The story of Hai Duong people who were "models" for making statues of Dien Bien soldiers

Use a rope to measure the distance of the cannon.

Having reached a rare age, but remembering his participation in the Border Campaign (1950) and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign (1954), Mr. Luong Van Diep still clearly recounts: "My parents died early, in 1949 I joined the army, went to Viet Bac to fight in Battalion 69, Capital Regiment, Division 308".

Mr. Diep remembers most the battle in Lu Street (Lao Cai) in February 1950. Here, he and his teammates fought for 6 days and nights. Thanks to his tall and muscular body, he was assigned to carry artillery. “Our artillery was small, only a few dozen guns invented and improved by Major General Tran Dai Nghia. Each artillery shell weighed more than 40 kg. As both a gunner and a scout, to save ammunition and shoot accurately, I and some teammates crawled close to the enemy fence, used ropes to measure the distance to place the artillery in the correct position. Then used a level to adjust the artillery to hit the target,” Mr. Diep recalled.

Honored to meet Uncle Ho

After the Border Campaign in 1950, Mr. Diep had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho. He said that that afternoon, when he and the soldiers were resting on a hammock, they heard the shout: "Uncle Ho, Uncle Ho is here". The soldiers rushed out and crowded around Uncle Ho. Uncle told everyone about the campaign and then asked: Do you know why we won the last battle? Many soldiers quickly answered: because our troops were well-trained; we had better improved artillery... but Uncle still shook his head.

At that time, a comrade stood up and told Uncle Ho that we won because wherever we went, we were supported by the people. Uncle Ho nodded and praised us, then said that it was because we were the people's army, fighting for the people and being supported by the people. The enemy lost because they were invaders, waging an unjust war. Mr. Diep still remembered what Uncle Ho said that day and was determined to achieve success to report his achievements to Uncle Ho.

During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Mr. Diep's unit was on duty north of Muong Thanh airport. Every night, he and his reconnaissance teammates led the way for troops to raid the airport to attack the enemy or take supplies. Mr. Diep still remembers that during one raid, he and his teammates captured two French soldiers who were on guard duty near the barbed wire fence.

Be a "model"

After the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, his unit was ordered to return to take over the capital. One day at the end of 1954, while stationed in Hanoi, he was called by the unit commander and told to prepare his military equipment to go on a special mission. Although he was worried about the unexpected mission, he did not dare to ask. Later, he learned that the special mission was to be a model for the painter and sculptor Nguyen Thi Kim to make a statue of a Dien Bien soldier.

From that day on, every day Mr. Diep stood still for hours while Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim sculpted the statue. Initially, the statue was made of clay, then the outer layer of cement was made. When the statue was almost completed, General Nguyen Chi Thanh, then Director of the General Department of Politics, came to visit. The General said that the 308th Division fought very bravely and gave him a pack of cigarettes.

Looking at the statue of a Dien Bien soldier holding a bundle of rice and a gun on his back, General Nguyen Chi Thanh suggested that our country was still at war, so soldiers should hold their guns up and be ready to fight. From the general's suggestion, sculptor Nguyen Thi Kim accepted and made adjustments. After 3 months, the statue was completed and in early 1955 it was brought to the exhibition on the Dien Bien Phu Victory in Van Ho (Hanoi) for people to admire.

I asked why he was chosen as a "model" soldier of Dien Bien Phu, Mr. Diep smiled and said it was fate and luck. Later when Mr. Diep questioned, the unit commander said it was because he had many achievements in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, and had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho.

Mr. Diep said: "No matter the reason for being chosen as a model for the statue, I am always proud and consider it an honor to continue living up to the title of Dien Bien soldier, Uncle Ho's soldier."

In 1995, while watching TV and seeing a program introducing Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim, Mr. Diep told his children that this was the person who had made a statue for their father. In 1998, following the painter's address, Mr. Luong Van Dung, Mr. Diep's son, took his father to meet Mrs. Kim again. The model of the Dien Bien soldier and the sculptor reunited after 44 years. After that meeting, Mr. Diep was given a photo and a book by painter Kim that reprinted the old statue model. When he returned home, Mr. Diep told his children to enlarge it and hang it in the house. From the original photo, Mr. Diep's children asked sculptor Phu Cuong to remake the statue and place it in the house as a souvenir.

Mr. Luong Van Dung, Mr. Diep's son, said: "The original Dien Bien Phu soldier statue, created by painter and sculptor Nguyen Thi Kim, has been lost. We are trying to find it and have some clues."

These days, Mr. Diep's house welcomes many people. Coming to visit him are veterans, local leaders, children, friends... Veteran Cao Van Dich in Yen Vu village shared: "Mr. Diep is a living witness of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, so when listening to his stories, it is fascinating and authentic. The later generations like us understand more about the 56 days and nights of digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, eating rice balls in the pouring rain and the sacrifices of our soldiers in this campaign. Through the story, we see more clearly the great significance of the earth-shaking victory at Dien Bien Phu 70 years ago".

As we were leaving, veteran Luong Van Diep said: "If the journalist could help me find the original statue made by Ms. Kim, that would be great!"