At the 171st US MIA repatriation ceremony held in Gia Lam, Hanoi (Photo: qdnd.vn)

The event is part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations (1995–2025) and 40 years since the first joint efforts to search for missing US service members (1985–2025).

At the ceremony, Vietnam handed over one set of remains to the United States. This was the result of Vietnam’s recent unilateral search efforts in Lao Cai province. Earlier, on December 5, forensic experts from both countries examined the remains and made a preliminary assessment that they may be linked to a US serviceman missing in Vietnam. The remains will be transferred to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.

On behalf of the US Government and people, US Ambassador Marc Knapper thanked the Vietnamese Government for its strong and sustained commitment to this humanitarian effort, describing it as a testament to the close cooperation between the two nations.

Meanwhile, Kelly McKeague, Director of the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), noted that Vietnam is one of two countries among the 46 worldwide where DPAA operates that has the capacity to conduct unilateral search missions in the most remote and challenging terrain.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, reaffirmed that Vietnam’s cooperation in searching for missing US servicemen is based on humanitarian principles.

Chien said: "Party General Secretary To Lam once said while the past cannot be chosen, we can choose the way to look at the past to shape the future. We cannot rewrite history but with goodwill and joint efforts, we are both addressing war consequences and expanding cooperation. This is the best way to heal wounds on the land, on the body, and in the soul, and building a brighter future for Vietnam-US relations."

Senior Lieutenant General Chien called on the United States to increase resources and expand cooperation in addressing war legacies, including unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin remediation, support for persons with disabilities and war victims, and the search, recovery, and forensic identification of remains of missing Vietnamese soldiers.

Humanitarian cooperation on accounting for US MIAs in Vietnam began shortly after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973. To date, these efforts have helped the United States identify and return the remains of around 740 service members missing during the war in Vietnam.