Scorching heat and torrential mountain rains have done little to deter officers and soldiers of K51 Team, along with other relevant forces, from relentlessly searching for, recovering and identifying remains of fallen soldiers under the 500-Day Campaign.

Senior Colonel Do Van Thieu, Political Commissar of K51 Team, said the search for fallen soldiers' remains is a mission without an endpoint. Every lead must be carefully verified, while every patch of ground requires meticulous examination, as beneath it may rest comrades who never returned. For K51 Team members, bringing home even one more fallen comrade represents the greatest reward for their unwavering dedication.

Officers and soldiers of K51 Team, together with supporting forces, traversing forests and streams in search of and recovery operations for fallen soldiers' remains.

Having recently completed operations in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, where they recovered remains of 27 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts during the 2025-2026 dry season, K51 Team members scarcely had time to rest before shouldering their backpacks once again to launch the 500-Day Campaign on home soil.

So far, K51 Team, working closely with relevant forces, has recovered remains of six fallen soldiers in Krong Bong, Tay Son, Cu Prao and Krong No.

Determination across the entire political system

The 500-Day Campaign across Dak Lak Province has received strong support and sustained attention from the entire political system. Hundreds of leads provided by local residents have been collected, verified, then gradually clarified.

Drawing on years of operational experience, K51 Team has proactively collaborated with authorities across all 102 communes and wards province-wide, guiding grassroots personnel in approaching witnesses, gathering documentary evidence, alongside verifying information related to fallen soldiers' graves. Search teams are currently carrying out simultaneous operations in numerous localities, including Ea Bung, Ea Sup, Ia Rve, Buon Don, Xuan Tho, Xuan Canh, Phu Mo and Xuan Phuoc, etc.

Lieutenant Colonel Vu Hong Hien said that, for more than a month, he and his comrades have remained continuously deployed in the field. Whenever a lead emerges, regardless of how limited it may be, they travel directly to the site for surveys and verification, determined not to overlook even the slightest clue.

Search teams painstakingly excavating layer after layer of soil and rock in an effort to locate traces leading to fallen soldiers' remains.

According to the latest review, Dak Lak Province still has 584 locations containing information on an estimated 6,062 fallen soldiers' graves yet to be recovered. Most leads date back several decades, reducing their reliability over time. Changes in terrain caused by natural conditions, agricultural activities as well as disasters have further complicated search efforts. Historical records remain incomplete, while surviving witnesses continue to dwindle year after year. Despite these challenges, those undertaking the mission have never allowed themselves to give up.

The 500-Day Campaign has now entered its peak phase. Across forests and mountain slopes throughout Dak Lak, officers and soldiers continue tirelessly searching for traces of wartime battlefields. As long as a single fallen soldier's remains remain undiscovered, this journey of gratitude will not come to an end.

Translated by HAI LOAN