Leaders of Military Region 7 and the Air Defence-Air Force Service, together with representatives of the localities, perform the ceremony to transport and hand over 13,563 samples of martyr remains from Đồng Nai City, Tây Ninh and Lâm Đồng provinces to Hà Nội for DNA testing and identification on September 11. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

HCM CITY — Military Region 7, in cooperation with relevant agencies, held a ceremony in HCM City to transport and hand over 13,563 samples of martyr remains to Hà Nội for DNA testing and identification on Friday.

The agencies include the Air Defence-Air Force Service, the People's Committees of Đồng Nai City, Tây Ninh, and Lâm Đồng provinces.

The 13,563 samples include 4,651 from Đồng Nai, 5,287 from Tây Ninh and 3,625 from Lâm Đồng.

The ceremony to transport and hand over 13,563 samples of martyr remains from Đồng Nai City, Tây Ninh and Lâm Đồng to Hà Nội for DNA testing and identification. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

All the samples were sealed and packed in 144 specialised boxes, covered with the national flag, and carefully and solemnly preserved and transported, with absolute safety ensured.

From the military railway station at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City, the martyr remains samples were transported by a military transport aircraft of the Air Defence-Air Force Service to Gia Lâm Airport in Hà Nội.

There, the Military Institute of Forensic Medicine received the samples from Lâm Đồng, while the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology received those from Đồng Nai and Tây Ninh.

Lieutenant General Trần Vinh Ngọc, Secretary of the Military Region 7 Party Committee and Political Commissar, speaks at the ceremony to transport and hand over 13,563 samples of martyr remains from Đồng Nai City, Tây Ninh and Lâm Đồng provinces to Hà Nội for DNA testing and identification. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

Speaking at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Trần Vinh Ngọc, Secretary of the Military Region 7 Party Committee and Political Commissar, said the country has been at peace for more than half a century, but many martyrs have yet to be identified.

Painful silences remain, with martyrs' graves still bearing no names, while elderly fathers, mothers and wives continue to wait anxiously and tirelessly for news of their loved ones, he said.

Therefore, the search for and collection of martyrs’ remains and efforts to identify them are not only a special political task, but also a responsibility and a profound expression of gratitude from the Party, State, military and people towards those who devoted their lives to the Fatherland, he said.

Each remains sample sent for testing represents another hope being kindled that scientific advances will enable the martyrs to be given back their names and reunited with their fellow citizens and comrades, families and loved ones, he added.

The ceremony to transport and hand over 13,563 samples of martyr remains from Đồng Nai City, Tây Ninh and Lâm Đồng to Hà Nội for DNA testing and identification. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

Over the past years, officers and soldiers of the Military Region 7 armed forces have worked with relevant agencies, Party committees, authorities, organisations, historical witnesses, scientists and press agencies to implement various measures and mobilise personnel and equipment to accelerate the search for and collection of martyr remains, as well as sampling and identification efforts. — VNS

The military aircraft that would bring the remains samples to Hà Nội for identification. — VNA/VNS Photo

A military transport aircraft carrying 13,563 samples of martyr remains for DNA testing takes off from Tân Sơn Nhất Airport for Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ