Published:  00:00 Saturday - September 18, 2010

US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak on Sept. 17 handed over three watercolour sketches to army painter Le Duc Tuan; he lost the paintings in a battle in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum in 1968.

The watercolours are part of a series of 112 sketches Tuan drew when he was in the army.

Michalak spoke highly of the exchange of war objects, saying that it is a vivid manifestation of reconciliation between the two nations. He said he hoped that the two governments would step up activities to promote the friendship between US and Vietnamese war veterans and people based on mutual respect and development.

Tuan expressed his thanks to the US ambassador and former US soldier Robert B. Simpson, who prevented the sketches from being burnt and preserved them.

The artist presented the three paintings to the organizers of a campaign to collect and introduce objects and belongings related to the war.

At the ceremony, the Thanh Nien Publishing House introduced the “Painted Diary Returned from the Other Side” comprising 109 paintings Tuan got back from American war veterans in 2009.

The diary describes the real, lively and romantic lives of soldiers during the resistance war against US aggressors. It also includes articles written by US reporters and specialists about the paintings as well as the story of their journey from when they were lost until their return./.

VNA