Vietnam-US reconciliation exemplifies power of tolerance

Vietnam and the United States are proving that even the deepest wounds of war can heal, President Luong Cuong said in New York on September 22, urging both nations to continue shaping a brighter, more cooperative future.

Cuong was speaking at a meeting with Vietnamese and American war veterans on September 22 (New York time), held as part of his official trip to attend the General Debate of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, along with bilateral engagements in the United States.

He stressed that the healing and reconciliation between Vietnam and the US stand as a testament to the remarkable power of tolerance and its capacity to transcend even the deepest divides.

The Vietnamese president pointed out that war claimed too much and left dreams unfinished with lingering pain in the hearts of both countries. However, the Vietnamese people have set aside painful pasts to embrace forgiveness without forgetting.

He expressed confidence that future generations in the two countries will build a new era rooted in peace, cooperation, development and mutual respect.

“Vietnam and the United States likewise recognize that no animosity is immutable and no wound irreparable when hearts are open and the future is approached in a spirit of goodwill,” Cuong stated.

He recalled that 30 years ago, the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet and US President Bill Clinton announced the normalization of relations, a milestone that has since propelled Vietnam-US ties to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

His remarks centered the role of veterans in this ongoing reconciliation as he commended former US soldiers who, after the war, followed their conscience and helped build bridges with Vietnam, notably through cooperation in the MIA (Missing in Action) program, over 50 years.

The cooperation, carried out over five decades through hundreds of joint searches and excavations, has returned thousands of relics and remains of American servicemembers, earning recognition from the US government, Congress, veterans’ organizations and families.

The two sides have worked together to address the war’s consequences, including Agent Orange/dioxin at Danang and Bien Hoa airports, supporting people with disabilities affected by dioxin, clearing mines and unexploded ordnance and finding and identifying remains of Vietnamese soldiers.

During the meeting, President Luong Cuong named several “ice-breakers”who helped strengthen relations when it once seemed impossible, including the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, the late Foreign Affairs Minister Nguyen Co Thach and the late Senator John McCain, and Senator John Kerry.

He also recalled President Ho Chi Minh’s wish expressed in a 1946 letter to President Truman for “full cooperation” with the United States – a hope that many would have thought then too distant to materialize.

At the meeting, Vietnamese and American veterans shared their stories of loss, survival and forgiveness. Among them were Lieutenant General Phung Khac Dang, Hero of the People’s Armed Forces Nguyen Van Phiet, and Colonel Tu De, pilot of the “Phi doi Quyet Thang.” American veteran John Terzano described his return to Vietnam after the war and his efforts to promote reconciliation and lift sanctions.

One of the most moving moments came when war relics were handed over, items bearing the marks of conflict and loss, to the families of Vietnamese and American servicemembers. Once symbols of division, these relics have become instruments of healing.

President Luong Cuong thanked all veterans, Vietnamese and American, and friends in the US who have stood by Vietnam over decades. He gave special recognition to those who marched, those who protested war and the leaders who chose dialogue over enmity.

He expressed hope that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States will grow more stable, positive and forward-looking in the years ahead.

"It’s a story of compassion. History cannot be rewritten, but goodwill lets Vietnam and the US build a brighter future and no wound remains unhealed if hearts are open," said Cuong.

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