of martyrs. Vietnam has long been engaged in efforts to collect and identify the remains of the numerous fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War (1955-1975), with similar discoveries reported previously. The government places significant importance on these initiatives within the context of honoring families of the fallen and national unity. This discovery could be a step towards clarifying the fate of lost soldiers from the central region, a heavily contested area during the war. Source: VnExpress