(The Associated Press)
Sent in by the: AIIPOWMIAI
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Three sets of remains believed to be from American
soldiers killed during the Vietnam War were repatriated to the United States
today.
On hand for the ceremony at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport were US Ambassador Pete
Peterson, a former prisoner of war here, and Bob Jones, deputy assistant
secretary of defense for prisoners of war and missing persons.
The same plane that is taking the remains back to Hawaii for positive
identification at a military laboratory brought in some of the 101 American
service personnel who will take part in a 30-day operation that could excavate
up to 10 sites.
Meanwhile, torrential rains have prevented the excavation of a graveyard of
Vietnamese MIAs in central Quang Tri province, a local official said today.
Nguyen Dang Cuong, deputy chief of the excavation team in Huong Hoa district,
said recovery of the estimated 15-20 remains of missing North Vietnamese
soldiers is expected next week when the rain stops.
Cuong said his team has recovered an annual average of 20 sets of remains of
Vietnamese MIAs in the district, site of fierce fighting during the war.
An estimated 300,000 Vietnamese remain listed as missing in action a quarter-
century after the war ended.
In all, 2,078 Americans are listed as missing in Southeast Asia, including
1,549 in Vietnam.
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