Ho Chi Minh City will begin excavating a suspected collective martyrs’ grave at Le Thi Rieng Park following historical and scientific investigations.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities are preparing to begin excavation work at Le Thi Rieng Park later this month following ground-penetrating radar surveys that identified multiple underground anomalies believed to be linked to a collective wartime burial site.
The announcement was made on June 19 during a conference organized by the Ho Chi Minh City High Command to review preparations for the search and recovery of martyrs’ remains at the park.
Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command and Deputy Head of the city’s Steering Committee 515, said the groundbreaking ceremony for the excavation and recovery mission is expected to take place in late June.
The search operation is expected to last approximately three months before a memorial service and reburial ceremony are held at the city’s Martyrs Cemetery in late September. Excavation activities will focus on three locations covering a combined area of about 2,500 square meters.
Sufficient evidence points to a collective burial site
Major General Tran Chi Tam and Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong chair the conference. Photo by Nguyen Hue.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City High Command, investigations drawing on domestic archival records, declassified US military documents and photographs, eyewitness accounts and field surveys have revealed strong consistency in terms of location, timing and events surrounding the battle.
Authorities have also identified significant overlap regarding the reported burial site of soldiers who were killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive and Uprising in the former Chi Hoa - Cho Quan cemetery area, now Le Thi Rieng Park.
Based on these findings, the High Command concluded that there is sufficient historical, scientific, legal and practical evidence to confirm the existence of a collective martyrs’ grave at the site, paving the way for detailed surveys, excavation and recovery work.
On June 15, the High Command coordinated with the Design Institute under the General Department of Logistics and Technical Services, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science and Ben Thanh Water Supply Corporation to conduct radar surveys across three areas within the park.
Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung said independent reports from participating institutions had converged around three key sources of evidence: military imagery and coordinates supplied through international archives, eyewitness testimony from people who witnessed wartime burials, and technical survey results.
“All independent sources of information point to the same location,” he said. “The search process consists of five stages, and four have already been completed. The final stage - excavation and recovery - will be carried out in the coming period.”
Excavation to follow a phased approach
Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City High Command and Deputy Head of Steering Committee 515. Photo by Nguyen Hue.
According to Major General Trung, the operation will be conducted in stages, beginning with the most accessible areas before moving into more complex sections.
The approach follows the principle of proceeding only where evidence is sufficiently strong, prioritizing easier areas first while ensuring a careful and methodical process throughout.
Before excavation begins, military engineers will clear the area for unexploded ordnance and install safety signage. Heavy machinery will then remove surface concrete layers to depths of between 40 and 50 centimeters along designated corridors.
Once excavation reaches undisturbed soil layers or detects signs of changes in the earth’s composition, recovery teams will switch to manual excavation using shovels and hand tools. Soil will be removed in thin layers of 10 to 15 centimeters and carefully screened for human remains and personal artifacts.
Major General Tran Chi Tam speaks at the conference. Photo by Nguyen Hue.
The Ho Chi Minh City High Command said it will continue advising the municipal government and coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure the operation proceeds according to plan.
Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7 and Head of Steering Committee 515 for Military Region 7, called on participating units to organize specialized recovery teams of between 20 and 30 personnel, with designated leaders responsible for overall coordination.
Temporary accommodation facilities will also be established at the site to support personnel throughout the operation.
He added that additional equipment, including larger excavators, water pumps and specialized recovery tools, may be required during later stages of excavation.
Military Region 7 also commended local authorities and the Ho Chi Minh City High Command for completing perimeter fencing around the site and urged all agencies involved to continue preparing protective shelters and logistical support for the next phase of work.
Vietnamnet.vn
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