Hue city uses radar to locate possible mass graves of 1968 war dead

From 25 June to 28 June 2024, Hue city collaborated with Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense to conduct a ground‑penetrating radar survey at three sites inside the Imperial City (Phú Xuân ward). The operation, part of a 500‑day campaign to find and identify war remains, targeted areas near the West Gate (Cửa Chánh Tây), East Gate (Cửa Đông Ba) and Rear Gate (Cửa Hậu), as well as the Hữu Gate, covering roughly 1,350 m².

The surveys, overseen by the city’s Military Command, the Institute of Design of the General Logistics‑Technical Department, the Department of Home Affairs, local police and municipal authorities, aim to verify reports of collective graves containing about 15 soldiers who fell during the 1968 Spring Offensive. Radar data will be cross‑checked with historical documents and eyewitness testimony to determine whether mass burial sites exist, guiding future exhumation, identification and reburial efforts for the fallen fighters and their families.