Vietnam Hands Over Remains of US Service Members Missing in Action

	Repatriation ceremony held for US servicemen’s remains
	US servicemen’s remains repatriated

According to the Ministry of National Defence’s web portal, at the ceremony, Vietnam handed over to the United States one set of remains. This was the result of a recent unilateral search effort conducted by Vietnam in Lao Cai Province. Earlier, on December 5, the remains were examined by Vietnamese and US forensic experts, who preliminarily concluded that they may be associated with a US service member missing in action in Vietnam. The remains will be transferred to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.

Speaking at the ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper expressed his sincere appreciation to the Vietnamese Government for its strong and enduring commitment to this humanitarian effort, affirming that it is a testament to the close spirit of cooperation between the peoples of the two countries, which laid the foundation for the normalization process and has promoted bilateral relations.

DPAA Director Kelly McKeague also conveyed his gratitude for the strong sense of responsibility demonstrated by Vietnam’s Office for Seeking Missing Persons in carrying out this humanitarian mission. He emphasized that Vietnam is one of only two countries among the 46 nations where the DPAA conducts searches for US service members missing in war that possesses the capability to carry out unilateral search operations in the most difficult and rugged areas.

Ceremony for receiving the remains of US service members missing in action in Vietnam. (Photo: Ministry of National Defence’s web portal)

Addressing the ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, and Deputy Minister of National Defence, stated that transcending the pain of war, Vietnam has, from the very early days, fully cooperated in the search for US service members missing in action on humanitarian grounds. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien expressed his confidence that, with goodwill and concerted efforts, the two sides will together address the consequences of war while expanding cooperation, which he described as the best way to heal the wounds on the land, on bodies, and in hearts, and to build a brighter future for Vietnam-US relations.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien affirmed that Vietnam will continue to coordinate closely and create the most favorable conditions for activities to search for US service members missing in action, as it has done over nearly half a century. He called on the US to further strengthen resources and expand the implementation of projects supporting Vietnam in addressing the consequences of unexploded ordnance, remediating dioxin contamination, assisting persons with disabilities and war victims, and supporting the search, recovery, and enhancement of forensic identification capacity for the remains of missing and fallen Vietnamese soldiers.

The 171st repatriation ceremony of US service members’ remains is one of the significant events marking the close of 2025, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations (1995-2025), the 40th anniversary of the first joint operations to search for US service members missing in action (1985-2025), and the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam (1975-2025). It marks a long journey of promoting healing, normalization, and the development of Vietnam-US relations from former adversaries to today’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In doing so, it contributes to advancing cooperation between the two countries in addressing war legacies more broadly, including US efforts to support the search, recovery, and identification of the remains of missing and fallen Vietnamese soldiers; unexploded ordnance clearance; dioxin remediation; and assistance to persons with disabilities.

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