These friends share a common aspiration for peace as Vietnamese people have today. They have been continuing to contribute their voices and acts to heal the wounds.
Response after half a century
During the difficult years of the anti-American resistance war, Vietnam needed consensus and support from international friends to gain an advantage and voice in international forums and create pressure in negotiation sessions.
The Paris Peace Conference on ending the war in Vietnam began in 1968 and included delegations from the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States.
By the end of 1968, thanks to Vietnam’s efforts and the great support of international friends, the United States agreed to organize a four-party conference, including the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the National Front for the Liberation of the South, the US, and the Republic of Vietnam.
This was a diplomatic victory, forcing the enemy to recognize the National Front for the Liberation of the South (then the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam).
During the tense negotiation days of the Paris Peace Accords, when the status of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam needed to be elevated, three young Swiss citizens—Olivier Parriaux, Bernard Bachelard and Noé Graff—dubbed themselves as 'peace enforcement'. They planted the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral during peace negotiations held in Paris in 1969.
This action aimed to contribute a message of peace, supporting the end of the war in Vietnam. The story caused a stir and elevated the status of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam at that time.
However, they remained silent until 54 years later, in 2023, when the book titled “Le Vietcong au sommet de Notre-Dame” (The Viet Cong flag atop Notre Dame) was launched. They decided to reveal the truth about their action.
The authors, who were also the ones who planted the flag that year, presented the book to Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, Vietnamese Ambassador to France.
Expressions of deep gratitude for support
Through the Vietnamese Embassy in France, French-Vietnamese environmental activist Tran To Nga connected with these Swiss friends, nurturing and fostering a special international friendship.
In November 2024, Mr. Olivier Parriaux and Mr. Bernard Bachelard, two of the three Swiss citizens who flew the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam atop the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1969, had a chance to visit Vietnam. On this occasion, Ms. Tran To Nga extended her deep gratitude to them for supporting Vietnam’s fight for peace.
During a five-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Bernard Bachelard and Mr. Olivier Parriaux paid their respects at the Ben Duoc Martyrs Memorial Temple and toured the Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site, Hoa Binh (Peace) Village inside Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital and the War Remnants Museum.
Touching the walls engraving names of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Vietnam's liberation in the land of Cu Chi, engraved on the large walls of the Ben Duoc Martyrs Memorial Temple, Bernard Bachelard and Olivier Parriaux emphasized with deep emotion that the true heroes were the ones whose names were engraved on the walls of the Ben Duoc Memorial Site, these veterans, they were the real heroes.
During the visit to Hoa Binh (Peace) Village inside Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, the two men were touched by the circumstances and the lives of the children who suffer from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin—a severe consequence of the war.
Mr. Olivier Parriaux shared that although the war in Vietnam has ended, its long-term consequences remain as bombs are still buried underground and many generations of Vietnamese people are still affected by Agent Orange.
There is substantial data that shows the severe effects of Agent Orange/dioxin on the Vietnamese population.
Mr. Olivier Parriaux firmly stated that the lawyers who helped Ms. Tran To Nga bring her lawsuit to the Court against the American chemical companies, which produced and supplied toxic chemicals for the US military to use in the war in Vietnam, want to refute the companies' argument that they were merely following government orders at that time to immune from prosecution.
The lawyers have proven that these companies deliberately produced herbicides with dioxin concentrations many times higher than normal, which can be harmful to human health and the environment.
In the memories and records of the past war, books can not provide all the people and stories of that time. It would have been difficult to know all the feelings and meaningful contributions of the international friends if the stories had not been explored thoroughly without connections.
History will continue to be written through efforts in economic development, lifestyle improvements, culture and society and so on. In this era of national resurgence, beyond achievements, there are also sacred and immutable values of gratitude and international friendship.
