Truong Son National Cemetery is one of the most sobering sites in the Vietnam’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It is the final resting place of 10,000 Vietnamese soldiers who died in the war with America.
The DMZ was born out of an uneasy truce between Vietnam and France but ultimately became the epicenter of the war with America. Northern Vietnamese cut roads (now the Ho Chi Minh Trail) through the jungle to supply arms and medical supplies to renegade Viet Cong in the southern region, while US troops unleashed a staggering bombing campaign to destroy roads and convoys.
The thousands who died included soldiers, construction workers, medical personnel, engineers and children. The gravestones are arrayed in neat rows across a few rolling hills. Most of the graves contain actual remains, while a few are tributes to people who were never found. There’s little mention of the 300,000 bodies that were never recovered.
Today the grounds are maintained by disabled veterans of the war. There is also a sculpture garden onsite. Above it is a stele with inscriptions that explain the importance of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and pay honor to those buried here.
Getting There & Away
The cemetery is eight miles north of Dong Ha on the southern side of the Ben Hai River. Travelers almost always land in Hue (the closes airport) via a flight from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and then continue on to Dong Ha by bus (1 hour, 30 minutes). It is also feasible to hire a car and drive yourself, though once you’re in Dong Ha may you want to park the car and let a guide take you to the cemetery.