50 years of national reunification: Uncle Ho's great dream

Liberation Army tanks enter the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975. The Vietnamese Revolution has successfully completed its goal of liberating the South and reunifying the country. Photo: Tran Mai Huong/VNA

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, in an interview with a VNA reporter in Havana, Cuban war correspondent Luis Arce, who had the honor of witnessing the first moments of that glorious victory, affirmed that this is one of the important milestones in contemporary history.

He emphasized that this victory has an importance beyond space and time, because on April 30, 1975, the Vietnamese people clearly demonstrated that empires, no matter how well-armed, how advanced their military technology, and how strong their international influence, cannot defeat a patriotic nation.

According to Luis Arce, that victory, that is, the military victory of a people who were mainly peasants, contrasted with the defeat of the most powerful empire in the world because not only was the arrogance of the empire broken, but the history and culture of a people that nothing and no one could subdue also won.

Journalist Luis Arce expressed: “I am very happy to talk about a glorious feat that took place 50 years ago and will last forever, that is the cause of national reunification, the great dream of President Ho Chi Minh. Although he did not witness it with his own eyes to enjoy that great moment, we know that he was always certain, until the last minute of his life, that this would become a reality thanks to the courage of the Vietnamese people and the long-standing culture that has created this multi-ethnic nation”.

Mr. Luis Arce shared the great honor of witnessing part of that unification, and for this reason, he is very grateful for the interview of VNA as well as the interest in a non-Vietnamese witness to recount those glorious days and what has forever marked his life.

Mr. Luis Arce emphasized that: “President Ho Chi Minh’s political and strategic thinking was comprehensive and had an extraordinary vision that only great men like him could have. He saw today’s present very early on, when he declared that the people would defeat foreign invaders and build a country ten times more beautiful.”

According to Mr. Luis Arce, although his saying was filled with revolutionary romanticism and love for the homeland, it transcended those sentiments because it expressed a firm determination to win and achieve national unity.

“I was there to witness the moment when relatives who had not seen each other in person for two, three or even four decades cried tears of joy. These were moments of indescribable emotion, breaking all stereotypes and proving that Vietnam is a single, indivisible nation, as Uncle Ho affirmed, contrary to the false claims of the American press at that time that Vietnam was two different nations,” said Luis Arce.

According to journalist Luis Arce, national unity was the key to victory half a century ago and remains so in the new battles since that historic April 30, but this time to achieve impressive socio-economic development, with the construction of a modern industrial, scientific and technical base, bringing Vietnam to international level, leading in social welfare and in meeting the material and spiritual needs of the people.

Journalist Luis Arce said that war, especially wars of aggression like the one in Vietnam, not only leave open wounds that are difficult to heal but also leave many lessons that help to look at the new era from a different perspective. Vietnam has been in the new era for half a century now, and in such a short period of time, in terms of time, Vietnam has achieved economic and institutional victories in all fields of knowledge and creativity thanks to the application of what some theorists call the historicization of time. That is, the country, the people, the leaders, the active subjects of all social processes, do not deviate from the path of long-standing principles that create "national sentiment".

In the new era, the iconic image of Vietnam is no longer women in black silk pants, Ao Ba Ba, wearing conical hats revealing black hair, or children riding on the back of buffaloes, soldiers with rifles on their shoulders, bare feet planted on sacred ground with rubber sandals that President Ho Chi Minh honored as part of the national identity. But those images and attributes are still preserved in the soul and in the heart, making up the Vietnamese people, just as Uncle Ho was and will always be Nguyen Ai Quoc (the Patriot).

The historic victory on April 30, 1975 left many valuable lessons, including the spirit of self-reliance, self-strengthening, and always striving to rise up in all difficult circumstances. Journalist Luis Arce affirmed that, in the context of current global integration, Vietnam is an example to follow in terms of the ability to achieve global integration, because Vietnam has done so in record time after a long war that severely damaged its productive forces. Vietnam has promoted peaceful elements to overcome economic stagnation and rise to the top of the "pyramid" of personal happiness and the satisfaction of basic needs.

Journalist Luis Arce emphasized that Vietnam and its people have the prestige and spirit to rise from the ashes of war like a “phoenix”, to tell the world that global integration is the path to development, that economic competition is not aggression but a tool of cooperation to ensure global peace and the welfare of humanity.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/50-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-uoc-mo-lon-cua-bac-ho-20250411195646354.htm