The sketches were kept by a group of Australian veterans who are involved in the Vietnam Missing in Action project, jointly conducted by the University of New South Wales and the Australian Defense Force Academy for six years.

Derrill De Heer, who works as a volunteer for the project, brought the sketches to Vietnam with the hope of finding the author to return them to him, if he is still alive. If he is not, De Heer wants the sketches to go to his closest family. 

According to painter Nguyen Thi Hien, the 38 pencil sketches, which described the daily activities of the soldiers, could be drawn by an art student, judging on the artistic skill shown. She said two of her classmates at the Hanoi Fine Art school joined the army and fought in the southern battle field and one laid down his live there. 
“If the sketches are made public, I think we can find the author,” she said. 

In April, 2012, De Heer, who served in southern Vietnam in 1970, delivered to the Information Network on Martyrs (MARIN) in Hanoi a file related to suspected burial sites of Vietnamese fallen soldiers. 

The veteran also handed over a list of 500 fallen Vietnamese soldiers with their names and date of death on the battle field in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. 

In March, Derrill presented to the mother of martyr Phan Van Nhon in Dong Nai province, her son’s belongings. 
The Australian side launched a large-scale campaign to seek and return the belongings of Vietnamese fallen soldiers.