Hanoi to renovate John McCain memorial

The renovation is to retain the historical and cultural values of the events that happened in the area. The memorial itself will also be pushed back so that it will be located right next to the railings of the Truc Bach Lake, creating a wider space in the front.

The memorial’s appearance will remain as it is, but its size will be increased to accommodate its new location, and its material will be changed from cement to monoliths. There will also be areas where flowers and wreaths could be placed. Additional infrastructures, like lighting systems, would also be installed.

The renovation project would cost around VND2 billion ($78,802), to be taken from the district’s budget. The project will be carried out from 2024-2025.

The monument marks McCain’s capture during the Vietnam War, after his plane was shot down during a bombing run in 1967. He ejected from his plane and was pulled ashore by locals after landing in the Truc Bach Lake. He spent the next five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi’s Hoa Lo Prison.

McCain was released following the Paris Accord in 1973.

The war veteran then started his political career and became a senator, at which point he dedicated efforts to improve the Vietnam – U.S. relations.

McCain returned to Truc Bach Lake several times himself, including one in 2017, a year before he died of a brain tumor.

U.S. President Joe Biden placed flowers at the memorial in his visit to Vietnam in September last year. His vice president Kamala Harris also placed flowers at the site in August 2021.