Make Agent Orange History

David Shear

The United States Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of David Shear as United States Ambassador to Vietnam. In a statement during his confirmation hearings, Shear made clear that Agent Orange and other legacies of the war in Vietnam will be a priority for his office.

“While major strides have been made in our relationship, 15 years is still too short to have completely overcome the painful legacy of our past. If confirmed, I will continue to strengthen our cooperation with Vietnam on the solemn task of accounting for Americans missing from the war. I will work hard to maintain our assistance with demining and efforts to remove unexploded ordnance. By January 2012, we will have broken ground on a major effort to remediate dioxin residue from the soil at Da Nang Airport, one of several “hotspots” where the defoliant Agent Orange was stored during the war. We also continue to provide assistance for Vietnam’s disabled citizens, without regard to cause.”

Ambassador-designate Shear was formerly Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and brings nearly three decades of experience working for the Foreign Service to Vietnam. Read Ambassador Shear’s full remarks here.