Pham The Duyet, former President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (Photo: quochoi.vn)

Pham The Duyet, former President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, recalled his memories of General Giap. “We were General Vo Nguyen Giap’s juniors. He was very kind to us and gave us many suggestions for our improvement. General Giap was greatly concerned with Party building, national construction, and the national great unity. We exchanged our ideas via handwritten letters or in-person meetings. I will never forget these memories my whole life,” Duyet said. 

Working with General Giap was memorable to former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Do Quy Doan. Doan was a soldier in the American war and later worked as an official in different positions.

“In my opinion, General Giap was humble, decent, and serious at work. I joined the army after him. The General was really talented and kind-hearted. Tactical talent, sharp military leadership, and humanity could all be found in this person. He always thought carefully before making his decision to minimize damage to our troops. That was the impression I believe every soldier had of their commander," said Doan.  

Alain Russcio with General Giap (middle) (Photo: talkvietnam)

Alain Russcio, as a correspondent for France’s Humanity (l’Humanité) newspaper in Vietnam, met General Giap several times. He recalled, “I loved the way General Giap talked about Vietnam, its people and soldiers. He never put his interest ahead of that of others. I was very impressed by his friendliness and fluency in French. I could talk with him about nuances of the French language.” 

Foreign writers, journalists, and photographers send out their best wishes every year on the birthday of General Giap, an internationally acclaimed general and universally respected human being.