Hai Phong launches DNA initiative to identify fallen soldiers

Municipal police in Hai Phong are collaborating with relevant agencies to systematically identify fallen soldiers whose remains have yet to be matched with families. The program involves verifying information about unidentified remains, collecting DNA samples from eligible relatives, and cross-referencing data with the National Population Database to establish connections.

The Hai Phong initiative is part of a broader national effort to honor Vietnam's war dead through modern identification methods. Military aircraft have transported 15,401 samples of martyrs' remains to Hanoi, where expanded laboratory facilities now support DNA testing operations.

Authorities have significantly increased testing capacity in recent years, enabling technicians to process records for over 207,000 sets of remains. The program aims to provide families with closure by confirming the identities of loved ones lost during decades of conflict.

Official teams are actively reaching out to potential relatives to participate in the DNA collection process. Successful identifications allow authorities to facilitate proper burial rites and provide families with official recognition of their losses, addressing a longstanding humanitarian concern across the region.

Photo: Truong Son National Cemetery for Vietnam's war dead, Quang Tri province, December 2008. Liftold via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).