American soldiers draped the national flag over the found possible remains of of a MIA US service member in the Vietnam War during the 171st repatriation ceremony in Hà Nội on December 13. — Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — The United States on Saturday held its 171st repatriation ceremony in Việt Nam, receiving possible remains linked to an American service member missing in action during the Việt Nam's resistance war against US aggression (also known as the Việt Nam War).

The ceremony was held at Gia Lam Airfield in Hà Nội and jointly organised by the US Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and Việt Nam's Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP).

Vietnamese officials handed over one set of remains believed to be associated with a US Air Force F-105 aircraft crash in the northern province of Yên Bái. The remains were recovered during the 161st Joint Field Activity, which began in late October and concluded in early December.

US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper attended the event alongside senior Vietnamese officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, national defence and public security – which make up the VNOSMP.

DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and VNOSMP Director Lê Công Tiến presided over the ceremony.

The 171st MIA repatriation ceremony was held in Gia Lâm Airfield, Hà Nội, on December 13. — Photo from the US Embassy in Việt Nam

The remains were recovered by one of two Vietnamese unilateral recovery teams that continued operations during a recent lapse in US government funding, when joint teams were unable to deploy.

Speaking at the ceremony, Knapper praised Việt Nam's efforts, saying VNOSMP’s ability to carry out recovery missions independently “reflects the professionalism and dedication of all those involved.”

The remains were examined in Hà Nội on December 5, 2025, by both American and Vietnamese forensic specialists, who concluded they may belong to a US service member. They will now be transferred to DPAA’s laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii, for further analysis and identification.

US Ambassador Marc Knapper addressed the repatriation ceremony.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến, Vietnamese deputy defence minister, reaffirmed that Việt Nam will continue to work closely and create the most favourable conditions for efforts to search for US service members missing in action, as it has done for nearly half a century.

He also called on the US to further increase resources and expand projects supporting Việt Nam in addressing war legacies, including unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin remediation, assistance for persons with disabilities and war victims, as well as the search for, recovery of and capacity-building for the identification of remains of missing Vietnamese soldiers.

Humanitarian cooperation on the search for and accounting of US service members missing in the war in Việt Nam began immediately after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973. To date, these efforts have yielded positive results, enabling the United States to identify and return remains to the families of about 740 US service members missing in the war in Việt Nam, an outcome of deep significance for the American people and government.

The 171st repatriation ceremony for U.S. service members is among the key events marking the close of 2025, a year commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and the United States (1995–2025), the 40th anniversary of the first joint activity to search for US MIAs (1985–2025), and the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Việt Nam (1975–2025).

The event underscores a long journey of reconciliation, normalisation and development of Việt Nam–US relations, transforming former adversaries into today’s Comprehensive Strategic Partners.

It also reflects broader cooperation between the two countries in addressing war legacies, including US support for the search, recovery and identification of remains of missing Vietnamese martyrs, unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin remediation and assistance for persons with disabilities. — VNS

Se Hoàng Xuân Chiến