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U.S. ambassador accepts MIA remains in Vietnam
May 20, 1997
Web posted at: 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 GMT)HANOI, Vietnam (CNN) -- Washington's new ambassador to Vietnam performed his first official task Tuesday, taking possession of the remains of U.S. servicemen missing since the Vietnam War.
The remains -- bone and tooth fragments resting in seven flag-draped aluminum caskets -- are being flown to Hawaii for forensic testing to determine their identities.
During the hour-long ceremony at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, Douglas "Pete" Peterson emphasized his commitment to finding the remains of those still missing. Peterson, a fighter pilot during the war, was imprisoned for 6 1/2 years at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp during the war that ended with a communist victory over U.S.-backed forces in 1975.
About 2,000 Americans are still listed as missing. Peterson declared a "new era" of cooperation between the two countries when he arrived to begin his new diplomatic mission on May 9.
The ceremony was also attended by Nguyen Xuan Phong, director of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's America Department, who said that his country would continue to assist the United States in its search for the remains of missing service members. But, Phong said, the United States must reciprocate.
"We hope to see a greater effort by the American side to solve the consequences of the war in Vietnam," he told reporters. "The effort made by the American side is very modest so far in comparison with its great material potential."
An estimated 58,000 Americans died in the war, while more than 3 million Vietnamese were killed.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related story:
- From prisoner to ambassador: Peterson returns to Vietnam - May 9, 1997
Related sites:
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- POW/MIA Database - from the Library of Congress, Federal Research Division
- The Hanoi Hilton
- General News In Vietnam - from Vietconnection.com
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