On June 22, 2011, the Repatriation Ceremony of remains of U.S. servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam was held at Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam.

Attending the ceremony, on the Vietnamese side were representatives from the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP) and, on the U.S. side, the Consul General of the US . General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City , Le Thanh An, and representatives from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).

The Vietnam Government representative handed over to the U.S. Government representative two boxes of remains which were recovered during the 103rd Joint Field Activities from May to June, 2011 and turned over by Vietnamese citizens. These remains were jointly reviewed and concluded by Vietnam and U.S. forensic specialists that they might be associated with the U.S. servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam and recommended to bring to Hawaii , United States , for further review. This is the 119th hand-over of American missing servicemen’s remains since 1973.

Addressing the Repatriation Ceremony, the U.S. Government representative expressed deep gratitude and high appreciation for the steadfast humanitarian policy, good-will and the increasingly efficient cooperation of the Vietnam Government and people.
During the 103rd Joint Field Activities, a United States Navy’s oceanographic vessel - the USNS Bowditch - has also been allowed by the Government of Vietnam to conduct survey missions in the territorial sea of Vietnam in support for the humanitarian search for unaccounted American missing servicemen during the war in Vietnam./.