Although the pain of war is still there, the lights of faith, hope and the sounds that awaken conscience will forever echo in the soul of every person. And, the heartfelt gratitude remains intact, sent to those who lived and fought for the noble ideals of today and tomorrow.
Sincere thankfulness to the brave action for peace
Some journeys force people not to go alone, especially in the context of the national defense war. It is essential to have the consensus and support of international friends to gain position and voice in the international arena, to create pressure at negotiation sessions for the country to be peaceful and unified.
In the “Family, Friends and Country” memoir of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, former Vice President and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, she shared that the lessons learned from the resistance war against the US to save the country were enormous and very important for the struggle to protect the independence and sovereignty of the country today and in the future.
She was particularly impressed by the major strategic policies as the nation knew how to combine national strength with the strength of the era, gaining consensus and justice in the world, strength multiplied many times over.
The important contribution of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam with flexible policies and energetic and clever activities had won the affection and convinced people of different political views, creating a broad and very strong international support movement.
In Cu Chi, titled the steel land and copper wall, many people had bravely fought under bullets and bombs, but when meeting Mr. Olivier Parriaux and Mr. Bernard Bachelard, two of the three Swiss friends who participated in raising the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam on top of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France from November 15 to November 19, 1969, as well as learned about the diplomatic struggle that year and their brave actions, everyone here were in tears of deep gratitude for the international friends standing side by side with Vietnam on any battlefield, thousands of miles away.
War invalid Nguyen Thanh Dung, 55, residing in Phu Loi hamlet, Phu My Hung Commune, Cu Chi District, was very touched to share that apart from saying thank you, he did not know what to say as he was so emotional, even from such a far distance they bravely flew the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam on top of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France, how can he express all his gratitude.
The firm handshakes and the emotional tears have made strangers, with different skin colors and languages become close and friendly, hearts beating with the same desire for peace. Additionally, the Swiss friends have continued to care about the efforts to heal the wounds after the war in Vietnam, support and call for justice and fairness for the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.
To conclude the series of articles “The Flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam on Top of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France”, Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper’s reporter would like to extract the words of Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen “Let’s call Mr. Olivier Parriaux and Mr. Bernard Bachelard friends with the hearts that love peace and support Vietnam.”
History will continue to be written by unity and efforts to develop the economy, life, culture and society and so on in the new era of the nation's growth, alongside the sacred and immutable values of international friendship among comrades across the five continents.
Mr. Olivier Parriaux and Mr. Bernard Bachelard, two of the three Swiss friends who participated in raising the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam on top of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France from November 15 to November 19, 1969, had a five-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City.
During their journey, accompanying the two Swiss friends were Professor Doctor Trinh Quang Phu, Director of the Oriental Development Research Institute; Deputy Director of the Oriental Development Research Institute Ho Thi Thu Nguyet; Doctor Dinh Minh Dao, Deputy Director of the Institute for Oriental Development Research, along with the special connection from Ms. Tran To Nga, a French-Vietnamese environmental activist.
During their five-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Olivier Parriaux and Mr. Bernard Bachelard visited the Ben Duoc Martyr Memorial Temple, Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site; presented 30 gifts each worth VND1 million (US$39.4) to policy beneficiary families there.
The two Swiss citizens also visited and gave gifts to children at the Vocational Education Center for the Disabled and Orphans in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Binh (Peace) Village inside Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City; met with the city leaders, the youth and the press in Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, they visited the War Remnants Museum and enjoyed the AO show art program at Saigon Opera House.
Mr. Olivier Parriaux shared his impression of the tunnels at the Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site, thereby understanding why tons of bombs and bullets from the US military were unable to defeat this heroic nation. In his eyes, the Vietnamese people are truly intelligent and resilient.
When visiting Hoa Binh (Peace) Village, Mr. Olivier Parriaux and his friend, Bernard Bachelard could not imagine how Agent Orange/dioxin, toxic chemical, has severely affected the Vietnamese people even though the war has been over for decades.
