U.S. servicemen’s remains repatriated
VGP - A repatriation ceremony of remains of U.S. servicemen who died during the war in Viet Nam was held at Da Nang International Airport on April 16.
Vietnam hands over two sets of remains of US servicemen missing in action during the war in Vietnam to the US. at a ceremony in Da Nang on April 16. (Photo: PANO)
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 Viet Nam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP).
U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam Marc Knapper, Defense Attache Thomas Bouchillon, representatives of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the U.S. MIA Office in Hanoi, were also present at the event.
The Vietnamese side handed over to the U.S. side two sets of remains recovered by Vietnamese and U.S. 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 U.S. soldiers missing during the Viet Nam War.
Meeting with the ambassador on the same day, Chien highly appreciated the United States’ efforts in providing increased support for Viet Nam to overcome the consequences of war.
He proposed that the U.S. side further increase support for projects to deal with war legacy in Viet Nam, 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 Viet Nam.
On this occasion, the Deputy Defence Minister respectfully invited senior U.S. defense officials to visit Viet Nam and attend the second International Defense Exhibition in December 2024.
Ambassador Knapper for his part thanked Viet Nam for its collaboration in searching missing U.S. soldiers during the war over the past 50 years, contributing to healing war wounds, building trust, and promoting bilateral relations.
The U.S. Government will continue to support Viet Nam 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 Viet Nam – U.S. diplomacy (1995-2025), 50 years of ending the war in Viet Nam (1975 - 2025), 80 years of first contact between Viet Minh forces and the United States (1945 - 2025)./.-VOV
