In Vietnam, fiancée of fallen soldier recognized as his wife after nearly 60 years

The provincial Department of Home Affairs on Saturday issued a decision adding the relative of the martyr and officially recognizing Le, a resident of Hamlet 3, Vam Co Commune, as the wife of fallen soldier Quen.

The decision was made based on the official records of martyr Quen, who was awarded the Certificate of Recognition for National Contribution No. 2P.944b under the prime minister’s Decision No. 04 dated January 2, 1978, as well as a proposal from the Vam Co Commune People’s Committee.

Le was granted a certificate of martyr’s relative No. 7,248 and will receive monthly allowances from August 1.

The benefits include a monthly survivor allowance of VND2.789 million (US$106) and an additional monthly support allowance for a lonely widow of a martyr without anyone to rely on of VND2.231 million ($85).

The total monthly allowances amount to VND5.02 million ($191).

Under the decision, Le will also receive retroactive payment for July 2026, calculated from the month the provincial Department of Home Affairs issued the decision.

On the same day, Dang Van Tay Lo, chairman of the Vam Co Commune People’s Committee, organized a meeting to collect opinions from martyr Quen’s family members in order to complete documents requesting recognition of Le as the martyr’s wife.

Six relatives of the fallen soldier agreed to sign confirmation documents supporting the procedure, including Huynh Van Nho, Le Van Xem, his biological aunt, and three other younger siblings of martyr Quen.

On July 6, after the remains and personal items bearing the name Huynh Van Quen were discovered at Le Thi Rieng Park, Nho’s family in Vam Co Commune reported to local authorities that they had been worshiping their relative, Huynh Van Quen, who was Nho’s older brother.

Xem, 66, a cousin of martyr Quen, said that he and the martyr’s mother, who passed away in 2019, had previously contacted local authorities to request recognition of Le as the wife of the fallen soldier.

However, circumstances at the time and various factors prevented the recognition from being completed.

“We all love and respect Le, so our family hopes she will be recognized as the wife of a martyr as a way of acknowledging the devotion and loyalty she has shown over the years,” Xem said.

On July 15, Nho and Xem returned to the headquarters of the Vam Co administration to continue seeking guidance on procedures to recognize Le as the wife of the fallen soldier.

“The whole family has always considered her our sister-in-law,” Nho said.

“She has been present at family ceremonies, death anniversaries, and every important occasion.

“When our grandfather grew old and weak, it was also Le who came to care for him. We are very happy that she has finally received official recognition."

His remains found at Le Thi Rieng Park, Ho Chi Minh City

The remains of dozens of fallen soldiers recently uncovered at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City were believed to belong to members of Biet Dong Sai Gon and the first battalion of former Long An Province.

Biet Dong Sai Gon was a special force unit of the Vietnam People's Army that operated during wartime.

One of the most significant discoveries was the second set of remains, which was found with identification bearing the name Huynh Van Quen.

Through historical verification and analysis, authorities determined that he served with Unit 962, identified as Team 2 of the first battalion - Long An.

Historical records indicated that the battalion took part in the battle on Y Bridge on January 19, 1968, during the first phase of the 1968 Tet General Offensive and Uprising.

After the discovery, officials from Ho Chi Minh City's Military Command and agencies in neighboring Tay Ninh Province contacted his relatives for DNA testing.

His relatives said they lost contact with him after the fighting during the 1968 Tet General Offensive and Uprising and later received official notification of his death in 1977.

They shared that they had long believed he had been killed in combat but never knew where he was buried.

They hoped the tests would confirm the identity and allow him to be buried alongside relatives after nearly 60 years.

Among those awaiting the results is Le, who said she had planned to marry Quen before he left for the operation in early 1968.

“We met while I was supporting revolutionary forces near his unit and remained together until he departed for what became his final mission,” Le said.

She said she had preserved letters they exchanged during their relationship, although the documents were later destroyed over time.

Vietnam intensifies search for war martyrs' remains

More than 50 years after the war ended, Vietnam is intensifying efforts to recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers through expanded field searches, ground-penetrating radar, and DNA analysis, offering renewed hope to thousands of families still seeking their loved ones.

The renewed push is centered on a 500-day nationwide campaign launched on March 15, 2026, and running through July 27, 2027, when Vietnam marks the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947–2027), according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The campaign is meant to accelerate efforts to locate missing martyrs' remains and identify unnamed graves.

It targets the recovery of about 7,000 sets of martyrs' remains, the collection of biological samples from around 230,000 unidentified graves, and DNA analysis of about 18,000 sets of remains, the ministry said.

In Ho Chi Minh City, authorities have launched large-scale search and recovery operations at Le Thi Rieng Park.

The operation combines ground-penetrating radar with historical records, wartime maps, archival documents, witness accounts, and DNA analysis to help locate and identify remains.

As of Saturday, authorities had recovered the remains of 100 fallen soldiers at the park.