The repatriation ceremony for the US servicemen missing in action during the war in Vietnam was held at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi on November 30, 2012.

Attending the ceremony, for the Vietnamese side were representatives from Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP) and, for the US side, the United States Ambassador to Vietnam , David B. Shear and representatives from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the U.S MIA Office in Hanoi, VNA reported.

The Vietnamese side’s representative handed over to the US side 03 (three) boxes of remains which were recovered during the 109th Joint Field Activities from October to November, 2012 and turned over by Vietnamese citizens. Those remains had been jointly reviewed and concluded by Vietnam and U.S. forensic specialists that they might be associated with the US servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam and recommended to bring to Hawaii, United States, for further review.

Addressing the Repatriation Ceremony, the US Government representative expressed deep gratitude and high appreciation for the steadfast humanitarian policy, good-will and the increasingly efficient co-operation of the Vietnamese Government and people

The seeking of the remains of US servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam is humanitarian co-operation between the Vietnam Government and the US Government. This is the 125th hand-over of American missing servicemen’s remains since 1973.

Below are some photos of the ceremony by Reuters:

Pilots salute as U.S. soldiers carry a casket containing human remains believed to belong to a U.S. servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War during a repatriation ceremony at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi.

A pilot stands on the stairs of a U.S. Air Force C17 aircraft during a repatriation ceremony.

A U.S. servicewoman carries a box of human remains believed to be a U.S serviceman missing in action during the Vietnam War at a repatriation ceremony.

U.S. servicemen salute as soldiers carry a casket containing human remains believed to belong to a U.S. servicemen during the repatriation ceremony.

U.S. soldiers drape a U.S. flag over a casket containing human remains believed to belong to a U.S. servicemen during the repatriation ceremony.

Dao Xuan Kinh (front L), deputy director of the Vietnam Office for seeking missing persons, and Patrick Keane (front R), Joint Prisoners of War, Missing In Action Accounting (JPAC) commander in Vietnam, sign a handover document as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear (back R) observes in front of boxes containing human remains believed to be of U.S. servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War, during a repatriation ceremony at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi November 30, 2012.