Officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Wednesday awarded James Reckner an honorary medal for the cause of Vietnam Archives – making him the first American to receive such an honor from the United States’ former enemy.Reckner, executive director of the Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy and Reconciliation, has played an instrumental role in growing the Vietnam Center into one of the world’s foremost Vietnam-related archival and diplomatic instruments. Reckner said the award is a reflection of the continuing process of reconciliation between former enemies, and reflects the importance of the work of the Vietnam Center. “Cooperation in archival matters as well as cooperation in developing joint education programs, such as the ones currently being discussed by the delegation now in Vietnam, are the sort of activities that help heal the wounds of a war that concluded 33 years ago,” Reckner said.

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