A 93-year-old man in central Vietnam endured a difficult journey to provide a DNA sample in the hope of identifying his younger brother, a fallen soldier who died more than half a century ago, as authorities expand a nationwide effort to identify the remains of unknown martyrs.

As part of a nationwide campaign to collect DNA samples from relatives of unidentified martyrs, Nghe An Province is conducting sample collection at 130 communes and wards from June 25 to July 1.

The province has established seven collection sites in Truong Vinh Ward, Tan Mai Ward, and the communes of Dai Dong, Do Luong, Dien Chau, Tuong Duong and Tam Hop, with the goal of collecting more than 22,000 DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers.

At the collection center in Truong Vinh Ward, police officers guided participants through the registration process and verified their personal information.

Among those attending was Che Dinh Lam, 72, from Cua Lo Ward, who lost his left leg in a workplace accident. Family members brought him to the site early in the morning in the hope of helping locate the remains of his older brother, Che Dinh Ba, who was killed in Quang Tri Province during the war.

Authorities also assisted Hoa Hong Vuong, 77, from Cua Lo Ward, who has lived with partial paralysis following a stroke for nearly a decade. He provided a DNA sample in the hope of identifying his older brother, Hoa Minh Thinh.

Local authorities have also organized transportation and assistance for elderly participants.

Van Kieu Commune established a dedicated support team led by a vice chairman of the commune People's Committee. Tran Thi Minh Tien, head of the commune's Culture and Social Affairs Office, said the commune arranged five vehicles and mobilized military personnel, medical staff, youth volunteers and local organizations to assist families.

At 93, Phan Tat Thanh from Van Kieu Commune was too frail to travel with the group organized by local authorities. Instead, his son hired a taxi to take him to the collection site. The vehicle had to stop three times because he became exhausted during the journey.

"I hope we can find my younger brother, Phan Tat Quang, who was killed in Quang Tri in 1970, and bring him back to our family cemetery to fulfill the final wish our parents entrusted to me before they passed away," Thanh said.

At the collection site in Dien Chau Commune, many relatives of fallen soldiers, some well into their 80s, patiently waited for their turn, hoping DNA testing would finally help reunite their families after decades of uncertainty.

Nguyen Thi Tuan, 82, said records identifying her younger brother Nguyen Huu Ngan's military unit and place of death had long been lost, despite years of searching.

"For many years, I have wished only to find my brother's remains and bring him home. I hope DNA testing can finally make that possible," she said.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Phung Thanh Vinh, vice chairman of the Nghe An People's Committee, described the initiative as an important step toward locating and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers whose identities remain unknown.

He called on government agencies, local authorities and the police to work closely together to ensure relatives could participate conveniently and that sample collection would be conducted accurately and scientifically, helping advance a mission of profound humanitarian significance.

Tran Tuyen