Exhibition Traces 30 Years of Vietnam - US Diplomatic Ties, 200 Sets of War Records Returned

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The display draws on rich trove of materials from the National Archives Centre III under the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs’ State Records and Archives Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Viet Nam News Agency, the US Embassy in Viet Nam, the Texas Tech University’s Viet Nam Centre and Archive, alongside personal accounts from historical witnesses.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper hands over wartime artifacts to families of fallen soldiers and veterans. (Photo: VNA)

Divided into three sections, it chronicles key milestones in Vietnam-US relations and their cooperation across politics, economy, culture, science, education, health care, and national defence.

Among the highlights are previously unreleased documents, including diplomatic correspondence pivotal to the normalisation of ties in 1995. A standout is then President Bill Clinton’s July 11, 1995 White House statement announcing the normalisation of relations with Vietnam, preserved in the US National Archives, paired with then Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet’s response the following day, housed at the National Archives Centre III.

The exhibition also serves as a bridge to the past, showcasing war-era records and memorabilia returned to Vietnamese veterans and families of fallen soldiers, long preserved at Texas Tech University’s Vietnam Centre and Archive.

During the event, the US Embassy presented 30 photos symbolising the 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1995, Viet Nam and the US have reached key milestones, including the 2000 bilateral trade agreement, the 2013 comprehensive partnership, and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in September 2023.

Economic ties have flourished, but both nations have also doubled down on addressing the war’s lingering scars, including unexploded ordnance removal, dioxin cleanup, and efforts to locate missing military memorabilia and personnel.

A particularly moving aspect of the exhibition was the transfer of over 200 sets of war records and artefacts from Texas Tech University’s Vietnam Centre and Archive to the National Archives Centre III for safekeeping and eventual return to families.

In early 2025, the Vietnamese organisation “Soldiers’ Heart Initiative” published summaries of nearly 50 war records on social media. Later, volunteers from the “Forever Young 20” club and the “war memorabilia” group scoured villages and towns, using fragmentary records to track down relatives. In just two months, they connected with 22 families of fallen soldiers and several surviving veterans.

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