Vietnam accelerates DNA sampling of war dead in 500‑day identification campaign

Vietnamese authorities are expanding a national 500‑day campaign to collect DNA samples from the remains of fallen soldiers. In Cần Thơ, officials led by Deputy Chair Trần Văn Chính visited the team that sampled 670 of 807 graves inspected between 8 June and 29 June, praising their dedication and emphasizing the political importance of identifying the war dead for families.

Separately, veteran Lê Thị Tâm recounted her personal effort to locate a bullet shell that helped confirm the identity of soldier Nguyễn Tiến Vượng, whose grave in Ho Chi Minh City contained only a name. Her work illustrates the broader push to match DNA and other artifacts to the missing 175 000 unidentified soldiers, a race against time as many relatives age.

The campaign, overseen by the national steering committee, aims to build a veteran DNA bank and provide closure to families while fulfilling state obligations to honor those who sacrificed for the nation.