Meeting and paying tribute to the soldiers of Dien Bien Phu.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh greets delegates attending the conference. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Earlier, on the afternoon of April 16th, delegates offered incense at the Memorial Temple for Martyrs of the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield, A1 Cemetery.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, leaders of ministries, departments, localities, and Dien Bien province. Notably, the meeting and tribute program in Dien Bien province was attended by 139 delegates, including Dien Bien soldiers, youth volunteers, and civilian workers who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , and many other provinces and cities. Also present were veteran revolutionaries, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, heroes of the armed forces, labor heroes, and relatives of Dien Bien martyrs.

Organizing this reunion program in Dien Bien Phu itself is an act of gratitude and appreciation for those who dedicated their youth to the country, contributing to the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory that "shook the world."

This is one of a series of activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.

Photos from the meeting on the morning of April 17: Photo: QUANG PHÚC

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Do Van Chien, emphasized that 70 years ago, having a firm grasp of the situation, the enemy's schemes and tactics, in early December 1953, the Politburo decided to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. General Vo Nguyen Giap, a member of the Politburo and Minister of National Defense, directly served as the Party Secretary and commander of the front.

At the same time, the Front Supply Council was established, chaired by Comrade Pham Van Dong.

President Ho Chi Minh instructed: “This campaign is a very important campaign, not only militarily but also politically, not only domestically but also internationally. Therefore, the entire army, the entire people, and the entire Party must concentrate their efforts to ensure its successful completion.”

The leader instructed General Vo Nguyen Giap, "We must fight to win; only fight if victory is certain, do not fight if victory is uncertain." The entire nation concentrated its strength on the Dien Bien Phu front, with the slogan "All for the front line, all for victory."

On March 13, 1954, our troops launched an attack on Dien Bien Phu. Under the brilliant command of General Vo Nguyen Giap, and with the unwavering will, resourcefulness, and courage of a heroic nation, our army and people fought tenaciously, "fighting surely," "advancing steadily," and shattering the defensive lines in all directions. At 5:30 PM on May 7, 1954, General De Castries and the General Staff of the Dien Bien Phu fortified complex surrendered and were captured alive.

After 56 days and nights of "digging tunnels in the mountains, sleeping in bunkers, enduring torrential rain, and eating meager rations / Blood mixed with mud, unwavering courage, unyielding determination," the Dien Bien Phu Campaign achieved complete victory. It is an immortal epic, a glorious milestone in the history of our nation's struggle for national liberation and defense.

Dien Bien Phu veterans at a reunion. Photo: QUANG PHUC

The historic victory at Dien Bien Phu laid the decisive foundation for the signing of the Geneva Accords on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam. The North transitioned to socialism, serving as a solid rear base for the struggle to liberate the South and unify the country.

The historic victory at Dien Bien Phu affirmed the correct and creative resistance strategy of the Party and the growing strength of the Vietnam People's Army. It can be affirmed that the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu was a victory of righteousness for a heroic Vietnamese nation. This victory was the culmination of a fervent patriotic tradition, the strength of national unity, and the resolve to "rather sacrifice everything than lose the country, rather die than be enslaved."

Comrade Do Van Chien emphasized that the Fatherland and the people will forever remember the heroes and martyrs, the outstanding sons and daughters of the nation who dedicated their youth, "fighting to the death for the Fatherland." Seventy years after the victory, many martyrs' information and identities remain unknown. Their blood and bones have become one with the sacred soil of Northwest Vietnam and Dien Bien, so that today the country blossoms with independence and bears the fruits of freedom; the people live in peace, prosperity, and happiness.

Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Do Van Chien, delivered a speech at the event.

Comrade Do Van Chien also emphasized: "How can we forget the more than 30,000 bicycles used in the campaign that transported over 23,000 tons of rice, 266 tons of salt, and nearly 2,000 tons of food to the battlefield? With fervent patriotism and deep hatred of the enemy, the young volunteers and civilian workers on the front lines were able to accomplish extraordinary things."

That was Mr. Ma Van Thang from Thanh Son, Phu Tho, a slender man who could carry 325kg of goods on a single bicycle to support the campaign. Mr. Trinh Dinh Bam from Dinh Lien commune, Yen Dinh district, Thanh Hoa province, was poor and didn't have a bicycle, so he built a wheelbarrow to use as a civilian laborer; lacking one wheel, he respectfully prayed to his ancestors, dismantled the ancestral altar, and completed the wheelbarrow.

"There are thousands, even tens of thousands more people whose names cannot be mentioned who sacrificed their lives and contributed their efforts to the victory at Dien Bien Phu, to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. The names of these heroes and heroines have become synonymous with the land and country of Vietnam," Comrade Do Van Chien emphasized.

Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Do Van Chien, stated that on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, in coordination with central ministries, departments, and agencies, and 54 provinces and cities, organized a meeting and presented gifts to express gratitude to 13,836 wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, youth volunteers, and civilian workers who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, to collectively remind them of the significance, scale, and great historical value of the Dien Bien Phu victory.

Speaking at the conference, Dien Bien Provincial Party Secretary Tran Quoc Cuong also emphasized that 70 years have passed, and the Fatherland and people of Vietnam, including the people of Dien Bien province and the Northwest region, will forever remember the gratitude owed to the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, the heroic martyrs, the Dien Bien Phu soldiers, the youth volunteers, and the civilian workers who fought, sacrificed, and continued to make great contributions to the development of Dien Bien province.

“The Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in Dien Bien province will continue to strive to build Dien Bien province into an increasingly prosperous and beautiful place, contributing to the cause of renovation, construction, and defense of the Fatherland, worthy of the trust of the Party and the State, and the noble sacrifices and contributions of the heroic martyrs, soldiers of Dien Bien Phu, youth volunteers, and civilian workers who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign,” the Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee stated.

>>>Images from the emotional meeting attended by the Prime Minister. Photo: QUANG PHÚC