Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra inspected the practical implementation of DNA identification technology at the Centre for DNA Identification under the Institute of Biology of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, and the Military Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Military Medical Department of the Ministry of National Defence on September 14.

The war ended long ago, but around 230,000 martyrs’ graves remain unidentified, while the remains of approximately 175,000 fallen soldiers have yet to be recovered. Restoring their names is therefore not only a responsibility and a duty, but also a mission that comes from the heart of every Vietnamese person.

Some searches do not begin on the battlefield or in a cemetery, but in quiet laboratories. Behind every set of martyrs’ remains lies the tireless work of DNA specialists, striving to preserve the final traces of genetic identity so that a soldier may be returned to his name and family.

The Centre for DNA Identification under the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology is striving to fulfil a historic mission: identifying the remains of thousands of fallen soldiers whose identities are still unknown.