An exhibition at the Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi is showcasing archived photos that reflect the 80-year journey of the Vietnamese People’s Army (Dec. 22, 1944 – Dec. 22, 2024), as well as the portraits of nine leading generals.
To the left is a portrait of General Vo Nguyen Giap at the age of 19, when he was imprisoned by the French in Hue. To the right was Giap teaching history at the Thang Long Private School.
Giap, who became a general at the age of 37, directly commanded the Vietnamese People’s Army in several campaigns, including the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, leading to the end of the wars against France and the U.S.
“If I were not a soldier, I could be a teacher, a philosopher or a historian,” Giap told U.S. historian Stanley Karnow during an interview in 1990.
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