United States Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper presented sets of wartime artefacts and documents of Vietnamese soldiers in the war back to their families at the handover ceremony held yesterday at the National Archives Centre III. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The two-way cooperation between Việt Nam and the United States to help recover and identify servicemen missing in action – both Vietnamese and American – during the war in Việt Nam serves as a humanitarian bridge between the two countries in reconciliation efforts and the foundation for thriving bilateral ties.

Officials from both countries have shared the sentiments at an exhibition '30 Years of Việt Nam–United States Diplomatic Relations', marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (July 12) and the 78th War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947 – 2025), hosted by the National Archives Centre III on Thursday in Hà Nội.

Also during this event, in collaboration with the Việt Nam–US Society, the 'Vietnamese Soldiers’ Hearts' organisation, the 'Forever Twenty' club and the Việt Nam Centre and Archive, Texas Tech University (USA), the centre will also hand over wartime artefacts and documents from the US to families of Vietnamese martyrs and veterans.

Microfilm holdings of nearly three million images, comprising documents and artefacts relating to North-Vietnamese and Liberation forces before 1975 and kept at the Việt Nam Centre and Archive, Texas Tech University, constitute a valuable source of information on Vietnamese soldiers who died or went missing in the war.

Vietnamese and US agencies have investigated these archives to identify items for return to families on both sides, and the ceremonial handover of artefact files is a deeply humanitarian act that also demonstrates goodwill and responsibility in bilateral relations, contributing to trust, mutual understanding and people-to-people bonds.

Documents recovered for a serviceman Trần Huy Liệu from the Việt Nam People's Army. — Photo courtesy of the National Archives Centre III

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy shared the joy of the families receiving the archival materials related to their lost ones today, brought back from half the world over – a humanitarian and touching moment to bring the two countries closer.

He believes that with the history and the mutual understanding between the two sides, Việt Nam and the US relations will continue to flourish, bringing practical benefits to the two peoples, and contributing to the peace, security and development in the region and the world.

US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper said the return of 22 sets of items and documents reflects the US's "commitment to working with Việt Nam to help reunite families with their loved ones' mementoes".

"I hope it brings peace to these families, much in the same way Việt Nam’s sharing of archival information and its efforts to assist in the search for missing Americans also brought peace for families of Americans lost in the war," the ambassador said, adding that this will help build trust and augment the friendship between the two countries.

He also said the collaboration on returning war-era materials will continue in the future.

"The more that we access Việt Nam's archives and our archives, we'll discover new materials that we can then share with families on both sides, and it's very meaningful," he said.

"Time is of the essence, as veterans and their immediate families get older, reach their 70s and 80s, it's even more important now to increase and expand information sharing so that these personal mementoes can be returned.

"By working cooperatively together across several lines of effort, our two nations can help families receive information about their loved ones and hopefully bring closure and peace to their families. Peace is not a destination, it's a journey that demands continued effort from every generation, and over the past 30 years, we have built a partnership that spans politics, trade, culture, education, national security, health, etc. The US is committed to deepening and further our cooperative efforts in the years ahead."

A Vietnamese veteran overwhelmed with emotions after receiving the documents related to his perished comrade. — VNA/VNS Photo

The family of Trần Văn Phú, one of the killed Vietnamese soldiers whose ID card, along with other personal and work items were recovered and returned today, was more than happy to receive these crucial clues to the exact location where he might have passed away during one of the fiercest battles of the war in the central province Quảng Trị.

Trần Văn Quý, 83, brother of veteran Phú, said the documents and items were captured by the US soldiers from the bodies and only now returned to the family.

Phú was the head of a platoon, and among the documents was a list of servicemen in his platoon, Quý told Việt Nam News. He hopes that the list, now available in Việt Nam and if publicised, could help other families or even any living platoon members to connect and find their lost loved ones, if any.

Phạm Quang Vinh, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the US and President of the Việt Nam–US Society (VUS), said that the achievements made over the past 30 years of Việt Nam–US diplomatic relations are not a matter of chance, but the result of great effort and strong determination on the part of both the people and governments of our two countries.

He said: "First and foremost, it has been about efforts to heal the wounds of war, enhance mutual understanding, promote reconciliation and build trust. It has meant fostering relationships based on equality, fairness, mutual benefit and intertwined interests. It has also meant engaging in dialogue to overcome differences, amplify commonalities, and advance cooperation between the two sides.” — VNS