US officials appreciate Vietnam's cooperation in efforts to search for soldiers missing in action in the war, according to the Washington Times.

The United States remains steadfastly committed to making every effort to recover and fully verify information about those missing from the Vietnam War. This humanitarian effort is sustained by the long-standing cooperation of the Government of Vietnam.

Director of the US Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) Kelly McKeague. (Source: VNA)

Director of the US Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) Kelly McKeague recently wrote an article in the Letter to the Editor column of The Washington Times (USA), highlighting the cooperation and support of the Vietnamese Government and people in the humanitarian effort to search for US soldiers missing in action during the war.

According to Mr. Kelly McKeague, as has been done for more than 40 years, the United States remains steadfast in its commitment to making every effort to search for and verify the fullest possible information about soldiers missing from the Vietnam War. This humanitarian effort is sustained thanks to the long-term cooperation of the Vietnamese Government.

Mr. Kelly McKeague said this cooperation began a decade ago and continues to be the foundation for the strong partnership that the United States and Vietnam have established today.

“Thanks to that persistent and essential cooperation, the United States has accounted for 752 cases of Americans missing in action from the Vietnam War, returning their remains to their families, thereby bringing long-awaited answers and helping to ease the pain,” Mr. Kelly McKeague wrote.

For the 1,157 cases estimated to be recovered in Vietnam, the United States can fulfill its ethical responsibility to recover them through archival research, field investigations, and excavations conducted jointly with Vietnam.

According to him, since 2015, DPAA has deployed more than 97 investigation teams and 167 excavation teams to Vietnam to work with Vietnamese partners. Even during the 2020-2021 travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam still conducted 30 independent investigations and excavations.

The funding needed for this important work includes air support to access remote areas, construction of camps at those sites, thorough screening for unexploded ordnance, hiring large-scale local manpower (sometimes more than 100 people) to conduct effective excavation, land restoration, and specialized excavation equipment for complex sites.

Over the past 10 years, U.S.-Vietnam cooperation has helped identify 35 missing service members: 19 from joint field work, one from a U.S. partner mission, and 15 from Vietnamese sources.

Mr. Kelly McKeague said that the US will continue its efforts to search for, recover and identify missing persons from the Vietnam War and that much of this effort is thanks to the support of the Vietnamese Government and people.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-chuc-my-danh-gia-cao-hop-tac-cua-viet-nam-trong-no-luc-tim-kiem-quan-nhan-mat-tich-trong-chien-tranh-tren-to-washington-times-321235.html