U.S.-Vietnam Collaboration Expands to Locate Vietnam War Remains

A U.S. delegation led by Dr. Stephen Maxner, Dr. Alex Thai Dinh Vo, and Ta Thu Phong met with Vietnamese officials in Ho Chi Minh City to advance efforts to identify remains of soldiers from the Vietnam War, according to a statement from the city’s 515 Committee. The collaboration aims to leverage historical military archives and modern technology to locate unmarked graves, particularly for those whose identities or burial sites are unknown.

What is the CDEC System and How Is It Used?

The Combined Document Exploitation Center (CDEC), a U.S. military archive, plays a central role in the project. According to Dr. Maxner, the CDEC contains battlefield documents, including soldier journals, letters, and unit reports, many of which were collected during the war and later transferred to Saigon for analysis. These materials, combined with post-combat reports and satellite imagery, help narrow down areas where remains might be found. “The CDEC is a critical resource for cross-referencing historical data with modern geospatial tools,” Maxner said.

Why Is This Collaboration Significant?

The initiative aligns with Ho Chi Minh City’s “500 Days and 500 Nights” campaign, a humanitarian effort to locate and identify soldiers who died during the 1968–1975 conflict. General Nguyen Thanh Trung, representing the city’s 515 Committee, emphasized the challenges: aging witnesses, urbanization, and fragmented records. “The U.S. provides access to archives that are vital for verifying locations and identities,” Trung stated. The expanded administrative boundaries of Ho Chi Minh City, which grew to 6,700 square kilometers in July 2025, have also increased the scale of the search, encompassing former battlefields like Binh Ba and Tan Son Nhat.

How Do Vietnamese and U.S. Teams Coordinate?

The partnership includes a dedicated Vietnamese team of 30–40 specialists, who compile and analyze documents, while U.S. researchers contribute access to the National Archives, Texas Tech University’s Sam Johnson Archives, and Australian military records. Ta Thu Phong, an attorney involved in the project, outlined plans for a permanent coordination mechanism, including shared databases and joint field investigations. A specialized workshop on July 9 will focus on refining techniques for identifying remains, with both sides committing to regular data exchanges.

What Are the Humanitarian Implications?

The work carries profound emotional weight for families of the missing. Ta Thu Phong noted that battlefield documents, such as letters and medals, not only aid in identification but also provide closure. “These records help families understand the sacrifices made,” she said. The collaboration also reflects broader efforts to reconcile wartime histories, with both nations emphasizing the importance of transparency and mutual respect.

As the project progresses, officials hope to accelerate findings amid growing public interest in wartime legacy. The next steps include expanding the list of priority sites and integrating advanced imaging technologies to navigate the complexities of urbanized landscapes.