Historical witnesses in VTV Special “Dien Bien Phu – View from France”

Pierre Flamen – “They did not consider me an enemy, but welcomed me like a child returning from a long trip”

Arriving in Vietnam at the end of 1948, Pierre Flamen was assigned to the Northwest region and commanded a detachment of native soldiers, belonging to the 1st Thai soldier battalion. His task was to collect intelligence information about the Viet Minh. .

Many years after the war, memories of the old battlefields were still clear in his mind, especially the story of how he was captured 4 times by the Viet Minh army and escaped 3 times, or the times he came into contact with soldiers. The Vietnamese soldier he lovingly called with two Vietnamese words “Soldier”. Although he has never been back to Vietnam, he still vividly remembers the warm meeting with the Vietnamese people, remembers the handfuls of sticky rice and peanuts that the Vietnamese people cooked for him, or remembers the time they saved him from battle. severe malaria… Pierre couldn’t help but feel emotional when recalling those memories: “He (a local person) took me back to the village. The women there welcomed me wonderfully. They did not consider me “It’s an enemy that welcomes me like a child returning from a long trip.”

After the war ended, the bag containing necessary items distributed by the Vietnamese army on the day of returning prisoners of war was still kept and cherished by Mr. Pierre Flamen. This is just one of many mementos he brought back to preserve memories of the country in which he fought.

Jacques Bouthier – “I respect the Vietnamese soldiers…”

Like many French veterans in Indochina, Jacques Bouthier spent his youth with Vietnam. Both his grandfather and father lived and worked in Indochina. He followed his father to Vietnam when he was 5 years old. Returned to Vietnam a second time in 1947 as a paratrooper and had to return to France shortly after due to injury. Then he returned and fought in Vietnam until the end of the Indochina war.

During his years of fighting here, Jacques Bouthier encountered Vietnamese soldiers many times and was seriously injured three times. However, he always respected Vietnamese soldiers: “I respect the soldiers very much. They protect their country. They want to be independent. Therefore, we should never have gone to war.” . All wars are unjust.”

Jacques Bouthier is married to a Vietnamese woman. He, his wife and family have returned to Vietnam many times to visit the places that have been with him throughout his youth.

The documentary “Dien Bien Phu – View from France” will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m. on May 6 on VTV4 and at 8:10 p.m. on May 7 on VTV1.

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