Repatriation ceremony held for US servicemen’s remains

A ceremony was held at Da Nang International Airport in the central city of Da Nang on June 18 to repatriate the remains of US servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam.

A ceremony was held at Da Nang International Airport in the central city of Da Nang on June 18 to repatriate the remains of US servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam.

A repatriation ceremony of US servicemen's remains (Photo: VNA)

Attending the ceremony were representatives from the Board of Directors of Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP), the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and the US MIA Office in Hanoi.

A Vietnamese representative handed over two boxes of remains to the US side that were handed over by Vietnamese people and recovered during the 127th Joint Field Activities from April to June 2017.

The remains had been jointly examined by Vietnam and US forensic specialists and determined that they were likely to be associated with US servicemen that went missing during the war in Vietnam and were advised to be sent to Hawaii, the US, for further review.

Addressing the ceremony, the US Government representative expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for the humanitarian policy, good-will and the efficient cooperation of the Government and people of Vietnam.

The search for remains of US servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam is a form of humanitarian cooperation between the Governments of Vietnam and the US.

This is the 141st hand-over of American missing servicemen’s remains since 1973.