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Returning to the city in the northern Dien Bien Province at the invitation of the Vietnamese government, the veterans, all in their 90s, visited the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum and observed the exhibits of the Dien Bien Phu battle, in which the Vietnamese defeated the French to reclaim the important valley.
Accompanying them on the visit Sunday afternoon was Patricia Mirallès, France's Secretary of State for veterans' affairs and memory.
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A French professor (R) sits with three French veterans outside Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum in Dien Bien, May 5, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy |
The three men were assisted by soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army to the second floor, where documents and artifacts about the Dien Bien Phu campaign are displayed, from the preparation phase to the complete victory on the afternoon of May 7, 1954.
The veterans stopped for quite some time in front of a photo capturing the scene depicting President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and the Communist Party's Politburo discussing the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
They revisited archival photos from the spring of 1954, when French soldiers began building the strongest base complex in Indochina on the Muong Thanh field in the city.
After 70 years, these soldiers who were once on the opposite side of the frontline revisited canteens, anti-leech medicine, and military equipment used by themselves and their comrades when they set foot in the tropical land nearly 10,000 kilometers away from home.
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French veteran Jean Yves Guinard visit the former Dien Bien Phu battleground, May 5, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy |
Jean Yves Guinard, one of the veterans, said he arrived at the museum to understand more about history and remember the comrades who are no longer with him.
He believes that respecting them means not avoiding history. Many veterans who fought in Vietnam later made efforts to normalize relations between the two countries through projects like providing scholarships for students.
Veteran William Schilardi said: "I think passing on historical memories to the younger generation is important, and the governments of both countries should always find ways to educate the youths on this."
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French veteran William Schilardi points at remnants on display at the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum in Dien Bien Phu City, May 5, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy |
Mirallès said: "The relationship between the two countries has achieved many successes. We aim for peace and more important matters."
She cited French President Emmanuel Macron's words that "we must always confront our history."
On Tuesday, Mirallès along with French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu will attend the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Dien Bien Phu victory.
During the event, they will explore the historical memory path in three languages of Vietnamese, French and English, and attend the artistic lighting ceremony of the Muong Thanh Bridge, organized by the French city of Lyon.
Visiting the battlefield site, Lecornu and Mirallès will talk to veterans from both sides.
According to the French Embassy in Vietnam, the visit and attendance at the celebration by Minister Sébastien Lecornu demonstrate the good bilateral relations, friendship between the two countries, and the desire to strengthen the partnership.
Vietnam will hold a parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory at the Dien Bien Provincial Stadium on Tuesday morning.
The parade blocks will recreate the spirit of the 1954 victory, which led to the Geneva Convention in July 1954, where leaders of many countries agreed to reestablish peace in Indochina, ending years of the French dominating northern Vietnam.
