Martyrs' remains returned home without train fare

The remains of martyrs and their relatives are brought home by the railway industry free of charge on Thong Nhat trains from the South to the North.

On March 12, Colonel Phan Sy Thao, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, said that he had worked with the Ministry of Transport, requesting the railway industry to support the return of martyrs' remains by train to their hometowns in 2024 and was approved.

The proposal stems from the fact that every year, this agency supports families in repatriating and moving hundreds of martyrs’ remains back to their hometowns. Many families in the North wish to bring their martyrs back to their hometown cemeteries for burial, but are stuck with the cost.

Colonel Thao recalled the memory of the day when millions of young men joined the army and were seen off by their families and organizations, but "the return of many martyrs took place quietly". Some families even had to leave their remains in backpacks, secretly taking them on trains and buses for fear that outsiders would find out. The cost of each trip, from accommodation, transportation, collecting remains to renting a car to return home, was up to tens of millions of dong. Although the government had a policy to partially support them, it was "not enough".

"Supporting the transportation of martyrs' remains back to their hometowns also demonstrates the morality of remembering the source of water when drinking water, so that the brothers can soon have their families take care of their incense after many years of lying in a foreign land," he said, adding that in addition to trains, the Association will consider making a proposal to the aviation industry.

Quang Tri youth light candles in gratitude at Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, July 2021. Photo: Hoang Tao

Following the proposal of the Association and the direction from the railway industry, at the end of January, Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company informed its affiliated branches about the policy of exempting transportation fees for martyrs' remains on the luggage carriages of the Thong Nhat passenger train from the South to the North.

The remains of martyrs are transported as checked baggage on the same flight as their relatives. Relatives of martyrs are exempt from ticket fees and must be present 2 hours before the train departure time with their identification papers and some necessary certificates to complete the procedures.

When families want to bring martyrs home by train, railway stations must create all conditions for buying tickets and provide instructions on how to wrap the remains to ensure safety during the train's journey. The stations must reserve a convenient location in the luggage compartment to store the martyrs' remains, firmly reinforce them, and not stack them or mix them with other passengers' luggage.

The railway industry also requested the Association to support martyrs' families to inform localities and relatives who wish to bring martyrs' remains home by train about this policy and contact the stations in advance for careful arrangements.

On average, each year, the Association supports martyrs' families to help collect and move over 300 remains back to their hometowns. In 2023, branches nationwide will receive and advise 3,660 relatives of martyrs to search for martyrs' remains, provide information to 5,723 martyrs; donate and upgrade 165 gratitude houses, continue to care for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and support martyrs' families in difficult circumstances.

The whole country recorded more than 1.2 million martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the resistance wars to protect the Fatherland, about 200,000 martyrs' remains have not been found and about 300,000 martyrs have not been identified.

Hoang Phuong

Source: https://vnexpress.net/hai-cot-liet-si-dua-ve-que-khong-mat-phi-tau-hoa-4721336.html