Vietnam independence hero General Giap dead at 102

[webfact]

Vietnam independence hero General Giap dead at 102
by Catherine BARTON

HANOI, October 5, 2013 (AFP) - Vietnam's legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap, whose guerrilla tactics defeated the French and American armies, died Friday at the age of 102, prompting an outpouring of tributes for the independence hero.

"I can confirm that General Giap died at 6:08 pm (1108 GMT) today," a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A military source confirmed the time of Giap's death at Hanoi's 108 military hospital, where he had been living for the last three years. He died surrounded by his family.

State-run online newspaper VNExpress said his body has been moved from the special care zone to the morgue at the hospital with a guard of honour to pay respect.

Giap, second only to late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh as modern Vietnam's most revered figure, was the founding father of the Vietnam People's Army, whose guerrilla tactics inspired anti-colonial fighters worldwide.

"He's a mythic, heroic figure for Vietnam," said Carl Thayer, an Australia-based scholar of the country.

Vietnamese Internet users immediately begun paying tribute to the general, who remained hugely popular in Vietnam despite being relegated to the political sidelines after the war.

"Rest In Peace the hero of the people. You will always be our greatest general," one wrote, in a posting typical of the outpouring of grief which erupted online as news of his death emerged.

Another Facebook commentator called for a day of national mourning. "(Giap) contributed lots to our Vietnamese nation," Thanh Trang Le wrote.

Giap, born on August 25, 1911 into a well-off peasant family, was was a self-taught soldier whose only military lesson came from an old encyclopaedia entry describing the mechanism of hand grenades.

He went on to secure victory in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, the battle that ended French rule in Indochina and precipitated nearly two decades of US involvement in Vietnam.

"General Vo Nguyen Giap is one of the most talented military strategists and most famous generals, not just in Vietnam, but in world military history," Vietnamese historian Phan Huy Le told AFP.

His greatest triumph will always be the Dien Bien Phu victory, based on an astounding logistical feat by his Viet Minh fighters, who surprised the French by hauling their artillery into surrounding jungle hills from where they pounded enemy positions below.

"It was the spark that lit the powder keg for the empire. Less than six months after Dien Bien Phu, the Algerian war (for independence) began with the All Saints Day attacks. Dien Bien Phu was effectively where it all started," said French historian Hugues Tertrais.

For two decades after Dien Bien Phu, Giap, a former history teacher who was fluent in French, continued to command his forces as they battled American troops and their surrogate regime in South Vietnam until final victory on April 30, 1975.

The fall of Saigon fuelled his near mythical status overseas as a master strategist and inspired liberation movements everywhere.

But Giap's success on the battlefield had earned him some powerful enemies at home -- including party chief Le Duan -- and after the war, in 1980, Giap lost his post as defence minister.

He was eased out of the Politburo in 1982 and left politics officially in 1991.

Yet he continued to speak out until well into his 90s about sensitive issues such as corruption and bauxite mining, and his popularity, particularly among the young, remained undiminished.

He is survived by Dang Bich Ha, his wife since 1949, and four children.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-10-05

[Dararasmi]

A true hero. R.I.P.

[sunshine51]

To the people of Vietnam General Vo Nguyen Giap was a hero.

To the USA he epitomised "the enemy".

As former adversaries I had heaps of respect for the little

(in physical size) feller. Then I met him in 1992 whilst

shooting an interview about his life. The respect remained.

RIP General Vo Nguyen Giap...RIP.

[Rinrada]

I agree and was also fortunate enough to attend an interview session with him ..think 1996-7 when working in Hanoi.

A true gentleman and world class General.

Always remember reading at the time that when the Vietnamese Constitution was formulated (Uncle Ho/Giap) it was based on the American Declaration of Independence (one word changed)and they ( N Vietnam ) could not understand why the US wanted to fight them as both countries believed in the same principals of Freedom from colonial rule.

During WW2 both Ho and Giap was Hon Officers in the US-OSS and as a resistance movement were our allies against the Japanese.

After the war a certain British Col.Gracy turned up to appease the former French masters...

how things could have been so different.

RIP..Sir

[tragickingdom]

Did I hear John McCain say yesterday that the general found the US a honorable enemy? If that is the case he must have forgotten his hearing aid, how can a Vietnamese general speak about a honorable enemy that used Agent Orange and Napalm?

[Rinrada]

Another interesting observation I seem to remember from @1970 when the question was asked to both sides (might have been to Gen Westmoreland...but don't quote me...)

General ...Do you think you can win this War?

Answer .. Hell..Yes

General.. Do you think you can beat the VC

Answer ..( again)..Hell...... Yes

Same question and might have been to Giap.

General ...Do you think you can win this War?

Answer .. Yes

General.. Do you think you can beat the United States

Answer .. No

If only someone had listened...."hoe mai dee"

[tubby johnson]

A hero and inspiration to many.

President Kennedy's Best and Brightest never understood that Vietnam, having struggled against Chinese subjugation for eight centuries, would never submit to becoming a Chinese domino or ally. The US founding fathers and declaration of independence were Ho Chi Minh's inspiration towards self-rule.

[Stokakrishna]

RIP

[TPI]

What a man! What a soldier! True to his honour...RIP

[mok199]

so sad,our world hero's and role models are dieing fast,now we are left with idiot's like Putin and Obama....the vietnamize have been thru so much ,and having lived their for a few years i can say ,i have a much respect for most of the ''adults''...now the younger generation.....well....its a global thing and dont get me started on that ......they have thier i phones ,to be thier new hero's....RIP....

[marell]

Did I hear John McCain say yesterday that the general found the US a honorable enemy? If that is the case he must have forgotten his hearing aid, how can a Vietnamese general speak about a honorable enemy that used Agent Orange and Napalm?

If you had ever spent time in the military you might be able to understand.

[tubby johnson]

Did I hear John McCain say yesterday that the general found the US a honorable enemy? If that is the case he must have forgotten his hearing aid, how can a Vietnamese general speak about a honorable enemy that used Agent Orange and Napalm?

If you had ever spent time in the military you might be able to understand.

... understand the joys of Agent Orange and napalm?

The people of Vietnam and Laos are eternally grateful to the honorable US military.

[Sydebolle]

We salute you!

[belg]

the agent orange & other dirty chemicals the US dropped on them together with millions of bombs, did apparently not temper with his longetivity

[ktm jeff]

A true hero and gentleman who rightly spanked the arse of American criminals. RIP Sir.

[The Usual Suspect]

I doubt we will ever see the likes of Ho and Giap again in S.E.A. They just don't make them like that any more.

[phutoie2]

He certainly appeared to know his enemies well. At the height of the Tet offensive he described the Americans morale as "lower than the grass".

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[phitsanulokjohn]

Wow what a good innings.RIP.