On February 19, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane conducted a remembrance ceremony to honor possible remains of missing U.S. servicemembers recovered earlier this year. For four decades, U.S. military specialists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) have collaborated with Lao counterparts to locate and recover the remains of fallen American service members. This mission is a significant aspect of U.S.-Lao cooperation and has resulted in recovering the remains of 290 unaccounted-for servicemembers.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Variava acknowledged the efforts of both teams and local communities involved in recovery activities, appreciating their dedication to this important mission.
The DPAA operates under the U.S. Department of Defense with a focus on recovering and identifying Department of Defense personnel listed as prisoners of war or missing in action from past conflicts worldwide. In Laos, since 1985, DPAA has carried out 170 Joint Field Activities leading to the successful recovery of 290 out of 576 unaccounted-for Americans.