"Dien Bien Phu: Retelling an epic"

The article “Dien Bien Phu: Retelling an epic” was published by the Latin American News Agency Prensa Latina on May 7.

According to the VNA correspondent in Havana, journalist Moisés Pérez Mok - Chief of Prensa Latina's permanent office in Hanoi, opened the article emotionally: "The echoes of the last shots in the Dien Bien Phu campaign still resound when the father of Vietnam's national independence sent his heartfelt compliments to the cadres, soldiers, laborers, youth volunteers and local people who had gloriously fulfilled their duties."

When the Dien Bien Phu campaign was completely victorious, President Ho Chi Minh sent a congratulatory letter to all cadres and soldiers at the Dien Bien Phu front. In the letter, he sent his warm greetings to the wounded comrades, all cadres and soldiers nationwide who were determined to win. However, with humility and brilliance, he warned in the letter that "Although the victory is great, it is only the beginning. We should not be arrogant because of victory, should not be subjective and underestimate the enemy...".

Journalist Pérez Mok affirmed that the Dien Bien Phu victory was the result of the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, combined with the strength of the army and the patriotism of tens of thousands of Vietnamese people, many of whom sacrificed their lives on the battlefields. The veteran journalist of Prensa Latina emphasized that the clearest evidence of the great solidarity of the Vietnamese people in this glorious victory was the participation of more than twenty thousand frontline laborers with bicycles modified into carts to provide uninterrupted reinforcements to the front lines.

Thousands of tons of food, medicine, and weapons were transported along nearly 1,500km of rugged roads by bicycles - the "king of transportation" on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. Tens of thousands of bicycles were modified and reinforced to be able to carry more than 150kg, equivalent to the carrying capacity of 5 people, faster speed, and able to transport bulky materials and liquids such as gasoline and oil.

Many records are unimaginable, such as "bicycle master" Ma Van Thang carrying about 350 kg of goods on a trip, 13 times more than a person carrying a load, or laborer Cao Van Ty transporting 320 kg per trip.

According to Prensa Latina, thanks to the effective combination of the above factors, on May 7, 1954, the "Determination to Fight, Determination to Win" flag of the Vietnam People's Army flew over the roof of the bunker of the French command post at the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, signaling the complete victory of the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

However, to drive out the colonialists, Vietnam had to sacrifice a generation of its best sons, as General Vo Nguyen Giap once shared. The victory against the French colonialists created extremely favorable conditions for the Vietnamese people to defeat the invading American Empire on the southern front, gain independence and unify the country.

The resounding Dien Bien Phu campaign paved the way for the signing of the Geneva Accords in July 1954 to end the war in Vietnam, eliminate the French military presence in Indochina and restore peace in the region. The Dien Bien Phu victory sounded the death knell of old colonialism.

VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper

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