Fragments of Memory

During a fierce battle on the morning of 27 December 1966, in Bình Định province, Vietnam, Landing Zone Bird, a U.S. forward artillery base, was overrun by soldiers of the People’s Army of Vietnam from the 22nd Regiment and other local forces. The following day, some young American soldiers were tasked with burying the bodies of their fallen enemies in two mass graves. That traumatic experience haunted them for decades. 55 years later, they return to the site, determined to help recover the remains of those they had once buried. The painful memories they had long hoped to forget had now become a mission — one that would bring them back to help Vietnamese families find closure. The film chronicles this emotional journey, exploring the past and present on both sides of the conflict, as the veterans and families work together to heal the wounds of war. 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, approximately 200,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and southern volunteers (Việt Cộng) remain missing in action. In Vietnamese culture, those who have died in war but remain unaccounted for are believed to be lost between this world and the next — wandering in pain and suffering. These spirits can only find peace — and be recognised as heroes — once their remains have been identified and laid to rest.