A repatriation ceremony for the remains of US servicemen who died during the Viet Nam War was held yesterday, June 22, at Da Nang International Airport.

Representatives from the Viet Nam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel, US General Consulate in HCM City, and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) were in attendance.

Viet Nam handed over two boxes of remains recovered during the 103rd Joint Field Activities this spring.

Vietnamese and US forensic specialists jointly reviewed the specimens and concluded that they might belong to US servicemen who went missing during the war.They recommended that the remains be brought to Hawaii for further review.

The ceremony marked the 119th hand-over of US remains since 1973.

During the 103rd Joint Field Activities, a United States Navy vessel, the USNS Bowditch, was allowed to conduct survey missions in the territorial sea of Viet Nam to search for American remains.

At the ceremony, the US government representative expressed deep gratitude for the steadfast humanitarian policy and goodwill of the Vietnamese Government.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News