Vietnam locates and DNA‑identifies unknown war dead from T29 battlefield and Dak Lak forest

In Baoloc, Lâm Đồng province, workers continue the “500‑day night campaign” to excavate and DNA‑test 102 unidentified graves at the T29 war cemetery, where 740 martyrs lie. The careful process includes removing concrete, brushing away soil, photographing and sealing each bone sample. Former artillerywoman Lưu Thị Thanh An, now 81, visits the site and recounts a 1965 battle where a comrade declared, “The liberation army only knows how to fight, not how to surrender,” before throwing a final grenade.

In Đắk Lắk province, a 96‑year‑old Cham elder, Sô Hỗn, guided the K51 team of the provincial military command through rugged forest to uncover two soldiers’ remains hidden for over half a century. The remains were excavated, sampled for DNA analysis and will receive formal identification, a commemorative ceremony and burial. The team presented Sô Hỗn with a 10 million VND token of gratitude for his crucial tip.