Dien Bien's Wistfulness

Dien Bien Phu Battlefield Relic Complex is a special national relic that plays an important role in the tourism development of Dien Bien province. Located about 300 km from Hanoi, Dien Bien Phu is a large valley in the West of the Northwest region, surrounded by dense forests and mountains, with an average height of 500m and steep slopes.

It was this difficult and rugged terrain that made the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, an "earth-shaking" event, special.

“Nine years of making a Dien Bien Phu

"The red wreath should be the golden history"

The poem by the late poet To Huu was written a long time ago, but every time I read it, I suddenly feel proud when I remember this place. Remembering Dien Bien Phu is remembering the special things that made up the Dien Bien Phu victory, the victory that opened a new era - an era of peace, independence and socialism in the socialist North associated with the struggle to liberate the South and unify the Fatherland.

May 7, 1954, a special day, the anniversary of the end of the resistance war against French colonialism after 56 days and nights of brave, intelligent and creative fighting by our army and people. More than 70 years have passed, but this place still bears the bold traces reminding us of the “golden history” in the history of the nation.

The historic victory has long since passed, but its valuable lessons are still relevant. The Dien Bien Phu victory is a brilliant milestone in the history of building and defending the country of our people. This victory created a turning point that changed the situation of the war, leading to the signing of the Geneva Agreement, ending the war, restoring peace in Indochina. It can be said that in the resistance war against French colonialism, the historic Dien Bien Phu victory was the greatest victory, dealing a decisive blow, ending the invasion of French colonialism, liberating the North, creating momentum to move forward to victory in the resistance war against American imperialism, liberating the South, and unifying the country.

We stood silently beside the bicycles that had been stained by time, recalling a very special image. Right here, with the steep terrain, dangerous mountain passes, where armored vehicles could not pass, those durable bicycles were used to transport weapons, food and essential supplies to the soldiers on the front lines. It can be said that the intelligence, ingenuity and courage of the soldiers on the front lines or in the rear contributed to the Dien Bien Phu victory that was famous throughout the five continents.

Remembering the Dien Bien Phu victory is remembering special numbers.

Those are the numbers that speak to the balance of power between us and the enemy. According to statistics, before the opening fire, our army had 51,445 people, the enemy force with modern weapons and ammunition had an initial number of 10,814 people, and at its peak it reached about 16,200 people. Our army and people killed and captured 16,200 people, shot down 62 planes, seized 64 cars and all of the enemy's weapons, ammunition, uniforms and military equipment, and wiped out the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, which the enemy confidently considered an "impregnable fortress". To achieve the Dien Bien Phu victory that was famous throughout the world, 4,020 people died, 792 people went missing, and 9,118 people were injured.

Remembering the Dien Bien Phu victory is remembering General Vo Nguyen Giap, a talented and very humane general. It is rare in history for a talented general, the commander-in-chief of a campaign to come from a history teacher, a general whose military prowess and noble ideals made the whole world admire him. He was a person with special talent for strategy, applying military strategy flexibly from "Responding to all changes with the same consistency" to "Fighting quickly, winning quickly" to "Fighting steadily, advancing steadily" when he realized the situation was changing.

“Dĩ bất biến” is President Ho Chi Minh’s instruction to “fight with certainty to win” and “respond to all changes” is the decision to change the combat strategy from “fight quickly, resolve quickly” to “fight firmly, advance firmly”. This is an extremely correct and creative decision in a very difficult time. The decision shows the sharp military thinking and very flexible response to reality, in accordance with the developments of the battle situation of the Campaign Command, headed by General Vo Nguyen Giap.

A war that showed outstanding leadership talent under the leadership of beloved Uncle Ho, of the talented general Vo Nguyen Giap with his brilliant military art, in difficult conditions but still had extremely intelligent solutions, unexpected and lightning-fast decisions to gain victory.

General Vo Nguyen Giap's military talent was also convincing to his opponents. General Marcel Bigeard, a famous general who commanded the French army in the Dien Bien Phu battle, and former French Deputy Minister of Defense, publicly commented: "With the victory at Dien Bien Phu, General Giap successfully commanded his army for more than 30 years. This created an unprecedented strength..." or "Not only now, but forever, I believe that the legendary life and career of General Vo Nguyen Giap will forever be an example and a source of pride for every Vietnamese person."

Although the General has passed away, his legacy of military art has left great value to posterity, especially to the military community not only in the country but also internationally. He is not only a legendary general in the hearts of the Vietnamese people but also a military genius admired by the world and honored as one of the 10 greatest generals in world history of all time.

Understand to appreciate, be grateful and proud of the leadership ability of Vietnamese talents, to flexibly apply it to the work of protecting and building the country in peacetime.

Coming to Dien Bien today, everything has changed positively, more decently, more beautiful as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized during a visit and work with Dien Bien: "Dien Bien must develop rapidly, sustainably, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty practically and effectively, with the spirit and momentum of the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory "famous in five continents, shaking the world", worthy of the great international brand Dien Bien Phu and a culture imbued with national identity".

Although not born during the war, the films, documents, and heroic stories about the Dien Bien Phu campaign are always imprinted in the minds of us young Vietnamese people.

It can be said that the Dien Bien Phu victory was a resounding victory in military art, in the spirit of military-civilian solidarity, in patriotism, in national pride and in resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Grateful for the blood and bones of those who have fallen for the peace of the nation, leaving behind many values ​​for posterity. We, the young people, vow to remember the merits, indomitable spirit, and sacrifice for the country of our ancestors. We remind ourselves to always remember the great achievements of the great victory so as not to forget our roots, so that the sacrifices and blood and bones are no longer meaningless, so that we can contribute and give more in our own way.

Proud of a great war, proud of being a citizen of a nation that bravely fought against powerful imperialist and invading enemies with indomitable patriotism, resilience, intelligence and bravery.

A lucky trip because I was able to come here to directly feel and understand more about the Dien Bien Phu victory. I went to feel more responsible in life, to contribute, even if small, but positively through trips to the source, to spread valuable lessons about history, to know how to apply the military art of our fathers and brothers into business, to keep good things for the younger generation in the future, to contribute to building an increasingly powerful Vietnam on par with the world powers as beloved Uncle Ho had wished.

More than 70 years have passed, life here has changed a lot but the true values ​​of the Dien Bien Phu victory still remain, passing on to us, the young people, the pride of the golden history that lives forever with time.