Neighboring friends help search for fallen comrades
One day at the end of June 2023, at Tong Khao War Cemetery in Thanh Nua commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province, the Party Committee, government, armed forces, representatives of the Government’s Special Working Group, and the six Northern provinces of Laos, together with local ethnic minority groups, held a memorial and burial service for remains of Vietnamese soldiers and advisors volunteering for the international service in Laos in wartime.
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At a memorial service for fallen soldiers in Dien Bien |
In the second phase of the 2022–2023 dry season, the martyrs’ remains search and collection team of MR2, in coordination with local authorities and people, repatriated 10 sets of remains of fallen soldiers, including four identified, thanks to their great efforts in overcoming difficulties and the wholehearted support of the Lao people.
According to Senior Colonel Han Van Hung, leader of the team, over the past years, there have been many difficulties facing the team during their task performance due to harsh weather conditions, a lack of electricity, fresh water, and telephone signals. In that situation, the team actively worked with Lao authorities and people to fulfill their assigned tasks.
Senior Colonel Han Van Hung recalled that in December 2022, he received a phone call from an unknown person named Lun Seng Vi Lay Phon, 71 years old, from Moc Suong village, Pak Ou district, Luang Prabang province, Laos. He informed the team leader about some belts found in a stream in Moc Muong village.
A day later, he supported the team to rush to the scene. In the area, the unit collected three sets of martyrs’ remains who were soldiers of Battalion 4, Regiment 82, namely Lo Van Kinh (born in 1949, from Muong Mun, Tuan Giao, Dien Bien, and died in 1970); Hoang Van Khon (born in 1945, from Chieng Dong, Yen Chau, Son La); and Cao Xuan Ngai (born in 1941, from Dong Son, Chuong My, Hanoi, and died in 1970).
Recently, a 65-year-old man, Mr. Thong Sayson, also provided the team with information about the location of the former barracks of the Vietnamese volunteer troops in wartime. Thanks to Thong Sayson’s wholehearted assistance, the team found and collected the remains of some fallen soldiers. They were Dinh Cong Than, born in 1938, who was Commander of Company 12, Battalion 3, Regiment 335, Northwestern Military Region, and died on April 29, 1967; and Luong Van Xuong, who was a soldier of Company 7, Battalion 2, Regiment 335, Northwestern Military Region, to name but a few.
The team reported to the MR2 Command, handed over the remains to their families and localities, and held a memorial and burial service for them.
In addition to information from the Lao people, the Lao authorities, and functional organs also created favorable conditions for the unit during their task performance.
Responsibility heightened during task implementation
During the Lao national resistance wars, many Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors laid down their lives to help the Pathet troops and Lao people.
According to Major General Dinh Manh Phac, Deputy Commander of MR2, since 1994, thanks to the help of the Lao people in general and the Northern provinces of Laos in particular, the MR2’s search and collection team has collected and repatriated 1,812 sets of martyrs’ remains.
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Martyrs' families and locals paying tribute to the fallen |
Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Chinh, Head of the Policy Board under the MR2’s Department of Political Affairs, held that in addition to searching for the remains of fallen soldiers, the MR2’s Steering Committee 515 also attached much importance to collecting information about martyrs and their relatives and finalizing the lists of fallen soldiers, among others.
Over the past year, the steering committee has also tried its utmost and promoted responsibility during task performance. The MR2 Command also directed its affiliated units to make recommendations to local authorities to organize memorial and burial services as regulated. Besides, the unit has also actively joined social activities, helped Lao people reduce poverty and prevent and control natural disasters, contributing to the implementation of defense external affairs while introducing the image of the Vietnamese country, people, and military.
Translated by Minh Anh