At the MIA recovery mission that Clinton visited Saturday, Vietnamese workers hauled bucket after bucket of mud from a suspected crash crater and forced it through mesh screens. American experts are combing the debris for any particle of human remains. The site is where Air Force Capt. He was flying one of four planes in a bombing raid on a railroad bridge 17 miles northwest of Hanoi. Witnesses said his plane was downed by anti-aircraft fire.
Wreckage is buried deep in thick clay, complicating the recovery.
Clinton's visit was meant to underscore the administration's commitment to accounting for as many war dead as possible and to thank the communist government for its cooperation. The president said Vietnam's cooperation on the MIA issue was essential. Clinton said that as a result of the MIA efforts, the United States decided to support international lending to Vietnam, resume trade, establish diplomatic relations and reach a pivotal trade agreement. The president met separately with Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. They spoke about the painful legacy of the war, such as missing servicemen, unexploded ordnance and the use of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange, Berger said.