Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, political commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City Command, revealed the information during his field trip to Le Thi Rieng Park on September 16 to inspect the search and recovery operation for fallen soldiers’ remains.

At the site, Maj. Gen. Trung said the HCM City Steering Committee for the search, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers’ remains would coordinate with the Military Region 7 Steering Committee to report to the Standing Committee of the municipal Party Committee, the municipal People’s Committee and the national steering committee on plans for the memorial and reburial ceremonies for the remains recovered from the site, which are expected to take place in early October.

“The work is being carried out urgently, actively, meticulously and scientifically, but without haste, with a determination to fulfil the task of paying tribute to the fallen heroes,” he added.

According to the HCM City Command, the search and recovery operation at Le Thi Rieng Park will continue, including an expansion of the search area and the collection of artefacts and other information to help identify the fallen soldiers.

From a historic photograph to a search nearly six decades later

Le Thi Rieng Park is now located in a densely populated urban area of HCM City, but the site was formerly Do Thanh Cemetery, later known as Chi Hoa Cemetery. The cemetery once contained numerous graves, including those of people killed in the fighting whose relatives did not come to claim their remains. The cemetery was later cleared and the site was developed into a park.

Particular attention was drawn to the area during efforts to verify information about soldiers who died in battles in Saigon (now HCM City) during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

An important clue emerged during a review of historical records that a photograph taken at Do Thanh Cemetery in 1968, showing the burial of soldiers in an open area. The HCM City Command subsequently sought out people who may have appeared in the photograph or witnessed the events in order to cross-check and verify the information.

Witnesses provided information about the time and location of the burials and the disposal of bodies following battles during the Tet Offensive. Notably, features visible in archival photographs, including a water tower that still stands today, were used to compare the historical records with the current site and help narrow down areas suspected of containing mass graves.

Drawing on historical records, photographs, witness accounts and field surveys, authorities gradually established a basis for carrying out searches at Le Thi Rieng Park. At a workshop to verify information about the mass graves, authorities assessed that there were historical, scientific, legal and practical grounds for conducting more detailed surveys, searches and excavations.

632 sets of remains recovered

Field searches have provided significant evidence supporting the information previously verified. From June 23 through September 14, 2026, the teams involved in the operation discovered and recovered 632 sets of fallen soldiers’ remains, including 296 sets accompanied by artefacts.

Of the total, 599 sets were recovered individually and 33 from eight mass-grave locations. The mass-grave sites comprised two locations in Area A and six in Area B.

On September 14 alone, the forces involved processed more than 300cu.m of soil, continuing the search in Trench No. 2 in Area A and discovering five additional sets of remains, two of which were accompanied by artefacts. The search is continuing, with teams processing soil, expanding the survey area and collecting artefacts to support the identification of the fallen.

The results also provide additional field evidence for further verification of other areas. Under the plan, the HCM City Command will continue to expand the search at Le Thi Rieng Park.

The search at Le Thi Rieng Park is being carried out as part of the 500-day campaign to search for, recover and identify fallen soldiers’ remains. Military Region 7 has identified the site as one of the key areas where the search needs to be accelerated. By the end of July 2026, the military region had recovered 584 sets of fallen soldiers’ remains, with Le Thi Rieng Park identified as a key site alongside the area in Minh Duc commune, Dong Nai City.

The search will continue, with authorities required to work urgently but cautiously to recover all remains and artefacts and gather information that may help identify the fallen, so that the remains can be returned to their hometowns and families when sufficient evidence is available.