Vietnamese woman forgoes entire durian orchard to help unearth 71 fallen soldiers
A woman in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, has decided to have more than 100 durian trees cut down to help an army search team recover war martyrs' remains from her orchard, where 71 sets of remains have been found so far, according to the K91 Team under the provincial Military Command.
The woman supporting the search is Le Thi Don, 54, who owns a nearly 2,700-square-meter durian orchard in Ngu Hiep Commune that used to generate about VND300 million (US$11,500) in annual income.
Following her decision, more than 100 trees, many of them over 15 years old and bearing fruit, were cut down to facilitate the search and recovery operation.
Don said she felt sad seeing the trees being felled, but decided to support the soldiers after thinking that the remains of fallen soldiers could still be lying beneath the soil.
An excavator operates in Don's durian orchard, where more than 100 durian trees have been felled to facilitate the search for Vietnamese martyrs' remains. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre
"Finding even one set of remains means another family can learn where their loved one is and bring them home for worship and remembrance," she said.
The orchard was formerly the site of an old cemetery.
After local authorities carried out a recovery operation there, Don's father, Le Van Tuong, continued farming the land.
Don stands beside some of the more than 100 durian trees that have been felled to make room for the search for the remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre
Years ago, while digging trenches to plant durian trees, Tuong discovered three sets of remains and reported them to local authorities, who recovered them.
However, he remained concerned that other soldiers could still be buried on the property.
"He thought there could still be remains in the orchard, but it was so large that he did not know where to look. There was no way to search for them, so he continued growing durian trees," Don recalled.
Don watches an excavator operate in her durian orchard, where more than 100 durian trees have been cut down to facilitate the search for Vietnamese martyrs' remains. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre
After her father died, Don inherited the orchard with her sister, who lives elsewhere, and continued tending the durian trees until the K91 Team recently returned to search the area.
Don said the loss of the durian trees meant a significant financial sacrifice for her family, but she emphasized that recovering the remains of soldiers who died for the country after being buried there for decades was more important.
According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Vo Thanh Dan, head of Team K91, search forces have recovered 71 sets of fallen soldiers' remains from the orchard, including three found on Monday, some of which were still wrapped in tarpaulin, fabric mesh, and clothing.
Members of a search unit operate in Don's durian orchard to search for the remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre
Efforts are underway to identify the fallen soldiers from these remains, which are being preserved in accordance with regulations.
The search at Don's durian orchard is part of the K91 Team's ongoing efforts under a nationwide 500-day campaign launched on March 15, 2026, to accelerate the search for, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers' remains.
The campaign will run through July 27, 2027, when Vietnam will mark the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day.
To date, the search in the orchard has brought the total number of sets of remains recovered by the team to 220, according to the team's report.
Vinh Tho - Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre News
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