HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was in Vietnam on Sunday, reaffirming a partnership built on healing the scars of the Vietnam War in a trip that will test whether Washington can reassure a vital but wary partner.

Hegseth said addressing the legacies of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, remains the foundation and a top priority of the countries’ defense relationship.

At the end of his talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Hegseth handed over a leather box, a belt and a small knife — wartime artifacts once taken by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Such returns have become part of broader reconciliation efforts between the two countries, with similar relics — including letters, identification tags and photographs — handed back to

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