Programs and Events

Repatriation Ceremony in Vientiane, Laos

Ambassador Haslach delivers her remarks at the repatriation ceremony.

Bringing them home.

On 9 April 2007, the last day of the 98th Joint Field Activity, the Government of Laos and the United States Embassy held a ceremony to formally mark the repatriation of possible human remains recovered by the joint Lao-U.S. POW/MIA team. The remains were recovered from two sites in Xiangkhouang Province during investigation and recovery operations conducted from 7 March through 9 April.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Phongsavath Boupha represented the Government of Laos in turning over the remains, and Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach represented the U.S. in accepting. The remains will be taken back to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii for analysis and possible identification.  

Vice Foreign Minister Phongsavath noted that the remains were the latest result of over 20 years of Lao government humanitarian cooperation on this issue, and Ambassador Haslach noted that the effort by the U.S. Government to locate and recover the remains of unaccounted for Americans from the Indochina War continues to be one of the highest priorities of the United States government.