VI in Vietnam 2023

In The Year of The Cat, The Mission Continues: The Veterans Initiative Marks Its 30th Year

Following a three-year hiatus in travel to Vietnam due to the pandemic, in May, VVA sent a two-person team to restore the faith, reconnect with the veterans, and display our continuing commitment to the recovery of those still not home from our war.

Born out of a resolution first adopted by the delegates to VVA’s convention in 1989, the Veterans Initiative has worked for 30 years to identify possible Vietnamese missing in Southeast Asia through various methods — the reclamation of personal effects taken during the war, personal statements and eyewitness accounts, and the identification of unmarked gravesites.

As outlined in the resolution, the Vietnamese government participates with U.S. government investigators in locating and excavating crash and burial sites and has unilaterally located and returned the remains of missing Americans.

The Veterans Association of Vietnam (VAVN) has a deep interest in receiving reports on gravesites, letters, personal effects, documents, photos, and personal statements that would help resolve the fate of their missing.

The goodwill gesture by American veterans in turning over such reports and effects to the Vietnamese has further induced them to be forthcoming with additional information on missing Americans. Several Joint Task Force personnel have said, “simply put, the Veterans Initiative is a program that contributes to the successes in our MIA missions.”

Moreover, the Veterans Initiative offers our veterans who continue to hold on to disturbing, negative wartime memories and memorabilia the opportunity to turn these to positive, healing effects.

From May 17 – June 5, the VI traveled from North to South, beginning in Hanoi. They met with representatives of the Vietnamese government at the national and regional levels, attending 29 meetings in 20 days. They reestablished VVA’s commitment to the accounting issue and reconnected with the leadership of VAVN at the national and regional levels.

In addition to the accounting of their martyrs, the issue of Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance were topics of discussion at each meeting.

Download the complete report of the Veterans Initiative 2023 trip here.

Click on the thumbnails below to view

The VVA Veterans Initiative’s first meeting on arrival in Hanoi. To read more - download the report: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

On May 17, in Hanoi. To read more - download the report: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxins (VAVA). To read more - download the report: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

Meeting with Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxins (VAVA)

Visiting the VAVA Center for Protection and Care of A/O Victims in Thach That District, Hanoi

Wednesday, May 17 - Meeting at U.S. Embassy

In Hanoi, we met with U.S. Ambassador H.E. Marc L. Knapper and Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

In Hanoi, we met with Lt. Col. Travis Walter, Commander of Detachment 2, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and Ray Kelley, analyst.

To read more: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

Gratitude was expressed by DPAA for VVA’s advocacy on behalf of additional funding for the Vietnam recovery efforts.

Gratitude was expressed by DPAA for VVA’s advocacy on behalf of an increase in funding for the Vietnam recovery efforts.

While in Hanoi, we met with Vietnamese researchers interested in information on specific sites related to Vietnam’s war dead. To read more: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

Thursday, May 18—Meeting with Foreign Ministry, Hanoi

Meeting with Le Cong Thien, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meeting with Foreign Ministry, Hanoi

Meeting with Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO)

Meeting with Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO)

To Read More: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

The Cửa Hòa Bình (Peace Gate) is in the north part of the Imperial City. It is the only gate that leads directly from Hue Citadel to the Forbidden Purple City.

At the Vietnam Centre for Social Protection for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims

At the Vietnam Centre for Social Protection for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims

At the Vietnam Centre for Social Protection for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims

The Perfume River—the Hương Giang—crosses the Ancient Capital of Hue

Ambassador Bui Van Nghi invited the VI team to join him on a trip down the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh Province

Ambassador Bui Van Nghi invited the VI team to join him on a trip down the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh Province

Ambassador Bui Van Nghi invited the VI team to join him on a trip down the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh Province

Nam Khanh, son of Bui Van Nghi, surrounded by his family, holds a frame containing a hand-drawn picture and photograph of the late Richard DeLong

To Read More: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

The inaugural Congress of the Vietnam-USA Friendship Society of Quang Tri Province

Meeting with Maj. Gen. Ho Thanh Tu, VAVN President, and the veterans of Quang Tri Province

Meeting with Maj. Gen. Ho Thanh Tu, VAVN President, and the veterans of Quang Tri Province

“We have a common Goal—we are still looking for our fallen comrades. Both sides have despair from the war." — Maj. Gen. Ho Thanh Tu

In Hue we purchased three bicycles to deliver to children whose families had been impacted by Agent Orange

We delivered the bicycles, adjusted the seats, and watched as they took off for the ride home.

Meeting with Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van Chung, President of Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) of Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Meeting with Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van Chung, President of Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) of Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Meeting with the Veterans of Quang Nam Province.

Meeting with the Veterans in Hue.

Meeting with the Veterans in Hue.

Meeting with the Veterans in Hue.

To Read More: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

Meeting with the Veterans in Hue.

We were invited to visit the homes of two families with disabled children. We Stopped by a local market to buy milk and treats for the family visits.

Her father, son of a veteran, was born without any visible effects.

Meeting with the families.

The topographical changes to the area of Firebase Tomahawk prevented the V.I. Team from its traditional climb up the mountain to honor the war dead of Americans of the “C” Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138 Field Artillery, supporting the 101st Airborne Division, and the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 4th Regiment.

Instead, we offered prayers to all who perished on June, 20, 1969.

VVA’s Veterans Initiative Program honors all war dead of the Vietnam War and strives to gain information from American and Vietnamese veterans to aid with determining the location of those still not home from war.

To read more: https://vva.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/VI-in-Vietnam-23-Brochure-2.pdf

“We remember your comments about hearing, and it has been reinforced by others—the impact of the concussion of bombings – the median age of veterans from our war is 74— we also suffer from hearing loss.” — Grant Coates

Meeting with Danang Union of Veterans Organizations.

Meeting with Danang Union of Veterans Organizations.

Delivering hearing aids to the veterans in Danang.

For a small donation, we were able to provide staples for a month’s worth of lunches for the 116 disabled children who attend the Friendship School for Agent Orange victims.