Representing the Vietnamese side were leaders of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), along with delegates from several agencies under the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security.
The U.S. side included representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the U.S. Defense Attaché Office and the U.S. MIA Office in Hanoi, as well as U.S. veterans and citizens in Da Nang.
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The signing ceremony of the minutes for the 172nd repatriation ceremony of U.S. servicemen’s remains |
At the ceremony, the Vietnamese side handed over one set of remains to the U.S. side. The remains were recovered during a recent joint Vietnam–U.S. excavation conducted in Hue city.
Earlier, on April 27, the remains were jointly examined by Vietnamese and U.S. forensic experts, who made a preliminary assessment that they could be associated with U.S. servicemen MIA during the war in Vietnam. The remains will be transferred to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.
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A scene of the 172nd repatriation ceremony of U.S. servicemen’s remains in Da Nang |
Humanitarian cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S. in searching for and accounting for U.S. MIAs began shortly after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. To date, the cooperation has yielded positive results, helping the U.S. identify and repatriate the remains of approximately 740 servicemen MIA during the war in Vietnam.
These efforts hold profound significance for the U.S. Government and people, while also contributing to broader cooperation in settling war legacy between the two countries. This includes U.S. support for Vietnam in searching for and identifying remains of Vietnamese martyrs, unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin remediation, and assistance for war victims with disabilities.
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Delegates pose for a group photo at the ceremony. |
VNOSMP Director Le Cong Tien noted that in the coming period, MIA-related activities would face increasing challenges due to the gradual depletion of witnesses and their information, as well as the vulnerability of remaining sites to natural disasters and socio-economic development. He emphasized that, with the highest sense of responsibility, VNOSMP would continue to closely coordinate with the U.S. side to carry out this meaningful humanitarian mission, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of Vietnam–U.S. relations.
Translated by Chung Anh