Vietnam hands over remains of three US servicemen at Da Nang ceremony
The remains were recovered off the coast of Khanh Hoa province during a recent joint operation, and will be sent to the DPAA’s forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.
The 170th repatriation ceremony in the central city of Da Nang on July 25 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –꧙ Vietnam handed over the remains of three individuals believed to be US servicemen missing in action (MIA) during the Vietnam War during the 170th repatriation ceremony in the central city of Da Nang on July 25.
The event coincided with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, the 40th anniversary of the first joint MIA search mission, and the 50th anniversary of the war’s end in Vietnam.
It saw the presence of leaders of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), along with representatives from the Vietnamese ministries of national defence, foreign affairs, and public security. The US delegation included Deputy Chief of Mission in Vietnam Courtney Beale, officials from the US Embassy, members of the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Hanoi, alongside veterans and personnel from the 159th joint field activity conducted from May to July.
The remains, recovered off the coast of Khanh Hoa province during a recent joint operation, were examined by Vietnamese and US forensic specialists on July 23. Preliminary findings suggested a link to missing US servicemen, and the remains will be sent to the DPAA’s forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.
During his visit to Vietnam from July 8 to 12, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague expressed his profound thanks to the Vietnamese Government, VNOSMP, and local authorities, and communities for their dedicated support to the MIA search efforts.
He affirmed that both he and the DPAA remain committed to securing continued US congressional and governmental backing for strengthening bilateral ties and expanding postwar recovery programmes in Vietnam.
The humanitarian collaboration on MIA search and accounting, which began after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords signing, has led to the identification and repatriation of nearly 750 US servicemen’s remains. These efforts, significant for the US Government and people, contribute to bolstering broader joint work to address the war’s aftermath./.
“I personally do not think that we would have the relationship we do today, nor do I think Vietnam would be the safe, the secure, the stable, the prosperous country it is, if it weren't for the fact that it was the Vietnamese Government that trusted and said, ‘We want to help you,’” Director of the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Kelly McKeague said.
Shear highlighted the significant strides made in the Vietnam–US relationship over the past three decades. Two-way trade has reached 150 billion USD, tens of thousands of Vietnamese students are studying and conducting research in the US, and robust people-to-people exchanges have continued to flourish.
At the ceremony, Vietnam handed over four boxes containing remains recovered during recent joint excavations in Hue city, and Quang Tri and Kon Tum provinces. Preliminary forensic analysis on April 15 suggested the remains may belong to US MIAs and they will be sent to Hawaii for further identification.
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