Days of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign

Uncle Ho with poet To Huu, writer Phan Tu, and journalist Thai Duy (far right). Photo: Document.

During the 9 years of resistance war against France, due to the war situation, the editorial office of Cuu Quoc Newspaper had to frequently move to many locations in the provinces of Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang...

But through many hardships and difficulties, including losses and sacrifices, Cuu Quoc was the only daily newspaper that was still published and distributed regularly. Just the fact that the newspaper was published regularly for nearly 3,000 days under extremely fierce, difficult, and deprived war conditions could be said to be a miracle.

During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, journalists and artists gathered in large numbers on the battlefield. The People's Army Newspaper had five experienced reporters: Hoang Xuan Tuy, Tran Cu, Pham Phu Bang, Nguyen Khac Tiep and painter Nguyen Bich. Vietnam News Agency had Hoang Tuan, Voice of Vietnam had reporter Nguyen Nhat, Nhan Dan Newspaper had Thep Moi and Tran Dinh...

The National Salvation Newspaper sent two reporters, Thai Duy and Chinh Yen, to directly follow the main force throughout the years of the resistance war against the French and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

As a reporter for the National Salvation Newspaper (today's Dai Doan Ket Newspaper) who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, a few years ago, during conversations with us, journalist Thai Duy still vividly remembered every moment on the battlefield.

In the story, he often mentioned the courage, bravery, and boundless sacrifice of the people, of the soldiers on the front line, and the military intelligence of the generals commanding the front line to have a resounding Dien Bien Phu Victory that shook the world.

According to journalist Thai Duy's memory, during the years of the resistance war against the French, he and journalist Chinh Yen did not have to do any work in the editorial office, but were assigned to go with the army, going to the battlefield with the army all year round. From the Midland Campaign, Route 18 Campaign, Border Campaign... to later the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the two reporters of Cuu Quoc Newspaper were frontline reporters. "There were times like the Border Campaign when I followed the army for a whole year, maybe only returning to the editorial office once" - journalist Thai Duy said.

But when it came to the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the editorial office sent reporters Thai Cuong and Huu Tuan to follow the porters. Thai Duy and Chinh Yen still followed the main force to the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield. Reporter Chinh Yen followed the 312th Division, while Thai Duy followed the 316th Division.

Mr. Thai Duy said: I started following the army before Tet, which meant going to the Dien Bien Phu battlefield very early. It took 7-8 days to walk from the editorial office to the front line. The battlefield conditions were limited, there was no radio (propaganda at the Front line did not have enough time to help reporters send articles back), so articles were sent back to the editorial office very slowly, and to send articles back, I had to walk for a whole week. But those were also very beautiful days of journalism…

According to journalist Thai Duy, he followed the army all year round, the editorial office sent him out but didn't need any money, he just went. No business expenses, no money for stationery, just followed the army and gave him food. During the years he went to the battlefield without bringing any money, even on the days he missed his way and couldn't reach the army unit, he just went to a civilian's house and got food, any civilian's house would take care of him, feed him without ever asking his name. Thinking back to that time, I still find it beautiful. The people were so kind.

“Remembering the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the most memorable thing is the great contribution of the people. Food and provisions were transported to the battlefield by car, not much, but mainly by the labor of laborers, from Lang Son, through Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Yen Bai, to Dien Bien Phu, it was truly terrifying, the contribution of the people was great” - Mr. Thai Duy said.

Also according to journalist Thai Duy, on the way to the battlefield, there were always thousands of porters carrying rice, carrying rice to the front, brave and courageous. At the peak of the campaign, about 5 divisions were concentrated on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, transporting food to feed that many soldiers, all by the people's strength. And at that time it was winter, very cold.

The victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign was a victory of military intelligence - journalist Thai Duy said: When the artillery was pulled out, everyone was confused and did not understand what was going on, Chinh Yen and I also wondered about each other. But later we understood that if we did not pull the artillery out to dig a tunnel, the artillery would have been destroyed in just a few days.

When General De Castries surrendered, all the reporters present at the battlefield at that time rushed into the bunker. “Mr. Khac Tiep and I from the People's Army Newspaper went in together, and planned to sleep here tonight, but later because there was no more room to sleep, we went out again,” Mr. Thai Duy recalled.

Later, journalist Thai Duy also worked as a reporter in many other battlefields such as the Laos battlefield and the Southern battlefield, but he said Dien Bien Phu was the biggest direct battle he witnessed. According to him, anyone who was there at that time felt proud.

Mr. Thai Duy said: “The conditions for sending articles back were difficult, so I could not write much. The most regrettable thing was that I did not have a camera. At that time, Western war correspondents could write more than us because they were brought there by the enemy by plane and then flown back by plane. Later, when I wrote for the Laotian war, my articles were sent back to Hanoi by air, which was completely different, very regular.”

After the victory, journalist Thai Duy did not return to the editorial office immediately but stayed in Dien Bien Phu for a while longer. He was the reporter assigned to write a report on the Dien Bien Phu parade after the victory, published in the issue of the People's Army Newspaper published right at the battlefield. "On the day of the parade, it was truly sad to see the troops that no longer had the same number of soldiers as before the campaign. The sacrifices are boundless," he said.

At the beginning of the campaign, journalist Thai Duy went to Dien Bien Phu on foot, and a few months later, when he returned from Dien Bien Phu to the editorial office of the Cuu Quoc Newspaper, he also went on foot.

“But no matter what, compared to the civilian workers and soldiers, being a journalist in the battlefield is still very enjoyable. We walk with only our personal backpack, while the civilian workers have to carry rice, carry rice, it is very difficult and hard to endure” - journalist Thai Duy talked about the difficult days as a war correspondent for the National Salvation Newspaper, directly witnessing the Victory that “resounded throughout the five continents, shook the world”, in such a light-hearted way.

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