Anthony Saich
Daewoo Professor of International Affairs and the Harvard Kennedy School; Director of the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
Finding, archiving, and sharing the missing data and historical ephemera of Vietnamese war dead
Exploring the legacy of the Vietnam War remains fundamental to our understanding of the effects of the war and to promoting a cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the United States based on trust and mutual understanding between the peoples and governments of the two countries.
The destructive nature of the war has left enormous holes in the social fabric of the Vietnamese people, whose culture places great emphasis on family and ancestry. Over 200,000 Vietnamese combatants killed in action remain missing in the southern half of Vietnam, and their families have no idea when or where their members fought and died.
The Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project is the first systematic review of documents from multiple archives and other sources in the U.S. and Vietnam, designed to facilitate the location and identification of Vietnamese war dead. This information is provided to the U.S. Department of Defense along with personal ephemera and verifying documentation that can provide closure and healing to Vietnamese families.
Led by Professor Tony Saich and Dr. Hai Nguyen, the project will also enable future scholarship and study of the war and those who participated in it. The documents and analysis will grow into a state-of-the-art digital archive and exhibition platform. The collection will ensure that documentation providing valuable information on Vietnamese war dead—plus all metadata, descriptions, translations, relationships to other documents, and more—will be easily navigable and searchable for scholars, students, and others across the globe.
Meet the Team
Hai Nguyen
Director,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project and Global Vietnam Wars Studies Initiative
Mark Seah
Program Manager,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project and Global Vietnam Wars Studies Initiative
Giang Trinh
Lead Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project;
Senior Researcher,
Forgotten Voices from Laos and Cambodia Project - Global Vietnam Wars Studies Initiative
Quynh Ngo
Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
Mai Bui Dieu Linh
Lead Researcher,
Forgotten Voices from Laos and Cambodia Project - Global Vietnam Wars Studies Initiative;
Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
Pham Thi Hong Ha
Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
Chi Linh Ha
Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
Quang Nguyen
Researcher,
Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project
The Latest News and Research
Essay
‘The first new information we’ve heard in 50 years’
Unseen Legacies researchers are answering decades-old questions about the fates of Vietnamese soldiers
Video
Personal Wartime Artifact Handover Ceremony
“The collective work and engagement between our two countries has centered on our mutual commitment to heal the wounds of war, no matter how long it takes. This commitment serves as the bedrock of our bilateral trust and partnership… The sacrifices of all servicemembers and their families are sacred and immeasurable, and it is my hope that this small gesture will help bring you closure and comfort as we remember those who served.”– Ambassador Marc Knapper
Feature
Rajawali Semester in Review
This past semester, the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia engaged in conversations and research on topics ranging from Indonesia’s election to US-Taiwan relations with the goal of continuing to develop policy solutions to the region’s most pressing concerns.
Media Release
Harvard research project aids return of wartime personal effects to Vietnamese veterans and families
U.S. Embassy event in Hanoi was culmination of months of detailed archival research – and helped to unearth information about the final resting place of fallen soldiers.
Video
How does the Vietnam War continue to shape US-Vietnam relations?
The Vietnam War has left an indelible mark on global politics and international relations.
Feature
Documenting unseen legacies of Vietnam War
Biden helps deliver Kennedy School research documenting possible sites of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains during historic visit to Hanoi
