New York, April 24 -- The Vietnam war is a lesson for many people, said retired Senator Patrick Leahy, former President Pro Tempore of the US Senate and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident reporters in Washington D.C, Leahy, a key figure in promoting post-war reconciliation and cooperation in war legacy issues between the two countries, said that he always thought that the war in Vietnam was a mistake - a view he shares with many others. He recounted the moment in 1975 when he stood in the US Senate and voted in favour of ending the war.

"I have always considered myself part of that vote. The war finally ended, but it was a mistake for America to be involved," he...