On July 24, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City discovered a mass grave containing the remains of four fallen soldiers at Le Thi Rieng Park. The new grave is located approximately 50 meters from a previous site where 100 remains were unearthed earlier this month. The excavation began at 7 AM by the team responsible for recovering soldiers' remains from the Ho Chi Minh City Command.

The newly discovered grave, measuring about ten meters in length and over 1.5 meters deep, is situated in a raised area of the park, near a petanque court. This location is one of three identified zones that showed signs of potential mass graves based on historical data and witness accounts.

The search team initially used an excavator to remove the topsoil to a depth of about one meter. Once they detected unusual signs, they switched to manual digging, which led to the recovery of the four soldiers' remains. Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, the political commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City Command, noted that this area had been filled in to create a mound when the park was constructed.

In the coming days, specialized teams will expand the excavation area in accordance with procedures used for the first grave to continue the search for additional remains. The site is currently being protected to prevent flooding and potential landslides.

This is the second discovery of soldiers' remains since the search operation began at Le Thi Rieng Park in early July. Previously, the authorities had recovered 100 remains from a mass grave that spanned about 30 meters, stretching from the memorial house to a pond near the park's traditional house. This area was earmarked for excavation based on historical documents, witness testimonies, and prior surveys.

The park, formerly known as the Do Thanh Cemetery or Chi Hoa Cemetery, has been the focus of extensive searches. From July 4 to the present, the search area near the traditional house has been expanded by over 100 square meters, with excavations reaching depths of 2 to 3 meters. Most remains found are layered within a 30-meter-long trench. Among the identified remains was a soldier who had identification papers bearing the name Huynh Van Quen, who was part of Battalion 1 Long An and participated in the Tet Offensive in 1968.

The newly discovered site is part of a broader initiative called the 500 Days and Nights Campaign, which aims to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day. This campaign, running from March 15, 2026, to July 27, 2027, aims to recover approximately 7,000 soldiers' remains and identify from 18,000 biological samples.