The 170th repatriation ceremony of US service members missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam took place in Da Nang on 25/7. The ceremony was attended by the Directorate of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), along with representatives from Vietnamese agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Public Security.
US representatives included Deputy Chief of Mission Courtney Beale, representatives from the US embassy and the MIA Office in Hanoi, several veterans, and MIA specialists who participated in the 159th Joint Field Activity (May-July 2025), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vietnam handed over three caskets containing the remains to the US side. These remains were recovered by the joint US-Vietnam search team working in the coastal waters of Khanh Hoa province.
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The repatriation ceremony of US service members in Da Nang on 25/7. Photo: BNG |
The repatriation ceremony of US service members in Da Nang on 25/7. Photo: BNG
On 23/7, these remains were examined by Vietnamese and US forensic specialists. Their preliminary conclusion was that the remains are likely related to US service members lost during the war in Vietnam. The remains will be transferred to the forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and identification.
The ceremony took place during the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Director Kelly McKeague of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) visited Vietnam from 8-12/7. He affirmed that DPAA would continue to advocate for the US Congress, government, and officials to support the stable development of US-Vietnam relations and maintain and expand programs addressing the consequences of the war in Vietnam.
The humanitarian cooperation in searching for and identifying US service members missing in action in Vietnam began after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. To date, this effort has led to the identification and repatriation of the remains of nearly 750 US service members to their families.
Pham Giang
