South Vietnamese Military Veterans Describe France’s Role in the First Indochina War in Vietnam after World War II

Bao Cam Lo and Hien Van Le served in the South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War. In this segment from Iowa Experience: Vietnam, they share their perspective on the French involvement in Vietnam after World War II, known as the First Indochina War, including the withdrawal of French forces after the 1954 battle at Dien Bien Phu. This panel discussion was recorded at Iowa PBS in Johnston, IA on September 10, 2017.

Dean Borg, Moderator:  It's important I think to understand, Hien and Bao, the French were involved before the Americans arrived. So what was the reason the French were involved and defeated in South Vietnam before Americans even came?

Bao Cam Lo, Lieutenant Colonel in the South Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War, Panelist: After World War II the French government came back to Vietnam in 1945 to recolonize Vietnam but also to stop the spread of Communism at that time. When the French came back to Vietnam the American government actually supported the French by supplying them with weapons and ammunition. 

Dean Borg:  And Hien, what was your role at that time when the French were back in South Vietnam?

Hien Van Le, Lieutenant Colonel in the South Vietnamese Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, Panelist: I joined the Army in 1954. When I graduated from the Vietnam Military Academy I was sent to North Vietnam to participate in the battlefield of Dien Bien Phu. When we got to Hanoi the fighting was so intense therefore we could not get close to the battlefield.

Dean Borg: The famous battle where the French finally decided it's time to get out of Vietnam was Dien Bien Phu. What happened? And why did the French leave?

Bao Cam Lo: When the French first engaged the Viet Minh in the Dien Bien Phu battle they underestimated the Viet Minh. In the beginning, the French sent five battalions of paratroopers into Dien Bien Phu to fight one division of the Viet Minh. But Dien Bien Phu is a valley and the French were surrounded. The French would never imagine that the Viet Minh would be able to receive food and supplies in the mountains surrounding Dien Bien Phu. The French never imagined the Viet Minh would be able to pull heavy artillery up there. They pulled 105 millimeter cannons up there. The Viet Minh was strongly supported by the Chinese and the Russians because of the spread of Communism at that time.