A file in an archive, a former serviceman’s account, an old map or reconnaissance imagery collected decades ago can all become pieces of the puzzle in the search for a Vietnamese service member missing in wartime. But turning scattered fragments into useful information requires a broad and effective network of connections.

This is one of the roles being undertaken by the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States in efforts to search for Vietnamese military personnel missing from the war.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dung said that, under the Vietnam War-era Missing Personnel Initiative (VWAI), the embassy serves as a bridge between Vietnamese agencies and US institutions, organisations and individuals, ranging from the US Department of Defense and archival agencies to universities, veterans’ organisations and technology companies.

“The Vietnamese Embassy in the United States plays a role in promoting and mobilising the US government, Congress and relevant agencies and organisations, while serving as a bridge between Vietnamese agencies, particularly the Office of the National Steering Committee 515, and US agencies, organisations and partners,” he told Washington DC-based VOV correspondents.

This approach is helping broaden the sources of information available for the search. At the end of fiscal year 2025, the US side had provided Vietnam with 46 document sets, of which Vietnam had received and verified 45.

The sources extend beyond official archives. Texas Tech University announced during the first six months of 2026 it had provided Vietnam with 600 pages of documents and 50 selected case files processed and analysed from more than 200 digitised files relating to around 1,500 Vietnamese service members.

The US side has also returned more than 40 wartime memorabilia to Vietnam.

Individually, these documents, data and artifacts may appear fragmentary, but when connected they can help fill gaps in the picture of people who remained missing after the war.

Expanding the network, widening the search

For a clue to become useful evidence, the embassy is looking beyond official channels and broadening its network of partners across the United States.

Universities, archives, veterans’ organisations, technology companies and individuals who served during the war can all become sources of information. The embassy’s role is to connect these resources with specialised Vietnamese agencies while facilitating the sharing and processing of information.

Ambassador Dung said a major advantage is that cooperation in addressing the legacy of war continues to receive attention from both sides, with many US institutions, organisations and individuals willing to work with Vietnam.

The embassy also works with partners including Mission POW/MIA, Texas Tech University, the University of Georgia, the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and US archival institutions.

“The work remains challenging, however. The war ended decades ago, eyewitnesses are becoming fewer, and records may be scattered across different agencies and organisations. Not all information is complete or equally reliable,” the diplomat noted.

He said that making greater use of digital records, expanding access to archival collections and establishing faster mechanisms for coordination and information feedback are therefore particularly important.

Bringing modern technology to clues from the past

Another area being promoted by the embassy is the combination of historical data with modern technology.

Under the 500-Day Campaign carried out at home, the embassy is encouraging the United States to continue prioritising resources for VWAI during 2025-2030, while expanding data digitisation, record sharing, research into reconnaissance imagery and maps, and the use of technologies to support search operations.

Methods such as ground-penetrating radar, remote sensing and forensic archaeology can help identify and narrow down locations that require further investigation.

The ambassador affirmed that in the coming period, the embassy will focus on building a system of case files and a network of partners, working with the Office of the National Steering Committee 515 and US partners. It will also seek to encourage American veterans to provide additional information and support the return of wartime artifacts.

Another priority is to train Vietnamese personnel in new technologies and methodologies, gradually strengthening national capacity to search for and process information.

“We believe that, with the determination of Vietnamese agencies and the continued support of US partners, efforts to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers will continue to produce practical results, meeting the legitimate expectations of their families and the Vietnamese people,” he concluded.

From reopened archives and newly connected witnesses to modern technologies being brought into the search, the effort to locate those who went missing after the war is gaining new leads.

The embassy’s role is therefore not simply to promote cooperation, but to connect resources across institutions and generations so that information thought to have been lost to the past can be recovered, cross-checked and brought back into the present.