📅 10 April 1997
The Senate confirmed Peterson’s appointment, moving the two countries toward routine diplomatic representation. A former POW became the first U.S. ambassador to postwar Vietnam. His appointment...
📅 9 May 1997
Peterson arrived to take up his post, beginning the work of the first U.S. ambassador in Vietnam since the war. His personal history as a former POW shaped public attention, while the embassy’s agenda...
📅 12 May 1997
The two countries exchanged ambassadors for the first time since the war and formally established resident diplomatic representation. Embassy relations created channels for negotiation and consular...
