The search began on July 6 near Cau Nhi Bridge in Nam Chanh Village, Nam Hai Lang Commune, where the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command is verifying information provided by witnesses before carrying out a full recovery operation.
Authorities search for fallen soldiers' remains in the Cau Nhi Bridge area, Nam Hai Lang Commune, Quang Tri Province (Photo: Xuan Dien).
Survey teams have mapped areas that have already been searched, identified locations requiring further investigation and assessed nearby land and crops that could be affected by the excavation. Search units have also deployed specialised equipment at several sites around the bridge.
Truong Nhu Y, deputy political commissar of the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command, instructed search teams to continue verifying witness accounts and prioritise areas with the strongest evidence.
Authorities plan to hold a workshop in the coming days with witnesses, war veterans and researchers to gather additional information that could support the recovery effort.
Earlier surveys using ground penetrating radar, conducted with support from the Ministry of National Defence, detected several underground anomalies in the area.
The identities, units and hometowns of 83 of the 93 fallen soldiers killed in the Cau Nhi Bridge area, Quang Tri Province, have been established (Photo: Tien Thanh).
According to official records, soldiers from the 88th Regiment of the 308th Division, together with supporting units, attacked Cau Nhi Bridge on May 26, 1972, in an effort to halt US troops advances. During the battle, 93 soldiers were killed. Five days later, enemy forces reportedly used bulldozers to bury the bodies at the battlefield.
The Cau Nhi Bridge area in Quang Tri Province was the site of a fierce battle in 1972 (Photo: Xuan Dien).
Since 1992, authorities and local residents have recovered the remains of 19 soldiers from the area. A memorial shrine has since been built near the bridge, with a monument listing the names, military units and hometowns of 83 of the 93 soldiers whose identities have been confirmed. Space has been left on the memorial for the remaining names as identification efforts continue.
