Veterans of the French and American wars flocked to the house of the late General Vo Nguyen Giap in Hanoi today (December 22), and to his tomb in his home Quang Binh Province, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of his victorious Vietnam People's Army.
People waiting outside the house of late General Vo Nguyen Giap in Hanoi on December 22 morning to pay tribute to him.
The house, now a state memorial, is at 30 Hoang Dieu Street, where he lived throughout the American War and has been preserved as it was when he led Vietnam to victory over the US-backed armed forces of the south.
Veteran Ngo Van Chien said he had travelled since early morning by bus from Ba Trieu Street in Hanoi to be at General Giap's house to pay tribute to the commander, who entered military history with his victory over French colonial forces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, and then for his victory over the Americans, who had attempted to deny Vietnam's unification, which came in 1975.
Veteran Ngo Van Chien came to General Giap's house this morning to pay tribute to the commander
Giap was born on August 25, 1911 in An Xa village, Loc Thuy Commune, Le Thuy District, Quang Binh Province, and died in 2013. He rose to the rank of general at the head of an army he formed under Ho Chi Minh to fight for Vietnam's independence in a 10,000-day war.
His name is closely linked to the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, which led to the withdrawal of the French from Vietnam. He was also the commander of the formal and guerrilla armies fighting US and other forces that attempted to prevent the unification of north and south Vietnam, under free elections as had been promised under the so-called Geneva Accords, which were subsequently repudiated by political elements in Saigon.
Visitors to General Giap's tomb in Quang Binh Province on December 20 morning.
The house of General Giap is a popular visiting point for many foreign tourists and Vietnamese, who come to reflect on his sacrifices, and the sacrifices he inspired of millions of soldiers and people who fought for Vietnam's independence. His tomb in his home of Quang Binh Province is also a landmark to Vietnam's struggles.
