Returning names to martyrs using empirical methods

Over the years, with the motto "Eat home and do good deeds", the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs has spread gratitude activities, contributing to returning names to martyrs and easing the pain of war.

Reporter of Tin Tuc and Dan Toc newspaper (Vietnam News Agency) had an interview with Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, about this topic.

Dear Lieutenant General, could you share about the outstanding results in the work of honoring martyrs that the Association has carried out in recent times?

During the third term (2020 - 2025), the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs shifted to connecting information, veterans supplementing information for the graves of unidentified martyrs using empirical methods. Thereby, over the past 5 years, 462 martyrs' information has been corrected.

In fact, DNA testing of martyrs' remains at some cemeteries shows a low success rate because the bones are rotten.

Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, shared about the work of honoring martyrs.

In addition, the Association has actively supported the relocation of martyrs' remains to their homeland; linking the development of Association organizations at all levels with gratitude work, especially in the Central region.

2025 is a special year for the Association as it marks 15 years of establishment and growth. The Association is preparing for its 4th National Congress. In that context, the entire Association system is carrying out gratitude work.

As of October 8, through the 2707 Martyrs' Gratitude Charity Account - Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, we have mobilized more than 2.2 billion VND for the gratitude work. Notably, the Veterans Association of Dong Nai province alone has supported the martyrs' gratitude work to each member, transferring to account 2707 with a total amount of more than 432.5 million VND. If the remaining 33 Veterans Associations of the provinces and cities all carry out activities to support the martyrs' gratitude work to each member, we will certainly have a huge resource to carry out the martyrs' gratitude work according to the motto "real people, real work, on-site support, enthusiasm, affection, efficiency".

Our Association has many ways to mobilize resources, and over the past 15 years, the Association and its branches have mobilized over 170 billion VND in social resources to pay tribute to martyrs.

This resource has helped the Association implement many meaningful programs: giving thousands of gifts to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, relatives of martyrs, and families with difficult policies in localities such as Hanoi , Nghe An, Quang Tri, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen...; supporting cases of moving martyrs' remains back to their homeland; giving gratitude houses and many gifts on major holidays such as July 27, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, National Day September 2...

Along with gratitude activities, the organization and development of the Association has also seen many innovations, especially when implementing a two-level government. Could you share more about this content, Lieutenant General?

Besides paying tribute to martyrs, the Association pays great attention to the work of perfecting and developing the organization so that its activities become more systematic and spread more widely.

Currently, we are merging and renaming some provincial-level Associations to suit the actual situation. In particular, in Hung Yen, for the first time, the Association for Supporting Families of Vietnamese Martyrs was established, but 100% of them are children and relatives of martyrs' families, launched on October 7, 2025. From now until the term Congress (after merging Thai Binh into Hung Yen), we strive to have 10 to 12 new associations (of the old Hung Yen), bringing the total number of affiliated associations to 16 - 17...

In Quang Ninh, after being approved by the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee, the Quang Ninh Province Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs is expected to be established on October 13, gathering 70 members.

Ho Chi Minh City, after merging with Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong, will hold its first term Congress on October 16, combining gratitude to 20 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and relatives of martyrs, and giving gifts to some seriously wounded soldiers in the area...

Regarding international cooperation, what outstanding activities has the Association carried out in recent times, Lieutenant General?

Foreign affairs are an important highlight. We maintain cooperation with the University of Georgia (USA), the United States Institute of Peace and domestic professional units to apply science and technology in searching and identifying martyrs' remains.

The Association is currently coordinating a survey of the Da Nang area, where the US side provided information about the mass graves of Vietnamese soldiers, and it is expected that this October, we will complete procedures to continue the survey at Loc Ninh airport (Dong Nai). We are also promoting the acquisition of radar technology to search for martyrs' remains - an important step forward in using modern technology to serve the work of gratitude and searching for martyrs' remains.

Could you please share more about the preparations for the 4th National Congress of the Association?

The 4th Congress, term 2025 - 2030 of the Association is expected to take place in early December 2025. We are urgently completing the political report, personnel plan, charter amendments, action plan, as well as material conditions to submit to the Ministry of Home Affairs for approval. In the context that our country still has 34 provinces and cities, and the implementation of the 2-level local government model, the relationship between the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs and the Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs of localities needs to be even closer and more standardized. Because according to Article 17, Decree No. 126/2024/ND-CP dated October 8, 2024 of the Government on the organization, operation and management of Associations, the members of the Association include official members, associate members and honorary members as prescribed in the Association's charter. In which, official members are organizations and Vietnamese citizens who agree with the association's charter and voluntarily register to join the association.

Article 9 of the Charter of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs stipulates the obligations of members, requiring members to strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and policies; and comply with the Charter and regulations of the Association. In other words, all organizations and individuals who are main or associate members must comply with the Charter of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs and the direction and guidance of the Executive Committee, Standing Committee, and Standing Committee of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs.

Before the Congress, the Association will continue to promote gratitude activities, especially correcting information on martyrs' tombstones, DNA testing, supporting the movement of remains and giving gifts to families of martyrs in difficult circumstances.

We believe that when every citizen and every member joins hands, "eating at home and doing good deeds", the work of honoring martyrs will become more and more profound, substantial and spread strongly. The Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs always aims to return the names of martyrs, bring comfort to relatives and families of policy beneficiaries, so that the work of honoring is not only a responsibility, but also a journey of the heart.

Thank you very much, Lieutenant General!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/tra-lai-ten-cho-cac-liet-si-bang-phuong-phap-thuc-chung-20251010155608879.htm