(VOVworld)- Cuban President Fidel Castro visited Vietnam in September, 1973 during the brutal anti-US war in Vietnam. He was the first foreign head of state to visit southern Vietnam before the war ended. Despite the danger and hardship, Castro visited Quang Tri province, where he made a deep impression on local people.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro

80-year old Duong Tu Anh of Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province still remembers attending a reception for Fidel Castro. Mr. Anh who was then the Secretary of Cam Lo district’s Party Committee recalls that Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong crossed the Hien Luong bridge on the Ben Hai river to visit people in the war-ravaged area. When his car neared the Dong Ha bridge, Mr. Castro got out of his car and greeted the locals. Mr. Anh says the leader was friendly and warm. After that, the Cuban leader attended a meeting in Cam Thanh commune, Cam Lo district. There, he held up the flag of the Southern Vietnam Interim Revolutionary Government and took a photo with the Vietnamese. Mr. Anh said: “From the other side of the globe, the Cuban leader visited Vietnam and witnessed the glorious victories of Quang Tri soldiers and people. He shared his sympathy with the Vietnamese people. Vietnamese people and Quang Tri people in particular were deeply impressed by him”.

During his visit to Quang Tri, Mr. Castro saw a seriously wounded girl who was being carried on a stretcher. He demanded a car to take her to the hospital. 43 years later, 59-year old Nguyen Thi Huong still remembers the moment she met the great leader: “I was lucky. Thanks to him, I was saved. He was like my second father. I’m very sad about his death. I would like to send my condolences to his family.”

For Vietnamese people, Mr. Fidel Castro was a close friend and a beloved brother. His visit to Quang Tri left a profound impression on Quang Tri’s people.