Vietnamese and American veteran pilots, who were once enemies of each other in the air during the anti-US war, gather in Hanoi on October 3 for the third time. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese and American veteranpilots, who were once enemies of each other in the air during the anti-US war, reunited in Hanoi on October 3 for the third time.
Present at the gathering were Lt. Gen. Nguyen Duc Soat, heroof the People’s Armed Forces and head of the Vietnamese veteran pilotdelegation, Charlie Tutt, head of the US veteran pilot delegation,representatives from the Air Defence – Air Force Service under the VietnamDefence Ministry, and veteran pilots of the two countries.
In his remarks at the event, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Duc Soatsaid the Vietnamese and US veteran pilots met for the first time in Hanoi onApril 13, 2010 and their second meeting took place in San Diego, California,the US, in September seven years later.
This event is not only a chance for the aviators torecollect their air battles nearly a half-century ago, but also demonstratesthe desire to boost the Vietnam – US relations as reflected in the motto “From dogfight to detente and cooperation for development,” Soat noted.
This year’s gathering saw fighter pilots from both sidesof the war who fought in air battles during the war in Vietnam more than 40years ago. Some shot down their enemies; some were shot down. They had theopportunity to tell their part of stories back then and learn about others’life at present.
Soat called this type of meetings between Vietnamese andAmerican veteran pilots “historic” and “humane.”
More and more veteran pilots from Vietnam and the USbecome interested in these meetings, which show the strong development of thetwo countries’ ties, Tutt said. –VNA
VNA
