Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao honors his Vietnamese roots during visit to birthplace

Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said he always tells people that he is American but his roots remain deeply Vietnamese.

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.

"In my meeting yesterday with General Secretary and President To Lam, we discussed continuing cooperation to ensure the full repatriation of remains, because this is essential to healing the wounds of war," he said.

More than half a century after the war ended, addressing the losses of the past remains critical for both countries to move forward, he added.

"This is the time to put the past behind us and move forward together," he said. "We can work toward zero tariffs and free trade between our two countries while expanding comprehensive cooperation."

As the highest-ranking Vietnamese American currently serving in the U.S. Department of the Navy, Hung said Vietnam remains an important part of his identity.

"I always tell people that I am American, but a Vietnamese American," he said. "My heart belongs to America, but the blood that runs through my veins is Vietnamese."

He described his return to Vietnam as both a diplomatic mission and a personal journey.

"This is where I was born," he said. "Coming back here, especially to Quang Tri, where my father was born and raised, carries profound meaning for me. It truly feels like coming full circle."

The search area for the missing American soldier in a private garden in Truong Ninh Commune, Quang Tri Province. Photo by VnExpresss/Dac Thanh

Hung noted that the United States has supported numerous war-remediation programs in Vietnam since 1991. In 2014, while serving in the military, he traveled to Vietnam to train divers in recovering and safely disposing of unexploded ordnance from the seabed.

"We have a responsibility for our weapons from the moment they are produced until they are destroyed," he said. "When unexploded bombs or mines are found, we must handle them safely so that no one else is harmed."

Speaking about naval cooperation, he said visits by U.S. hospital ships and naval vessels under the Pacific Partnership program have produced tangible benefits, particularly in healthcare and disaster response.

"The first time we meet should not be the first time we need each other to solve a challenge," he said. "That is why the Pacific Partnership program is so important."

General Secretary and President To Lam during a talk with acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao in Hanoi, June 22, 2026. Photo by VNA

During a meeting with the US secretary on June 22, General Secretary and President To Lam reaffirmed that Vietnam views the United States as one of its most strategically important partners and expressed a desire to continue advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Vietnam's top leader also called on the United States to maintain and expand cooperation in dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance and support for people with disabilities, while increasing technology transfers and providing information and wartime artifacts to assist in locating and identifying the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.

He described such efforts as humanitarian initiatives that also demonstrate the two countries' commitment to reconciliation, healing and trust-building.

Hung said he was impressed by Vietnam's rapid development and growing international standing. As acting U.S. Navy secretary and a Vietnamese American, he pledged to continue supporting efforts that encourage the Vietnamese-American community to contribute to peace, resilience and development in Vietnam, while strengthening ties between the two countries.