 Colonel Nguyen Huu Tai (Photo: Le Hanh/VOV) |
Whenever he listens to the song “Vietnamese Soldiers”, Colonel Nguyen Huu Tai is moved to tears. The song reminds him of battlefields, shrouded in smoke and fire, with endless gunfire and shelling.
Tai recalled the battle of Him Lam, where the Vietnamese army crushed an enemy stronghold considered impenetrable, leading to the globe-shaking 1954 Dien Bien Phu victory. The victory completely overturned the Navarre Plan and stoked the global peace movement.
When Vietnamese artillery struck the Him Lam base, cheers erupted as soldiers rushed to the front. At a corner of the trench, the art troupe of Military Region 1 of the Vietnam People's Army performed “Vietnamese Soldiers”, a historic moment forever etched in the memory of every Dien Bien Phu soldier.
“Our troops sang and rushed to the battlefield in a truly heroic atmosphere. It was the only battle in the history of the Vietnamese army that combined artillery fire, cheers, and live music,” Colonel Tai said.
Tai was born and raised in Hai Phong city. He still remembers clearly December 15, 1953, when his unit began a grueling 500-kilometer march to Dien Bien Phu, enduring unimaginable hardship along the way.
Stationed on Hill D1 for more than a month, he and his comrades survived on rice balls, sesame salt, and thick black fermented fish sauce with no vegetables. Sanitation was poor. Their suffering seemed beyond human endurance, yet their will to win never faltered.
Armed only with shovels and hoes, the soldiers dug over 200 kilometers of trenches to approach key enemy positions.
“We fought shoulder to shoulder with other units with the utmost resolve. At times we had to engage in close combat using grenades and bayonets on Hill D1. The battles were fierce, but we were determined to hold our position at all costs. Many of our brothers in arms gave their lives on that historic ground. Even now I’m overwhelmed with emotion whenever I speak of them,” Tai said,
After nearly a century, Colonel Nguyen Huu Tai’s is proudest of having been a soldier fighting under the leadership of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the most exceptional commander in the history of the Vietnamese People’s Army.
 Vietnamese soldiers advance to seize the Him Lam base, marking the beginning of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign on the afternoon on March 13, 1954. (File photo: VNA) |
During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, what made the deepest impression on Colonel Tai was General Giap’s decision to shift the strategy from “fast attack, fast victory” to “steady attack, steady advance”, a pivotal change that led to the eventual triumph. With overwhelming assaults, the Vietnamese forces captured French General De Castries, sealing the resounding victory.
“When we heard that De Castries had been captured, the entire regimental headquarters erupted. We hugged and cried tears of joy. Some soldiers jumped out of the trenches and fired into the air in celebration. Many other units did the same. The joy was indescribable. After so many days of waiting and fighting, the victory finally came,” said Tai.
Many of Tai’s comrades still feel the weight of memory when speaking of that fiery chapter in history. Veterans Pham Thang and Truong Si Tri said:
“We pulled 12 artillery pieces along the trench lines to Hill A1. For every 10 who were killed, another 10 replaced them. My squad started with 11 men. Nine were killed. On Hill A1 hundreds, maybe thousands, of our soldiers sacrificed their lives.”
“Around 3 p.m we saw white flags from Hill A1 to Muong Thanh. At 5 p.m, the enemy completely surrendered. We were overwhelmed with joy and emotion. After countless days and nights of brutal combat, we had finally achieved victory.”
More than 70 years have passed, but the memories remain fresh for Colonel Nguyen Huu Tai and his fellow Dien Bien Phu veterans. Their fierce and noble struggle led to a victory that laid the ground for northern Vietnam’s transition to socialism and provided a strong rear base for the liberation of the South and national reunification.