Litnet

Op 4 Oktober 2013 is Vo Nguyen Giap, militêre leier van Noord-Vietnam, en stigter van die Viet Mihn, oorlede op die ouderdom 102. Hierdie man was die seun van ’n arme rysboer wat later die Franse leër verslaan het by Dien Bien Phu in 1954, en die Amerikaners met die sg "Tet Offensive" in 1968 wat beskou word as ’n kritiese keerpunt in die Vietnam-oorlog met die gevolglike onttrekking van VSA-troepe van Vietnam.

Tydens ’n onderhoud met Giap, het hy die volgende kwytgeraak:

We won the war because we would rather die than live in slavery. Our history proves this. Out deepest aspiration has always been selfdetermination. That spirit provided us with stamina, courage, and creativity in the face of a powerful enemy.
Militarily, the Americans were much more powerful than we were. But they made the same mistake as the French. - they underestimated Vietnamese forces of resistance. When the Americans started their air raids, Uncle Ho said, "The Americans can send hundreds of thousands, even millions of soldiers; the war can last ten years, twenty years, maybe more, but our people will keep fighting until they win. Houses, villages, cities may be destroyed, but we won´t be intimidated. And after we've regained our independence we will rebuild our country from the ground up even more beautifully."

Henry Kissinger: "I refuse to believe that a little fourth-rate power like North Vietnam does not have a breaking point."

Persoonlik dink ek dat die beste van die Boeregeneraals ’n hoë dink en respek vir hierdie man sou hê  in sy stryd teen ’n oorweldigende sterk Imperiale Mag.

Pieter Redelinghuys