 | GenghisTheHun (184)
05/07/2007 |  Today is May 7. On this date in history, in 1954, the French position at Dien Bien Phu fell to the Viet Minh.
I never forgot how shocked I was by that defeat. The only way we could keep up in those days was by radio or newspapers. Also during the preview session of a movie, there was always a newsreel. I was twelve years old and the time, and I was fascinated by the seige.
The news reports never really indicated what bad shape the French were in, or at least I didn't grasp it. General Giap, the Communist commander, started a methodical seige and captured the French outposts one by one.
Christian de Castries was the French commander and had named all the outposts after his former girl friends and mistresses. One by one, Beatrice, Gabrielle, Anne-Marie, and then Isabelle fell. Only a few girl-friend named redoubts were left and finally, on this date, Elaine, Dominique and Hugette were overrun and French rule in Indo-China was over as a fact. The official handover of North Viet Nam to the Communists came a few months later.
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