A set of remains thought to belong to a US soldier missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam was repatriated at a ceremony at Đà Nẵng International Airport, the central city of Đà Nẵng, yesterday.
A set of remains thought to belong to a US soldier missing in action (MIA) in Việt Nam was repatriated at a ceremony at Đà Nẵng International Airport, the central city of Đà Nẵng, yesterday.— Photo baoquocte.vn
The 150th repatriation ceremony saw the presence of Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink and representatives of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons, the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency of the US Department of Defence and the US MIA office in Hanoi.
The repatriated remains were found during the 135th Joint Field Activity from May to June 2019. They were examined in Đà Nẵng by Vietnamese and US forensic experts who concluded they may be related to cases of US soldiers MIA in Vietnam. They asked for the remains to be repatriated to Hawaii for further verification.
Addressing the ceremony, Son reiterated Vietnam’s goodwill and humanitarian policy on assisting the US in the search for missing servicemen.
He also spoke highly of the two countries' progress in settling war consequences in Vietnam, especially the remediation of dioxin contamination at Đà Nẵng and Biên Hòa airports and providing support for Agent Orange victims. He also called for stronger co-operation in this regard.
Meanwhile, Kritenbrink sad bilateral relations are now at their peak. He said he appreciated the Vietnamese Government, localities and people for their co-operation in MIA-related work, and pledged to continue assisting the country in settling the effects of the war.
