Story of the photo of General Nguyen Chi Vinh with the former US Ambassador at Da Nang airport

When recalling one of his memories of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, former US Ambassador Ted Osius immediately thought of a photo of the two of them together attending the ceremony to announce the completion of phase 1 of the dioxin remediation project at Da Nang airport on May 3, 2016.

At the announcement ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and former US Ambassador Ted Osius both used their hands to pick up the treated soil as proof of the project's success.

Former US Ambassador Ted Osius said that when he visited Da Nang in 2016, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (at that time Deputy Minister of National Defense) always accompanied him in searching for, implementing and finally completing the dioxin cleanup project at Da Nang airport. The press took dozens of photos of Osius and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh digging into the newly cleaned soil.

Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh and former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius hold a handful of completely decontaminated soil at Da Nang Airport. (Photo: Provided by the character)

The photo is on display at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, a reminder that overcoming the legacy of war is possible. Osius said that together, the Vietnamese and Americans made this land safe. Otherwise, as a father of two young children, he would not have touched soil contaminated with dioxin.

Sharing with VTC News reporter, former US Ambassador to Vietnam said that Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh is a friend whom he loves and respects.

"General Nguyen Chi Vinh was a patriot who devoted his life to serving his country. He was always persuasive and worked tirelessly with many generations of US Ambassadors to Vietnam, including myself, to ensure that the consequences of the war were handled and overcome," said Mr. Ted Osius.

"I truly respect him - a man who always devoted himself to his country and his attitude when talking about the past no matter how difficult it was. It is because of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh's determination that we need to deal honestly with the difficult past, especially the consequences of the war, that we can together build a better future," added former US Ambassador Osius.

Mr. Osius also said that he was very proud to have worked with Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh during his nearly 4 years as US Ambassador to Vietnam (2014-2017). He also emphasized that Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh always played a key role in issues related to Vietnam-US security relations.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and former US Ambassador Ted Osius discuss the second phase of the dioxin remediation project at Da Nang airport. (Photo: Natural Resources & Environment Newspaper)

According to Mr. Osius, every time he and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh met, they discussed the issue of dioxin remediation - first in Da Nang and then in Bien Hoa.

In October 2017, Mr. Osius and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh visited Bien Hoa Airport, a former US airbase and the largest dioxin hotspot in the country. Former Ambassador Osius affirmed that the commitment to clean up dioxin was a good result when welcoming former President Donald Trump to Vietnam in November 2017.

“Addressing dioxin as a legacy of war is essential to the future of our defense relationship with Vietnam,” Mr. Osius reiterated.

The former US ambassador shared that the last time he met Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh was in March 2022 after the General had retired. He still enthusiastically shared his aspirations for promoting bilateral relations and resolving war legacies. Mr. Osius believes that the Senior Lieutenant General felt very happy when Vietnam and the US upgraded their bilateral partnership to a comprehensive strategic level before his death.

During his visit to Hanoi in September, US President Joe Biden pledged to Vietnam the US’s determination and unwavering cooperation in pursuing the shared goal of continuing to address war legacy issues. The US government also decided to increase funding for the Bien Hoa airport remediation project from US$183 million to US$300 million, extending it until 2028.

Mr. Osius believes that Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh will be remembered by American friends and the Vietnamese people for his great contributions to the development of US-Vietnam bilateral relations.

Nguyen Phuong Anh

Source