On May 7, 1954, the Dien Bien Phu campaign ended with the "glorious victory of five continents, shaking the earth" of the Vietnamese nation, marking the end of the invasion of the French colonialists.
National history turns a new page.
72 years after the Dien Bien Phu Victory, memories of the heroic days are still intact in the minds of veterans - those who have gone through the war and witnessed the historical moment of the nation.
Visiting the Vietnam Military History Museum, when standing in front of each artifact reminiscent of the fiery time, the veterans fell silent, tearful.
Mr. Lo Van Hop (82 years old, Nghe An) could not hide his emotion when standing in front of artifacts associated with a time of bombs and bullets.
For him, each cannon, each type of weapon - once a "nightmare" to this day has become a vivid proof of the glorious victory of the nation.
Mr. Hop shared that emotions surged from the moment he stepped into the museum. Weapons that once caused soldiers to face countless dangers are now displayed solemnly, as a way to recount the arduous but proud journey of the resistance war.
We have won and brought all the weapons, both enemy and us, here for display, helping later generations understand that the road to independence is not easy, but in the end we still won," he said.
Recalling the historic moment of 1954, Mr. Hop said that at that time, although he was still very young, he still remembered like yesterday, the joy of victory spreading throughout the country. It was not only the joy of the soldier alone, but the common joy of the whole nation. Later, following the tradition, he continued to join the army, contributing with his comrades to the cause of liberating the South and reunifying the country.
Even more special, after many years of memories of two special days, the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954 and April 30, 1975 - the moment when he was directly present in the army advancing to liberate the South, is still deeply imprinted in his mind.
Seeing the country peaceful today, I feel extremely proud. Not only me, but all Vietnamese people share that pride," he said emotionally.
Not only Mr. Hop, many other veterans also carry in their hearts deep memories of the Dien Bien Phu victory.
Mr. Ha Van Minh (79 years old, Son La) said that although he was young at that time, the image of the victory day was still imprinted in his mind. It was the bustling atmosphere of flags and flowers, the overwhelming joy of the whole nation when hearing the news of victory. "Back then everyone was excited and proud because the country had achieved an extremely heroic victory," Mr. Minh recalled.
The stories of veterans are not only personal memories, but also vivid pieces of history.
Memories are still intact, happiness - pride is still intact, the memory of fallen comrades is still tearful in tears, in the stories and on the white hair of the veterans.
