In a significant development, authorities have discovered the remains of 100 fallen soldiers at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City after two weeks of excavation. The site, which was previously part of the Do Thanh Cemetery, has been the focus of a meticulous search, revealing not only the remains but also numerous artifacts associated with the soldiers.

The excavation team, part of the Ho Chi Minh City Command, has expanded their efforts around a 30-meter-long burial trench identified through historical documents and radar surveys. On July 18, they found an additional four remains wrapped in tarpaulins and plastic bags, bringing the total to 100. This area is believed to be where soldiers were buried during the 1968 Tet Offensive, a pivotal moment in the Vietnam War.

Since the excavation began on July 4, the team has worked to uncover a 100 square meter area to a depth of 2-3 meters. Heavy machinery was initially used to remove the topsoil, but manual digging was employed once signs of unusual ground conditions were detected. The remains were found layered within the trench, indicating a mass burial site.

Among the identified remains is one soldier, Huynh Van Quen, who was part of the Long An Battalion and participated in the battle at Chu Y Bridge during the Tet Offensive. The Ho Chi Minh City Command has estimated that around 30 of the remains could belong to soldiers from the Saigon Special Forces and infantry units who lost their lives during this critical period.

As part of this operation, which is part of the "500 Days and Nights Campaign" leading up to the 80th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day, DNA samples are being collected from the remains and their relatives to help identify the soldiers. The campaign, running from March 15, 2026, to July 27, 2027, aims to recover approximately 7,000 soldiers' remains and identify 18,000 biological samples.