U.S. warship makes historic Vietnam visit

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. frigate docked in Vietnam Wednesday, the first such warship to visit since the Vietnam War.

The USS Vandegrift steamed into Ho Chi Minh City with many of its 200 crew recording the moment on video cameras, the BBC reported.

The ship will spend four days in port near Ho Chi Minh City, which as Saigon was the U.S. command center in the war.

"I think this is a very good sign to promote and develop of bilateral relations between Vietnam and the United States, particularly between the two navies," said Navy Lt.-Col. Nguyen Quang Bieu, who was among the Vietnamese delegation at the port.

The U.S. crew, led by Commander Richard Rogers, was given a red carpet welcome.

Last week, Vietnam's Defense Minister Pham Van Tra was in Washington for talks with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

It was the first time a senior Vietnamese military official had visited the United States.