Da Nang war grave excavation uncovers artifacts, helps identify fallen soldiers

During a DNA‑sampling operation at the Bắc Trà My war cemetery in Da Nang, Vietnamese military authorities uncovered several personal artifacts that could confirm the identities of unknown soldiers. Among the finds were a bronze plaque reading “Liệt sĩ NG T TRO; S: 1949; HS: 18‑4‑76; X‑HONG PHONG, H‑CHUONG MY, HA TAY”, a brown leather belt, an aluminum lighter, and a red plastic comb.

In a separate grave, a plastic‑pressed paper card was recovered that listed the name, death year (1971) and hometown (Phượng Cách, Quốc Oai, Hà Tây) of soldier Nguyễn Văn Dục. The Trà My Military Command has appealed to the public, especially residents of Phượng Cách, to provide any family information that could aid verification.

The excavation also revisited a 1994 discovery of 17 skeletons uncovered during construction of a cultural center in Hiệp Đức district. Those remains were later re‑interred and, in 2019, moved again to a new memorial site. The current effort aims to match DNA samples with surviving relatives, allowing the fallen to be formally recognized and buried with proper honors.