Event
Asia & Indo-Pacific
Southeast Asia Program

Vietnam & America: 50 Years of Peace and Reconciliation

Past
 Event

  in Southeast Asia

The Stimson Center invites you to a commemoration of 50 years of peace and reconciliation, and 30 years of official relations, between Vietnam and the United States. Hear stories from people who have dedicated their lives to turning enemies into partners, making the Vietnam-US relationship one of the most amicable and strategically important bilateral relationships in the world.

  • May 13, 2025
  • 3:00 - 5:15 PM
RSVP In-Person
RSVP Online

The US war in Vietnam officially ended on April 30, 1975, and Vietnam, which endured nearly a century of conflict and occupation, was finally at peace. Come to the Stimson Center to hear from Americans and Vietnamese people central to the amazing human story that turned former enemies into a deep and lasting friendship between the two countries.

Panels will explore the peace and reconciliation process through those who took part in it and also address remaining war legacy issues such as Agent Orange remediation, UXO cleanup, and provision of disabilities services to generations of Vietnamese still affected by the war. Keynote addresses will provide inspiration to how the Vietnam-US relationship can further deepen. A cocktail hour will follow the event to celebrate the occasion.

This event is sponsored by the Chino Cienega Foundation.

Event Schedule

3:00 – 3:15 PM | Introduction

Rachel Stohl, Senior Vice President of Research Programs and Director, Conventional Defense Program, Stimson Center (Opening Remarks)

H.E. Nguyen Quoc Dzung, Vietnam Ambassador to the United States (Keynote Speaker)

3:15 – 4:05 PM | Panel 1: Peace and Reconciliation

Ambassador (ret.) Ted Osius, Former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; President, US-ASEAN Business Council

Erin Steinhauer, Founder and President, Vietnam Society

Thao Nguyen Griffiths, Commissioner, the International Commission of Missing Persons

Elizabeth Becker, Journalist and Writer

Brian Eyler, Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program Director, Energy, Water, & Sustainability Program Director, Stimson Center (Moderator)

4:15 – 5:05 PM | Panel 2: War Legacies

Charles Bailey, Author and Retired Ford Foundation Representative for Vietnam

Andrew Wells-Dang, Former Senior Expert, Vietnam, US Institute of Peace

Susan Hammond, Executive Director, War Legacies Project; Stimson Center War Legacies Working Group Co-Chair

Brian Eyler, Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program Director, Energy, Water, & Sustainability Program Director, Stimson Center (Moderator)

5:05 – 5:15 PM | Closing Keynote

Senator Patrick Leahy (ret.), Retired U.S. Senator (Video Remarks)

5:15 – 6:15 PM | Cocktail Hour