Remembering Vietnam's General Vo Nguyen Giap

Vo Nguyen Giap is the most celebrated modern military figure in Vietnam. He led the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 ending almost a century of colonial rule. He was revered as a leader and a man - second only to Ho Chi Minh. When he died aged 102 in 2013, the nation mourned. I was in Hanoi that weekend 6 years ago and on the 6th anniversary, I've pulled out some footage from that special day. Read more on the blog here.

[ucbuii]

Thank you so much, from Việt Nam ... thank you🥺❤

[sandyt]

Thank you very much for your insight into this part of Vietnam and the perspective on the feelings of the people towards an important figure in their lives who is mostly unknown to people in the United States. Your postings are, as always, heartfelt and interesting as well as long awaited. Please keep them coming.
Cám ơn

[Sandhill]

I'm glad I got to catch this it appears that your first posting was deleted. In the end no matter where you're from in the world you've got to remember that this was a great man that lived buy a code very strong personal beliefs and served his people honorably.

[giangphamtranhuong]

your tone in Vietnamese is really good, do you speak VNese?

[larryhovekamp]

General Giap and his forces defeated three great powers- Colonial France, the USA and later China's proxy, Kampuchea. He was one of the last great communists. Before he died, he warned that Vietnam was steadily becoming capitalist, thus ruining everything they fought for. He could not defeat all enemies.

[ianjames]

Lovely insight again Mark, thank you. I remember a photo from the museum in DBP where General Vo Nguyen Giap is in civilian clothes as an old man sat down on a railway think. I’m sure it shows people walking past and not realising who he a really powerful image.
I mentioned to you in a previous comment about speaking, via google translate, with people when I’ve travelled in VN. One conversation was with a lovely elderly lady who wanted to know why I’d gone to DBP and we talked for a few minutes about Gen Giap, you didn’t need to translate the words to realise what he had meant to her. Revered can be over used but I truly felt that from her.
Take care and thanks again for your videos. 🙏

[AliasJVD]

The best Strategiest of the history, he literally fucked hard the japaneses, frenchs, USA, Australia and China in 1978, and liberation Camboya from the assasin of pol pot. He is just a incredible Hero!

[michaelkungu]

Arguably the greatest general of all time. It's either him or Hannibal.

[vietnamese]

Vo Nguyen Giap. his name translates into english as invincible armor

[yeldarb]

The song at 2:15 is really stunning. Does anybody by chance happen to know if it was improvised or something you could look up?