Vietnam returns the remains of American soldiers found in Quang Tri

The remains were handed over at the 173rd Ceremony to return the remains of American soldiers missing in action (MIA), which took place in Da Nang on July 2, as a result of a joint Vietnamese-American excavation in Dan Hoa commune, Quang Tri province.

On June 30, forensic experts from the two countries examined and preliminarily concluded that the remains could be related to American soldiers missing during the war in Vietnam. The sample will be transported to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.

This return ceremony has a special mark with the presence of senior leaders in the US military, including Lieutenant General Joel Bryant Vowell, deputy commander of the US Army in the Pacific, as well as Director of the Indo-Pacific region of the Prisoner of War and Missing Persons Accounting Agency (DPAA) Christopher Phelps.

This shows the US’s regard for the search for missing soldiers, and also recognizes Vietnam’s goodwill and humanitarian efforts over the years, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao on June 23 visited the MIA scene in Truong Ninh commune, Quang Tri province, on the occasion of attending the Pacific Partnership – Pacific Friends Program.

This area is where two crew members on the F-111A aircraft with tail number 66-0022 disappeared while performing a night flight mission on March 28, 1968. The US has coordinated with Vietnam to conduct many searches for remains here.

During an hour of inspecting the scene, Mr. Hung Cao discussed with the search team, as well as participated in the process of bringing rock and soil to the gutter to sift and search for missing human remains.

The Acting Secretary of the US Navy thanked the government and people of Vietnam for supporting the US in searching for missing soldiers, and said that cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war is a testament to the two countries’ efforts to close the past and look towards the future. He also affirmed that the US will continue to maintain long-term commitment to programs to overcome the consequences of war in Vietnam.

Cooperation in searching and inventorying missing American soldiers has been implemented by the two countries since the Paris Agreement was signed in 1973. To date, about 740 cases of American soldiers missing during the war in Vietnam have been identified and their remains returned to their families.

This result also contributes to promoting cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war between the two countries, including activities to search and identify the remains of Vietnamese martyrs, clear mines, clean up dioxin poisoning and support people with disabilities due to war.