Khmer Hero: “He Will Sleep There Forever” — Pat Mao, Cambodian Soldier, Fallen in His Bunker

Testimony collected by Roem Pichdaro, for Project 817 MJP / DC-Cam

On December 8, 2025, in the early hours of the morning, a Thai army drone dropped a bomb on a Cambodian bunker on the battlefield of Khnar Temple. Inside was Non-Commissioned Officer Pat Mao, 52 years old — a soldier for thirty-two years, father of four children, a loving brother, a devoted son. He never came out. His body has still not been recovered.

Pat Mao @DC Cam

This account is that of his younger brother, Ouch Touch, who waited two days for the return of his remains — in vain — before organizing a funeral without a coffin, without a face, without a farewell. It is the story of an ordinary and discreet man, who survived polio in his childhood, lost his wife far too early, and entrusted his youngest son — only ten months old at the time of his mother’s death — to a brother who traveled back and forth between two provinces to care for him. A man who, just two days before dying, still called his niece simply to ask how she was doing.

Pat Mao is not a heroic figure from a novel. He is one of those anonymous soldiers who carry a nation on their shoulders, without anyone speaking their name — until the day they disappear.

A Life in the Shadows, in Service of the Nation

Mr. Ouch Touch, 51 years old, residing in Kampong Sre Village, Chhlong Commune, Chhlong District, Kratie Province, recounted the life of his elder brother:

“My father’s name was Ouch Pon; he passed away in 1996. My mother, Chhiv Chhaikien, is still alive today. We are five siblings, including one sister. Pat Mao, a non-commissioned officer, aged 52, was the third child in the family; I am the fourth.

As a child, my brother was calm and gentle. He left school after primary level. As an adult, he contracted polio. I cared for him for many months until he fully recovered. Then our paths separated — I went to work far from our village to support the family.

In 1994, Pat Mao enlisted in the army. He served in the 213th Infantry Battalion of the 21st Brigade, under Military Region 2, stationed in Dambe District, Tboung Khmum Province.

In 1998, he married Thet Sokhnen in Trapeang Chhouk Village, Kouk Srok Commune. They had four children, including one daughter. His wife passed away in early 2011 when their youngest son was only ten months old.”

A Border in Flames

“Following the killing of an unarmed Cambodian soldier, shot near a bunker in the Moum Bei area, Choam Ksan District, Preah Vihear Province, on May 28, 2025, tensions along the border with Thailand sharply escalated. On June 4, 2025, Pat Mao was deployed by his battalion to guard the border in Oddar Meanchey Province.

The situation gradually deteriorated until the first clashes, between July 24 and 28, 2025. During this initial outbreak, Pat Mao held the second defensive line of the Khnar Temple battlefield in Samraong. He had not yet reached the front line.

Throughout this period, he called me very often, asking me to take care of his youngest son, who was living and studying alone at the battalion camp in Dambe. I regularly traveled between Chhlong and Dambe to visit my nephew. Every time he called, I reassured him: ‘I go to see your son very often; do not worry about him.’”

The Final Two Days

“On the morning of December 6, 2025, two days before the start of the second offensive, Pat Mao called my daughter to ask for news. They talked for a good half hour. It was the last time.

On December 8, between seven and eight in the morning, a Thai army drone dropped a bomb directly onto his bunker. Pat Mao died instantly.

I learned of his death when his unit informed the battalion headquarters. But his body could not be recovered. When the news reached me, I was devastated.

For two days, my family and I waited for his remains to be returned — hoping to see his face one last time. In vain. On December 10, we decided to organize a traditional Khmer funeral ceremony to honor him and dedicate merit to him. The ceremony took place in Kampong Sre, his birthplace, where he was born and raised.

To this day, his body remains in that bunker. Not having been able to say goodbye is a pain our family carries every day — a pain inseparable from anger toward those who invaded our land. Before the war, Pat Mao returned to the village at least twice a month to visit our mother and his siblings.”

Thirty-Two Years of Service, A Life Given

“Pat Mao served under the flag for thirty-two years. He participated in the defense of the national territory three times: in 2008, in 2011, and one final time in December 2025 — where he paid with his life.

Our family is devastated by his loss. But we are also proud that he gave his life to protect our land, and that the Cambodian people remember his name.

I would like to thank the Royal Government of Cambodia for its assistance in funding my brother’s funeral and for the support provided to his children. His youngest son received a scholarship granted by His Excellency Dr. Pich Chanmony Hun Manet to continue his studies at a private high school in Ta Khmao City, Kandal Province.”

Pat Mao rests where he fell. His name, however, deserves to endure.