"Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air": Victory of Vietnamese mettle and will

Attending the thematic meeting of the School Veterans Association were Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong (Vice Principal of the School), leaders and former leaders of the Association, representatives of the School Trade Union Executive Committee, representatives of leaders of faculties, functional departments and a large number of students in the school. In particular, the event had the participation of the reporter, Colonel To Quang Hanh (Head of the Reporter Department, Propaganda Department, General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, currently an officer of the Propaganda Department, Vietnam Veterans Association).
In her welcome speech, Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong emphasized: The Veterans Association is an important organization, including teachers who were soldiers participating in the war to protect the Fatherland, and when peace was restored, they returned to the school to continue teaching. Although their hair has turned gray, most of the teachers are at a rare age, and their health has somewhat declined, the teachers are still the "vanguard", exemplary leaders in all activities from professional work to social activities, still actively participating and making important contributions to the common successes of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Vice Principal Dang Thi Thu Huong shared: This is an extremely meaningful activity, not only an opportunity to learn, affirm and honor the great value and significance of the victory "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air" in the history of war of the Vietnamese people, but also an opportunity for the young generation, students and pupils of the School to have extremely intuitive, vivid and attractive history lessons, fostering love and pride in the glorious victories of their ancestors.  
Colonel To Quang Hanh shared: Half a century has passed since the victory of “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air”, but until now that event still retains its value, not only as a great historical event of Hanoi but also of the Vietnamese people, leaving behind extremely valuable lessons. The thematic activities of the Veterans Association like today are of great significance, an opportunity for us to review together the historical significance and magnitude of the event, discuss some issues of Vietnam – US relations in the current context; foster patriotism in the younger generation, pride in the glorious history of our ancestors, and raise the sense of responsibility to build a peaceful and powerful Vietnam.
It can be said that in the context of the last days of 1972, the US Government decided to use one of the three pillars of the US military, the symbol of US air power (B.52 weapons) to be able to use decisive military victory to gain an advantage at the negotiating table at the Paris Conference. And at that time, the US was confident that it would win completely, with the goal of "bringing North Vietnam back to the Stone Age, forcing Vietnam to sign the Paris Agreement with favorable content". The US mobilized an unprecedented air force since World War II (nearly 50% of the total number of US aircraft at that time), equipped with the most modern "inviolable" equipment. The fact that Vietnam could shoot down a B.52 was something that the US and the world could not imagine before, the only record that had only been set in Vietnam up to that time.
With an inspiring and heroic voice, Colonel To Quang Hanh passionately talked about the miracles of the Vietnamese army and people during 12 days and nights with vivid and convincing historical figures and evidence: There are legends written from the victory of Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air: special forces (ground forces) were able to fight against American B52s, attacking straight into Utapao airport (the American air base was considered inviolable). Only 2 intelligence soldiers of the Vietnamese special forces destroyed 8 B.52s before takeoff; In 12 days and nights (from December 18 to 29, 1972), the Vietnamese army and people shot down 81 planes, including 34 B.52 planes (Hanoi alone shot down 25 B.52 planes), 5 F.111 planes, 42 tactical planes of various types, etc. The large-scale strategic raid by B.52 planes by the US imperialists on Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen and some areas in the North, lasting 12 days and nights, was a complete failure. A painful and disastrous defeat, forcing the US to sit at the negotiating table at the Paris Conference, declaring its withdrawal from Vietnam. The victory was an important premise for the Great Spring Victory of 1975, completely liberating the South and unifying the country.
Colonel To Quang Hanh affirmed: Vietnam fought and defeated the US not with modern sophisticated weapons, but with the intellectual strength, mettle, and courage of the military force and of the entire nation. In the new situation, Vietnam - US relations must still be in line with the general trend of the modern world, but generations must never forget the bloody sacrifices of generations of fathers and grandfathers in order to have appropriate and flexible ways of behaving.
In the closing speech, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Cong Nhat, on behalf of the School's Veterans Association, thanked Colonel To Quang Hanh: Through the talk, Colonel To Quang Hanh brought an extremely exciting atmosphere about the extremely fierce but also extremely heroic moments of fighting in the nation's history in the last 12 days and nights of 1972, not only historical information updated, current, attractive, deeply analyzed, but also conveyed to the listeners emotions, deep pride in the glorious feats of our ancestors,... Associate Professor Dr. Pham Cong Nhat hopes to receive the companionship of Colonel To Quang Hanh in many activities of the Association in the coming time.