Re: Remains from Vietnam Finally Coming Home

Date: April 20, 2004

"Vietnam War remains returning home

Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam - Five sets of remains believed to be those of American soldiers who went missing during the Vietnam War were sent home yesterday nearly 30 years after the war ended. The remains were loaded onto a C-17 transport plane in central Danang, from where they were to be flown to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base for identification.

The remains were located in central and southern Vietnam by a joint recovery team that searches for soldiers missing in action, said Lt. Col. Ty Smith, commander of the U.S. MIA office in Hanoi. "I'm honored to give those missing a final salute as they go into the aircraft," Smith said, adding that repatriation ceremonies are especially rewarding for the military personnel who spend weeks and sometimes months scouring the jungle to locate remains.

"It's their dedication that actually makes this happen," he said. About 1,800 American soldiers remain unaccounted for in the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.

© 2004 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc."

AND

"Remains of American MIAs repatriated home

Ha Noi, Apr. 19 (VNA) - Viet Nam on Monday handed over the remains of five American servicemen listed as Missing in Action (MIA) and personal objects collected in a recent joint search mission to the representative of the US Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA).

 The repatriation ceremony was held at the Da Nang International Airport in the central region in the presence of representatives of the US MIA Office in Ha Noi and the Viet Nam Office for Searching Missing Personnel.

 The representative of the US Government expressed thanks to Viet Nam and praised its humanitarian policy and the effective assistance given in searching for American servicemen missing in action.

This was the 92nd time Viet Nam returned the remains of US MIAs to the US Government since 1973, bringing the total to 820 cases.

©Vietnam News Agency, Hanoi, Vietnam"