"Hegseth said addressing the legacies of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, remains the foundation and a top priority of the countries' defense relationship. At the end of his talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Hegseth handed over a leather box, a belt and a small knife - wartime artifacts once taken by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War."
"Such returns have become part of broader reconciliation efforts between the two countries, with similar relics - including letters, identification tags and photographs - handed back to the U.S. in recent years. "Today we will exchange artifacts and information from the war with the goal of helping family members in both countries find peace," Hegseth said."
"Cooperation on postwar issues remains key to U.S.-Vietnam relations. Since normalizing ties in 1995, the two countries have worked together to clear unexploded ordnance, recover remains of missing service members and clean up dioxin - the toxic chemical used in Agent Orange - from former U.S. air bases that continue to affect communities. There were concerns about the future of these efforts when U.S. funding for several programs was slashed, temporarily halting some cleanup work before resuming. The visible recommitment to these projects could help stabilize relations and "create space" for further defense cooperation, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam"
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Vietnam to reaffirm a defense partnership centered on addressing Vietnam War legacies. He emphasized that addressing wartime legacies remains the foundation and top priority of bilateral defense relations. Hegseth returned wartime artifacts as part of reconciliation and efforts to help families find peace. The visit coincided with 30 years of diplomatic ties and two years under a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two countries cooperate on clearing unexploded ordnance, recovering remains and cleaning dioxin contamination from former U.S. bases, and recent recommitment to these projects could stabilize relations and enable further defense cooperation.
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