An exhibition at the Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi is showcasing archived photos that reflect the 80-year journey of the Vietnamese People's Army (Dec. 22, 1944 - Dec. 22, 2024), as well as the portraits of nine leading generals.
To the left is a portrait of General Vo Nguyen Giap at the age of 19, when he was imprisoned by the French in Hue. To the right was Giap teaching history at the Thang Long Private School.
Giap, who became a general at the age of 37, directly commanded the Vietnamese People's Army in several campaigns, including the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, leading to the end of the wars against France and the U.S.
"If I were not a soldier, I could be a teacher, a philosopher or a historian," Giap told U.S. historian Stanley Karnow during an interview in 1990.
General Vo Nguyen Giap (2nd, L) and military representatives at a National Assembly session in July 1976. It was the first session to take place after Vietnam decided on its country name, national flag, national emblem, capital and national anthem.
Giap passed away on Oct. 4, 2013 at age 103. His house at No. 30 Hoang Dieu Street in Hanoi, where he lived with his family, is a frequent location for veterans to stop by and pay respect.
General Nguyen Chi Thanh (R), whose real name is Nguyen Vinh, listens to a report with lieutenant general Tran Van Tra at the Southern region command back in 1966.
Nguyen Chi Thanh and his daughter Nguyen Thanh Ha at the Viet Bac area in 1952.
"My father was a general; at the time we did not understand about his career and military leadership prowess," Ha said, as cited by the exhibition's organizers.
"We only knew that the army was a career and a way of life; his flesh, passion and love. My mother was a soldier, us sisters also became soldiers once we graduated 10th grade. My father always said his path growing up was to become a soldier."
Thanh's youngest son, late Colonel General Nguyen Chi Vinh, was a deputy minister of national defense.
General Van Tien Dung had been to several prisons, including Hoa Lo, Son La and Bac Ninh, during 1940-1944. He used to disguise as a monk at the Bot Xuyen Pagoda in 1943 to evade enemies and serve the revolution.
In the photo, Dung leads a group of soldiers to scout and fight in Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam in 1952.
He used to be the head delegate of the high military command to participate in the Trung Gia military conference in July 1954, where a negotiation took place to discuss methods to realize several decisions at the Geneve Conference.
He continued to participate in several major operations after, such as the Ho Chi Minh campaign in 1975.
General Vo Nguyen Giap (R) and General Van Tien Dung meet up in May 1975 after Reunification Day. Both generals used to be defense ministers.
Lieutenant General Vuong Thua Vu returns to Hanoi on Oct. 10, 1954. He was the head of Brigade 308, the first main ground soldier unit of the Vietnamese People's Army.
"As a commander, no matter over how many people, one needs to train their stance, ideology, strategy and leadership," Vu once said.
Colonel general Song Hao had contributed greatly to the army's Party and political activities.
In life, he considered political activities to be a vital mission, stressing how a leader's true capability must be shown through his battle spirit, discipline and military knowledge.
Colonel General Dinh Duc Thien (rightmost) has contributed greatly to the construction of a Truong Son gasoline pipe, spanning over 5,000 km underground from the Vietnam-China border to the southern province of Binh Phuoc, supporting soldiers during operations.
In the photo, Thien was instructing people on making a bamboo container for vehicles back in January 1973.
Commanding officer Dong Sy Nguyen (L) and political commissar Vu Xuan Chiem at a military command in November 1971.
Chiem was a logistical leader on the legendary Truong Son Road. After liberation day, he eventually became deputy minister of defense.
A family photo of major general Tran Tu Binh (back row, 2nd L) in 1960, who had made several contributions to both military and diplomacy. In 1959, he was the Vietnamese ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in China, as well as the ambassador in Mongolia.
Major General Huynh Dac Huong (3rd, L) has accompanied the army since its first day of formation.
At the age of 104, he still stays active. In September, he was the representative of the communication committee of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts to help Laos with the meeting with the Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith.
The exhibition will last until the end of December.
