US Ambassador Jennifer Wicks visits Quang Tri for MIA search and cooperation talks

US Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks visited Quang Tri Province to engage in diplomatic discussions and oversee search operations for American servicemen missing in action. During her visit, Wicks met with Quang Tri People's Committee Chairman Lê Hồng Vinh to discuss expanding cooperation in war-related remediation and sustainable development. The Chairman highlighted the importance of US support in landmine clearance, noting that the province aims to become Vietnam’s first “mine-safe province” by 2035 through an action program spanning 2026 to 2035.

As part of her itinerary, Ambassador Wicks visited the Khe Net Pass in Dong Le Commune, a rugged mountainous area identified as a potential crash site for a US military aircraft carrying a colonel in 1968. A joint search team, comprising US experts and over 60 local workers, is currently conducting excavations using dry screening methods to locate remains and artifacts. The operation is a collaborative effort between the Vietnam Office for Searching Missing Persons and the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, supported by local residents and authorities.