Repatriation of the remains of American soldiers missing in action during the Vietnam War.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Forensic experts from both countries have examined the remains and preliminarily concluded that they may be related to American soldiers missing in action during the Vietnam War.

On December 13th, the 171st ceremony for the repatriation of the remains of American soldiers missing in action (MIA) took place at Gia Lam Airport ( Hanoi ).

At the ceremony, Vietnam handed over a casket containing remains to the US. This was the result of Vietnam's recent unilateral search efforts in Lao Cai province.

Previously, on December 5th, these remains were examined by forensic experts from Vietnam and the United States, who preliminarily concluded that they may be related to a US soldier missing in action during the Vietnam War. They will be transferred to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for analysis and identification.

On behalf of the U.S. Government and people, Ambassador Marc Knapper expressed his sincere gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for its strong and unwavering commitment to this humanitarian effort.

Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed that this is a testament to the close cooperation between the people of the two countries, laying the foundation for the normalization process and promoting bilateral relations.

Ceremony for receiving the remains of American soldiers missing in action during the Vietnam War (Photo: VNA).

Kelly McKeague, Director of the Prisoner of War and Missing Persons Accounting Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, praised the sense of responsibility and capabilities of Vietnamese agencies in searching for missing persons.

At the same time, the US acknowledged Vietnam's ability to conduct unilateral search operations in difficult and remote areas.

Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, affirmed that Vietnam has fully cooperated in the search for missing American servicemen in a humanitarian spirit.

He believed that with goodwill and effort, both sides would overcome the consequences of war and expand cooperative relations, which he considered the best way to heal the wounds on the land, in bodies and souls, and build a bright future for Vietnam-US relations.

Vietnam will continue to cooperate closely and create the most favorable conditions for the search for American servicemen missing in action during the war, as it has done for nearly half a century.

The Deputy Minister of National Defense requested that the US further increase resources and expand the deployment of projects to support Vietnam in addressing the consequences of landmines and unexploded ordnance, dealing with dioxin contamination, assisting people with disabilities and war victims, searching for and collecting remains, and improving the capacity for identifying the remains of missing Vietnamese soldiers.

The 171st repatriation ceremony of the remains of American servicemen is one of the important events concluding 2025, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995-2025), the 40th anniversary of the first joint operation to search for American servicemen missing in action (1985-2025), and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (1975-2025).

This event marks a long journey in promoting the healing, normalization, and development of Vietnam-US relations; demonstrating Vietnam's humanitarian spirit, responsibility, and goodwill in overcoming the consequences of war, and contributing to the sustainable development of Vietnam-US relations.

Humanitarian cooperation in searching for and cataloging American servicemen missing in action during the war, which began immediately after the Paris Agreement was signed in 1973, has yielded positive results to date, helping the US identify and return the remains of approximately 740 servicemen missing in action in Vietnam to their families.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/thoi-su/hoi-huong-hai-cot-quan-nhan-my-mat-tich-trong-chien-war-tai-viet-nam-20251213160036421.htm