U.S., Vietnam to Begin Joint MIA Search This Month, Carlucci Says

The United States and Vietnam have agreed to begin joint efforts later this month to locate the remains of U.S. military personnel missing in Vietnam, Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci said Friday.

Last month, Vietnam suspended its offer to conduct joint operations, but Carlucci, speaking at POW-MIA Recognition Day ceremonies on the steps of the Capitol, said the Vietnamese “recently agreed to resume cooperation.”

“I am pleased to announce that joint activity will begin on Sept. 25,” added Carlucci, who was joined by several members of Congress.

The defense chief stressed that resolving the issue of those servicemen who may be prisoners of war or are missing in action is a bipartisan quest and supported by all Americans.

Noting that there still are 2,393 Americans who served during the Vietnam War “about whom we do not have final answers,” Carlucci reminded the audience that President Reagan has said “that resolving the fate of these Americans is a matter of highest national priority.”

“I can assure all Americans the Department of Defense is committed to doing everything possible to resolving the POW-MIA issue successfully. Today we are encouraged in our quest, but we still await the results that we know are possible from those who hold the answers,” he said.

Carlucci urged the government in Hanoi “to resolve this issue; to resolve it quickly; to resolve it this year. Let us also repeat the President’s call for Cambodia to agree to our proposal to repatriate the remains that they claim to hold,” Carlucci said.

In August, Vietnam temporarily suspended its offer to help U.S. officials find remains of missing military personnel because of what it considered hostile statements by U.S. officials on resumption of diplomatic ties between Hanoi and Washington.

Some officials had said that there could be no formal ties until Vietnam pulled all of its troops out of Cambodia, which it has since pledged to do.

Carlucci also said Friday that last month “we held encouraging consultations” with the government of Laos “and agreed to conduct joint surveys commencing soon and to meet thereafter to plan subsequent excavations and further joint efforts.”