A senior US defense official has confirmed the identification and repatriation of remains belonging to 740 American servicemen missing since the Vietnam War, crediting Vietnam’s sustained cooperation in the humanitarian mission.
Director of the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Kelly McKeague made the announcement during his July 10 visit to Vietnam’s National Archives Center III.
He noted the symbolic timing of this milestone, coinciding with three significant anniversaries: 50 years of Vietnam’s reunification, 30 years of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties, and 40 years since US teams first began MIA searches in Vietnam.
Vietnam established a specialised agency for wartime missing persons shortly after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords.
McKeague stated that Vietnam’s proactive support was instrumental in these recoveries, emphasising that such humanitarian collaboration forms a “fundamental pillar” of the newly elevated Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Despite progress, 1,157 US service members remain unaccounted for. The DPAA director acknowledged the increasing difficulty of these cases due to scarce leads.
Information gathering remains our critical first step – it determines whether we’re excavating the right sites or interviewing relevant witnesses, he explained.
Vietnamese State Records and Archives Department Director Dang Thanh Tung highlighted ongoing trilateral cooperation, saying that they were working with both US and French partners to provide families with closure.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to collaboration with the US in order to further the mission of identifying and repatriating missing soldiers.