Hung visited Truong Ninh Commune in Quang Tri Province on Wednesday to inspect a site where U.S. servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War are being searched for. The visit was part of the Pacific Partnership-Pacific Friends 2026 (PP-PF26) program.
The site is linked to the disappearance of two crew members aboard an F-111A aircraft, tail number 66-0022, during a night mission on March 28, 1968. Vietnam and the United States have conducted multiple recovery efforts there over the years.
Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao participates in the process of washing soil and rocks up the gutter to search for the remains of missing people in Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam, June 23, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh
During the one-hour inspection, Hung spoke with members of the recovery team and joined the excavation process, helping move soil and rocks onto screening troughs used in the search for remains.
He said any remains recovered would undergo DNA testing to identify the missing servicemen and return them to their families.
