Boxes containing the remains of suspected US servicemen MIA in the war in Việt Nam covered in the US flag.Việt Nam and the United States on April 20 held the 169th repatriation ceremony for the remains of US servicemen missing in action (MIA) during the war in Việt Nam. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — With the support of Việt Nam, the remains of 740 US servicemen have been identified and returned to their families, according to Kelly McKeague, Director of the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) under the US Department of Defence.

Visiting the National Archives Centre III under the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs’ State Records and Archives Department on Thursday, McKeague stated that the year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam's reunification, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Việt Nam–US diplomatic relations, and, notably, the 40th anniversary since the US first sent a team to Việt Nam to search for missing service members.

Immediately after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, Việt Nam established an agency dedicated to searching for those missing in the war. The country has been proactive in supporting the search for US soldiers missing in action during the war in Việt Nam.

Expressing gratitude for these efforts, especially on behalf of the families of the missing, the DPAA official affirmed that a fundamental cornerstone of the Việt Nam—US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is Việt Nam's efforts in supporting the search for missing service members.

However, McKeague noted that there are still 1,157 US soldiers missing in the war in Việt Nam, and these cases are extremely difficult to find due to the lack of information.

According to the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, gathering information is the first and crucial step, as sometimes such information is key for the search teams to determine whether they are at the correct site or speaking to the right witnesses.

Director of the State Records and Archives Department Đặng Thanh Tùng stated that the Vietnamese archives sector cooperates with not only the US but also France to provide information in the search for missing soldiers, thus meeting the needs of their families. He also affirmed that the sector will continue to proactively cooperate and exchange information with the US side in this work. — VNA/VNS