For three years, Nguyen Trong Bay waited for a single phone call about the fate of his fallen brother. When it finally came, it brought the answer his family had hoped for over decades.

Two death notices delivered at once

Recalling his family's story, Nguyen Trong Bay, born in 1960 and living in Hop Tien Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, still struggles to hold back his emotions.

After being informed by authorities that DNA analysis had identified the remains of his brother, Bay immediately put aside all other commitments to complete the necessary procedures before traveling to Can Tho City to bring his brother home.

Bay said his family had six siblings, including five brothers. During the war years, three of the brothers enlisted in the military. Bay himself later served on the Cambodian battlefield.

His eldest brother, Major Nguyen Trong Lai, survived the war and returned home after national reunification. Two other brothers, Nguyen Trong Cat (born 1952) and Nguyen Trong Khanh (born 1956), sacrificed in 1972.

"My two brothers enlisted in the same year and both sacrificed in 1972. But it was not until 1976 that our family received both death notifications at the same time. Holding those two notices in their hands, my parents were devastated," Bay recalled.

After their father passed away, Bay's mother, Le Thi Loc, continued to carry the grief of never seeing her sons return home.

For many years after the war, the family traveled across the country, contacted former comrades and followed every possible lead in the hope of locating the fallen soldiers.

Despite numerous searches, no trace was found. Bay's mother carried that sorrow until her final days. Before passing away, she held her children's hands and urged them to "bring your brothers home."

Her final wish remained a constant source of motivation for Bay. Ten years ago, the family located the grave of martyr Nguyen Trong Khanh at Quang Binh Provincial Martyrs Cemetery and reburied his remains in their hometown. However, the resting place of Nguyen Trong Cat remained unknown.

As the years passed, Bay's older brothers also died, leaving only him and his sister to continue the search with fading hope.

Fulfilling a mother's final wish

In 2023, through a veterans' liaison group, Bay learned that Nguyen Trong Cat's remains might be buried at Nga Bay - Phung Hiep Martyrs Cemetery in Can Tho City. He traveled there immediately.

"On my first day at the cemetery, standing before thousands of graves marked 'Identity Unknown,' I could only light incense and quietly pray that my brother and his comrades would guide us to the right grave," Bay said.

That same year, authorities invited the family to participate in the identification process. In mid-2025, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police collected DNA samples from the martyr's relatives.

"I felt it was almost our last hope. During those three years of waiting, I kept my phone with me all the time. Wherever I went, whatever I was doing, I worried about missing a call or message from the authorities," Bay said.

On June 20, the long-awaited call finally arrived.

Authorities informed the family that DNA analysis had confirmed the remains buried at Grave No. 52, Row 2, Block B, Area B of Nga Bay - Phung Hiep Martyrs Cemetery belonged to Nguyen Trong Cat.

"When we received the results, our family was overwhelmed with happiness. At last, I have fulfilled my mother's final wish," Bay said emotionally.

According to the family's plan, they traveled to Can Tho City on July 10 to bring Nguyen Trong Cat's remains back to his hometown.

"Just thinking about bringing my brother home and preparing a family meal to welcome him back fills me with emotion," Bay said.

Leaders of Hop Tien Commune said local authorities are coordinating with the family to complete the necessary procedures for an official homecoming ceremony.

According to Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, the province is home to more than 55,000 martyrs, with over 37,000 graves still unidentified.

During two nationwide DNA collection campaigns in May and July 2025, police collected 37,808 DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers, reaching 100% of eligible cases and making Thanh Hoa one of Vietnam's leading localities in the effort.

To date, DNA analysis has enabled authorities to identify the remains of eight Vietnamese martyrs.

Le Duong