US servicemen’s remains repatriated
VOV.VN - A repatriation ceremony of remains of US servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam was held at Da Nang International Airport on April 16.
The ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien, Foreign Minister assistant Nguyen Minh Vu, representatives from the Board of Directors of Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP).
US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Defense Attache Thomas Bouchillon, representatives of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the US MIA Office in Hanoi, were also present at the event.
The Vietnamese side handed over to the US side two sets of remains recovered by Vietnamese and US agencies during the 154th joint search between February and April 2024. The remains were examined by Vietnamese forensic experts in Da Nang and concluded that they may be related to US soldiers missing during the Vietnam War.
Meeting with the ambassador on the same day, Chien highly appreciated the United States’ efforts in providing increased support for Vietnam to overcome the consequences of war.
He proposed that the US side further increase support for projects to deal with war legacy in Vietnam, including dioxin remediation projects at Bien Hoa and Phu Cat airbases, and the search for Vietnamese soldiers missing in action.
He also proposed that the two sides soon sign a comprehensive cooperation document on overcoming the consequences of war in Vietnam.
On this occasion, the Deputy Defence Minister respectfully invited senior US defense officials to visit Vietnam and attend the second International Defense Exhibition in December 2024.
Ambassador Knapper for his part thanked Vietnam for its collaboration in searching missing US soldiers during the war over the past 50 years, contributing to healing war wounds, building trust, and promoting bilateral relations.
The US Government will continue to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, especially in completely handling dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa airbase and transferring technology for DNA examination of the remains of Vietnamese martyrs, he said.
The Ambassador expressed his desire to coordinate closely with relevant Vietnamese agencies to hold activities in celebration of 30 years of Vietnam – US diplomacy (1995-2025), 50 years of ending the war in Vietnam (1975 - 2025), 80 years of first contact between Viet Minh forces and the United States (1945 - 2025).
