President Ho Chi Minh 'passed on the fire' to the soldiers of Dien Bien Phu

That encouragement is not only for the forces participating in the campaign, but also deeply expressed to each officer and soldier, from broad issues to specific situations in combat and daily life.

As soon as our units advanced to the Northwest, he sent a letter to the cadres and soldiers of the Dien Bien Phu front:“This fall and winter, you have the mission of advancing to Dien Bien Phu to destroy more enemy forces, expand resistance bases, and liberate more people oppressed by the enemy. Last year, you fought bravely, destroyed many enemies, and won great victories. I was very pleased... you must fight more bravely, endure more hardships, and maintain your determination in all circumstances... I and the Government are waiting for news of victory to reward you."

As usual, on the occasion of the New Year of the Horse, Uncle Ho sent a letter of New Year greetings to compatriots and soldiers at home and abroad:

In the New Year, our army and people have two clear tasks.

- Strengthen the resistance to gain independence and freedom

- Land reform is a very big job.

Gradually make the farmer have land and no longer worry about poverty

Our army and people are united.

The resistance war and national construction will definitely be a complete success.

Uncle Ho did not go directly to battle. But he was regularly informed about the situation on the battlefield by the General Staff.

General Van Tien Dung wrote: Once I boldly expressed my concern about Uncle Ho's health, Uncle Ho smiled happily: This year's war, the enemy does not understand what we are doing, that is unusual. The enemy established the Dien Bien Phu base and said that it would be the place to crush our army. We must make extraordinary efforts, if we proactively do things that the enemy cannot think of, or has not thought of, or has not thought of, our army and people will become much stronger, we will win and so Uncle Ho is healthy.

With the front ensuring supply for the campaign, a heavy task that determined the success or failure of the campaign, Uncle Ho also had a personal letter."To the supply staff and the civilian workers".He presented the "Determined to fight and win" flag as a rotating award to encourage everyone to make achievements in the campaign. On the occasion of the Giap Ngo New Year (1954), he gave each cadre and soldier at the front a beautiful drinking cup with bold, bright red letters printed on it."Resolutely fulfill the mission".Near the opening day of the campaign, in March 1953, President Ho Chi Minh sent another letter to the cadres and soldiers at the Dien Bien front.

General Van Tien Dung recalled: “There was an unexpected happiness that we never expected when Uncle Ho invited Van, Ha and me to celebrate Tet with him at his house in Tin Keo. We were moved because we understood Uncle Ho's heart for the army. I thought to myself, how immense is Uncle Ho's love, but also how delicate. Perhaps Uncle Ho reserved this New Year's Eve meal at the "Presidential Palace" to personally send Van off to the front, to send off his close student who tomorrow will have to shoulder a very heavy task... Uncle Ho gave us a family reunion, a reunion between father and son, between brothers and sisters at the sacred moment of the traditional national New Year. In just a few days, our Uncle Ho will turn 64. He has won back for the nation the whole country, but for himself he has nothing. Nothing in this world can compare to that man.”

After the victory of the two opening battles of the campaign in Him Lam and Doc Lap and the crushing of the enemy's counterattacks to retake these strongholds, Uncle Ho and the Party Central Committee sent telegrams of praise, encouragement, support and instructions to the cadres and soldiers at the front, including the following passage:: “This campaign is a historic campaign of our army, winning this campaign has important military and political significance. The enemy will try their best to cope, we must try, fight tenaciously, do not be subjective and underestimate the enemy, to gain complete victory for this campaign”.

Throughout the campaign, he also paid special attention to the situation on the battlefield. To overcome difficulties and obstacles, and ensure supplies for the front line, the Politburo and Uncle Ho promptly issued a Resolution, clearly stating:“The entire people, the entire Party and the Government are determined to bring all their strength to support Dien Bien Phu and are determined to do everything necessary to achieve total victory in this campaign.”Following Dien Bien Phu, keeping up with the news every day, every hour, President Ho brought to the officers and soldiers on the front a great strength and belief in victory, a belief in certain victory originating from himself and the belief in the officers and soldiers on the front.

Thus, President Ho Chi Minh contributed greatly to the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu from planning the general strategy to directing each battle. He instilled in our soldiers a determination to fight and win, extraordinary determination, strength, iron faith and a resilient revolutionary spirit so that our army and people could overcome difficulties and dangers to gain complete victory.

The revolutionary flame that the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap kindled and shone in the earth-shaking Dien Bien Phu campaign in 1954 will continue to spread in the minds and hearts of the Vietnamese people and of humanity who love independence, peace and progress, illuminating the path of national independence associated with socialism, and our nation on the path of construction, development and integration with the world.

REFERENCES

1. Central Party History Research Committee (1980),President Ho Chi Minh - biography and career,Truth Publishing House, Hanoi.

1. Truong Chinh (1991),Chairperson Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese Revolution,Publishing House of Theoretical Information, Hanoi.

1. Le Duan (1986),Chairperson Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of our Party and people,Truth Publishing House, Hanoi.

1. General Van Tien Dung's collection, People's Army Publishing House.

1. Ha Dang (2014),Uncle Ho and the spring of Dien Bien Phu, Phu Yen online, February 1, 2014

1. Vo Nguyen Giap (editor-in-chief) (1997),Ho Chi Minh's thought and the Vietnamese revolutionary path,National Political Publishing House, Hanoi.

1. Military Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities (2012),Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese revolutionary path,National Political Publishing House, Hanoi.

1. Do Ba Ty (2014),Dien Bien Phu, the first strategic battle in the Ho Chi Minh era,April 7, 2014.