On their shoulders rests a sacred mission of searching for and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who sacrificed their lives for peace and for Vietnam - Cambodia solidarity.
Over the past more than a month, forested fields in Battambang have become the daily workplace of members of Team K73, who carefully dig through every meter of soil. Rocks, tangled roots and hardened earth block sites there are believed to hold martyrs’ remains. Every shovel strike and every cut through roots is carried out with patience, respect and deep gratitude.
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Team K73 recovers martyrs’ remains in Chill hamlet, Traeng commune, Rotanak Mondol district, Battambang province, Cambodia. |
Senior Captain Nguyen Thanh Thanh, a policy and mass mobilization officer of Team K73, shared emotionally that although the work is exhausting, it carries profound meaning. This is not just a task, but a promise to the people, to leaders and to fallen comrades that no matter where the fallen rest, they will be found and brought home.
Former battlefields have changed dramatically over time. Dense forests have regrown, farmland has expanded, and many coordinates have faded. As a result, memories and accounts from local residents are treated as precious leads. At times, just to verify a single story, the team had to travel hundreds of kilometers, leaving before dawn and returning late at night, soaked and exhausted. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Hung Cuong, Political Commissar of Team K73, said that despite scarce information and changing terrain, the team remains determined that as long as there is a lead, the search continues. To date, Team K73 has recovered 11 sets of martyrs’ remains and brought them to a solemn holding area, awaiting repatriation.
In Oddar Meancheay, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey provinces, Team K71 faces similar hardships. Muddy, slippery roads, flooded fields and sudden rains are constant challenges. Even during thunder and lightning, no one abandons their position. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hoai Thanh, Political Commissar of Team K71, emphasized that this mission is both a special political task and a sacred responsibility of the living toward those who sacrificed their lives. As long as one fallen soldier remains, the team will continue searching with gratitude, honor and dedication.
In the middle of remote Cambodian villages, Team K71 members work methodically from early morning until sunset. Corporal Nguyen Thanh Long of Sub-team 2 shared that some days yield nothing despite hours of digging, but finding even a small bone fragment or personal item erases all fatigue.
So far, Teams K71 and K73 have recovered a total of 132 sets of martyrs’ remains. Each recovery represented hardships, sweat and perseverance amidst rocky terrain and harsh weather conditions, sometimes real danger. The return of fallen troops to the homeland will ease decades of longing for their families and comrades. More than half a century after the war, in the deep forests of the neighboring country, the K teams continue this quiet journey of gratitude, driven by humility, endurance and an order from heart.
Translated by Chung Anh