171st Repatriation Ceremony of U.S. Servicemen's Remains

On December 13th, the 171st ceremony for the repatriation of the remains of U.S. servicemen missing in action (MIA) in the Vietnam War took place at Gia Lam Airport.

The signing ceremony for the handover of the remains of US servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Attending the ceremony, on the Vietnamese side were Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence; Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Vietnam Agency for Searching for Missing Persons (VNOSMP); and representatives from the leadership of units under the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security .

On the US side were US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Director of the Prisoner of War and Missing Persons Accounting Agency (DPAA) Kelly McKeague, representatives from the US Embassy, ​​and the US MIA Office in Hanoi .

Vietnam has handed over a casket containing human remains to the United States. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

At the ceremony, Vietnam handed over a casket containing remains to the United States. 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.

U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper, on behalf of the U.S. Government and people, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for its strong and enduring commitment to this humanitarian effort, a testament to the close cooperation between the peoples of the two countries, laying the foundation for the normalization and promotion of bilateral relations.

This is the result of Vietnam's recent unilateral search efforts in Lao Cai province. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Expressing gratitude for the Vietnamese agency's sense of responsibility in this humanitarian mission, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague particularly emphasized that Vietnam is one of only two countries out of 46 where the DPAA is conducting searches for missing US servicemen from the war, and has the capacity to carry out unilateral search operations in the most difficult and challenging terrains.

This is the 171st time Vietnam has repatriated the remains of US servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Speaking at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien shared that, overcoming the pain of war, from the very beginning Vietnam has fully cooperated in the search for missing US servicemen in a humanitarian spirit.

Quoting General Secretary To Lam's statement: "We don't choose the past, but we can choose how we look at the past - and from there, choose the future," Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien expressed his belief that, with goodwill and effort, both sides will work together to overcome the consequences of war and expand cooperative relations. This is the best way to heal the wounds on the land, in bodies and in souls, and build a bright future for Vietnam-US relations.

General Hoang Xuan Chien shared that, overcoming the pain of war, from the very beginning Vietnam has fully cooperated in the search for missing US servicemen in a humanitarian spirit. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

General Hoang Xuan Chien reaffirmed that Vietnam will continue to cooperate closely and create the most favorable conditions for the search for missing US servicemen from the war, as it has done for nearly half a century. At the same time, he requested that the United States further increase resources and expand the implementation of projects supporting Vietnam in addressing the consequences of landmines, dealing with dioxin contamination, assisting people with disabilities and war victims, and searching for, collecting, and improving the capacity for identifying the remains of missing Vietnamese soldiers.

Vietnam is one of only two countries out of 46 where the DPAA is deployed to search for missing US servicemen from the war, and it has the capacity to conduct unilateral search operations in the most difficult and challenging terrains. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Humanitarian cooperation in searching for and cataloging U.S. servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War, initiated by both countries immediately after the signing of the Paris Agreement in 1973, has yielded positive results, helping the United States identify and return the remains of approximately 740 U.S. servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War. This is a highly significant achievement for the U.S. people and government.

The 171st repatriation ceremony of the remains of U.S. servicemen is one of the important events concluding 2025, a year commemorating many milestones in Vietnam-U.S. relations. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The 171st repatriation ceremony of the remains of US 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 US 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 of promoting the healing, normalization, and development of Vietnam-US relations, transforming them from former enemies into the comprehensive strategic partnership they are today. It contributes to promoting cooperation in addressing the consequences of war between the two countries in general, including US efforts to support the search, collection, and identification of the remains of missing Vietnamese soldiers; demining; dioxin decontamination; and support for people with disabilities.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/le-hoi-huong-hai-cot-quan-nhan-hoa-ky-lan-thu-171-337579.html