Meet the guard of the Paris Agreement negotiating delegation

Unforgettable memories

In the cold weather of a winter day, we went to Dong Van hamlet, Hung Tien commune (Nam Dan) to meet Mr. Le Viet Hung (also known as Le Viet Bac) - one of the 5 members of the security team for the 2 Vietnamese delegations during the negotiations of the Paris Agreement in 1973. Nearly 80 years old, 50 years of party membership, Mr. Huong still maintains a quick style. Recalling the days of participating in protecting the delegation negotiating the signing of the Paris Agreement in France, old memories came flooding back, making him emotional and nostalgic.



The Democratic Republic of Vietnam negotiating delegation in 1968



From left to right (Minister Xuan Thuy; Special Advisor Le Duc Tho and Mr. Le Viet Hung (aka Bac) (the person standing slightly behind) in Paris in 1968.

“...One day at the end of April 1968, I (Le Viet Hung - PV) and 5 other comrades were summoned by the Director of the Guard Department (now the Guard Command - Ministry of Public Security) and assigned an important task: Protecting the Democratic Republic of Vietnam negotiation delegation led by comrade Xuan Thuy to Paris. All 5 people chosen were physically strong, elite, good at martial arts, had the ability to react quickly, and to ensure secrecy, they were given 5 different aliases, but together they were very meaningful: Bac, Trung, Nam, Thong, Nhat. In which "Bac" is Le Viet Hung, from Nam Dan, Nghe An; "Trung" is comrade Cao Nam, from Dien Chau, Nghe An, "Nam" is comrade Phan Van Soan from the South, "Thong" is comrade Nguyen Huu Tong, from Thanh Hoa, "Nhat" is comrade Nguyen Minh Niem, from Hanoi. On May 9, 1968, the security team and the Vietnamese negotiation delegation The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by Minister Xuan Thuy and special advisor Le Duc Tho, departed for Paris. The delegation stayed at the Lutetia Hotel at 45 Raspail Avenue, District 16, Paris. A few days later, for many reasons, the delegation was arranged by the French Communist Party to stay at the Choisy Le Roi Party School. Here, Mr. Hung was assigned the task of approaching and protecting comrade Xuan Thuy at all times and places.

During his time in France, the impression of comrade Xuan Thuy - Head of the delegation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the Paris Conference in the guard soldier Nguyen Viet Hung was "a courageous, talented, prestigious diplomat, but also very virtuous, close, and caring to everyone. Although he was arranged to eat and live separately, he still went to the communal kitchen to see how the brothers in the delegation ate and lived...". To facilitate communication, comrade Xuan Thuy gave the delegation the code name Delegation 37 (the delegation consisted of 37 members). During their time in France, the delegation was enthusiastically supported by overseas Vietnamese, many women even went to buy pickled eggplant, boiled spinach... because they were worried that the delegation would not like Western dishes. The French people were very sympathetic to the Vietnamese delegation, wherever the Vietnamese delegation went, they were welcomed by the French people. The comrades in the French Communist Party paid special attention, supported, and created favorable conditions from accommodation to security work... Responsible for driving for comrade Xuan Thuy and comrade Nguyen Thi Binh, who were also members of the French Communist Party...

After the delegation of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, led by comrade Nguyen Thi Binh, came to conduct the four-party conference, Mr. Le Viet Hung was transferred to protect comrade Nguyen Thi Binh's delegation until he was replaced and returned to the country to take on a new mission at the end of December 1970. The 3-year period from 1968 to 1970, when he was tasked with protecting the security of the two negotiating delegations leading to the signing of the Paris Agreement, were the most beautiful memories in Mr. Le Viet Hung's life. The day the Paris Agreement was signed, opening the way to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam (January 21, 1973), Mr. Hung was in Hanoi, when he heard the news, he "was moved to tears of joy mixed with pride and excitement...".

…. And the life of a Colonel from Nghe An

The former guard soldier now lives simply and humbly in a small house with a lush vegetable garden in the countryside of Nghe An. Except for his children and a few close friends, few people know that he is a historical witness who participated in protecting two delegations negotiating the signing of the Paris Agreement in France. He confided: "Although he was assigned a house in Hanoi, he still likes to return to his hometown to enjoy the fields and gardens..." His life has many interesting things that make many people admire him. Born in 1934 in a poor farmer family in Nam Lac commune (now Hung Tien) Nam Dan.



Mr. Le Viet Hung (holding the jacket) accompanied Minister Xuan Thuy in Paris 1968.

As a child, Le Viet Hung was adopted by a landlord family in Thanh Chuong. He then escaped back to his hometown to work in the fields and participate in local activities, and was elected Deputy Secretary of the Nam Lac Commune Youth Union. In early 1954, he joined the Central Youth Volunteers. Later, he was transferred to the Guard Department and participated in protecting the delegation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam that signed the Paris Agreement in France from 1968 to 1970. Returning from France, he was sent by his unit to study at the Security University. Then, from 1978 to 1983, he was sent to work as a security expert for the Ministry of Interior of Laos. After returning from Laos, he continued to work at the Guard Command, serving as Chief of the Guard Department for comrade Truong Chinh until comrade Truong Chinh passed away in 1988. From 1989, Mr. Le Viet Hung was the Chief of the Logistics Department of the Guard Command until his retirement in 1993 with the rank of Colonel. After retiring at the end of 2007, Colonel Le Viet Hung returned to his hometown of Hung Tien, Nam Dan to live and is currently the Chairman of the Association of Retired Policemen of Nam Dan district, a member of the organization of former bodyguards of Uncle Ho and the Politburo (from the 3rd Party Congress and before)...

During his life, he participated in the domestic and foreign security team for many leaders of the country, including President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, General Secretary Truong Chinh... Forty years have passed, the first 5 members who formed the slogan "North Central South Unification" to protect the negotiation delegation today only have 3 people left: Mr. Le Viet Hung, also known as "North", Major General Phan Van Soan, also known as "South" and Mr. Nguyen Minh Niem, also known as "First"... Each person lives in a different place, but every year on the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, they call each other to ask about each other, recalling memories of the unforgettable days in France.

Khanh Ly