Linh, 29, from the southern province of Dong Nai, said that his journey began in early February and has taken him 52 days to reach Hanoi. He has lost 4kg in weight, but he is happy because he has collected more than 25,000 signatures from supporters.

He said that he sometimes felt discouraged by walking alone for many hours on end, especially when crossing deserted and arid land under the scorching sun or facing fierce winds of dust. But the example of AO victim Nguyen Van Quy, who arrived in the US in 2007 demanding justice for AO victims and died shortly after his return, encouraged Linh to complete his journey.

During the trip, he only wore the blue shirt of the young Vietnamese volunteers. He took three handfuls of soil from the Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery, Truong Son Cemetery and Road 9 Cemetery and left them at the Temples of the Hung Kings who are believed to be the founders of the Vietnamese nation.

While in Hue on March 2, he expressed his indignation at the US Supreme Court’s dismissal of the petitions lodged by Vietnamese AO victims. In an interview with Reuters, he confirmed that he would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims until justice prevails.

On March 26, he is due to meet with representatives of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims (VAVA) and with students from Hanoi’s Economics University.

He is expected to meet his goal of gathering 30,000 signatures in Hanoi before walking on to Thai Nguyen province on March 28 and then back to Phu Tho on April 4 to attend the death anniversary of the Hung Kings.

After the trip, Linh plans to take a bike to visit all the families of AO victims across the country and publish a photographic account of the lingering pain suffered by AO victims.