50th anniversary of National Reunification: War correspondents return to nurture ties with Vietnam
WVR - All war correspondents who have worked in Vietnam have very deep feelings for the S-shaped country and now return here to nurture further ties with this place.
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| Acting Director General of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs Pham Dut Diem speaks at the meeting with war reporters. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Evidence of deep and enduring affection
On April 28, at the meeting, Acting Director General of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs, Pham Dut Diem, said that in order for the world to understand the just struggle of the Vietnamese people, one cannot overlook the role of international journalists—especially those who were present on the southern battlefields during the most intense years of the war.
"You bravely overcame danger and crossed the frontlines to capture footage and write truthful, deeply human accounts. These efforts helped convey the reality of the war in Vietnam to the world and called for international support for the Vietnamese people and their national struggle," said Mr. Pham Dut Diem.
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| War correspondents cover the meeting. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Expressing his deep emotion and respect upon meeting 47 former war correspondents—living witnesses who contributed to a special chapter of international journalism associated with Vietnam—Mr. Pham Dut Diem emphasized: "Your presence here today is a testament to the deep and enduring affection you hold for Vietnam in general, and for Ho Chi Minh City in particular."
Fifty years after national reunification, Ho Chi Minh City wishes to convey a message of a peaceful, developing, integrated, dynamic, and compassionate Vietnam.
Acting Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pham Dut Diem, said that the city always honours the past and is deeply grateful to those who sacrificed for independence and freedom, while continuously striving to build a better future—for the happiness of its people, and for friendly cooperation and sustainable development with international partners.
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| The press delegation visits and experiences the metro system in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
In that spirit, the activities organized during this visit are not only meant to bring the journalists back to places which were once tied to wartime memories, but also to allow them to witness firsthand the transformation of the city today.
Through this journey, with the desire to rekindle sacred professional memories while at the same time conveying a profound message: Vietnam—although once a battlefield of bullets and bombs—is now a land of peace, creativity, and aspirations for development. "The meetings, the tours, the sincere conversations between past and present, between old friends and a new generation, serve as a strong bridge for friendship and mutual understanding,” Mr. Diem said.
The Acting Director General of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that this special visit will be an opportunity for Vietnam’s friends to truly experience the remarkable changes of the city—a place that, half a century ago, was a fierce battlefield, but has now become the country’s leading center of economics, culture, science, and technology.
Mr. Pham Dut Diem expressed his wish that the journalists who hold affection for Vietnam will continue to be its “companions” on a new journey—a journey toward peace, development, and humanity.
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| The war reporters at the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Center. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
At the meeting, Mr. Pham Binh An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, reviewed the city's changes over the past 50 years. From a city that faced many difficulties after liberation, it has risen to become an economic, cultural, scientific and technological center with many innovations and creations.
"In the next 10 years, Ho Chi Minh City plans to develop over 300 kilometers of metro lines. With this direction, there will be new mechanisms—not only in terms of resources, but also in administrative procedures, resolutions, and funding. Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam are confident in this development plan, which aims to make travel increasingly convenient for the people," the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies shared with the journalists.
Vietnam is changing every day
Ms. Pham Thu Hang, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was visibly moved when meeting the former war correspondents—journalists from Vietnam’s international friends and overseas Vietnamese communities.
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| Ms. Pham Thu Hang, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks at the meeting. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
As a generation born after the war, who has only heard stories about it, I feel deeply emotional during these meaningful days for our country," Ms. Hang shared.
Fifty years have passed, yet the memories of the war remain—both in Vietnam and in many parts of the world, especially in the United States, where the two nations once endured a painful past. These memories also live on in friendly countries that were Vietnam’s wholehearted supporters during the war, helping pave the way to the historic victory on April 30, 1975.
After reviewing the images of the activities of reporters over the past three days, Ms. Pham Thu Hang realized that the reporters, especially the war correspondents, seemed to have rediscovered their memories here. These could be memories from a period of one, two, or three years, or even longer. However, all the images of the country and people of Vietnam, of the war that has passed, and the process of the last 50 years remain deeply ingrained in each person, especially those who were in Vietnam during the period that Vietnam refers to as the "Resistance War Against America for National Salvation," while reporters may refer to it as the "Vietnam War."
Quoting Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the great leader of the world proletarian revolution: "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks in which decades happen" – this is exactly what is happening in Vietnam today, Ms. Hang said.
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| Ms. Pham Thu Hang with war correspondents, correspondents from friendly countries with Vietnam and overseas correspondents. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Ms. Pham Thu Hang noted that Vietnam is undergoing changes every single day—changes that can clearly be seen in the messages and speeches delivered by General Secretary To Lam.
"These are messages about a peaceful Vietnam, always striving to develop further and contribute more meaningfully to the world. At the same time, it is also about helping Vietnamese people live better lives and become a positive part of the global community, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson shared.
Talking on the topic of post-war reconciliation between Vietnam and the United States—one of the issues that drew much interest from the journalists attending—Ms. Pham Thu Hang emphasized that much more still needs to be done to advance the reconciliation process.One of the key points to focus on, Ms. Pham Thu Hang emphasized, is the need for better information—because with better information comes greater understanding, and with that, closer connections.
"This is a shared effort—by both sides, by many sides. It cannot come from just one party. Personally, I firmly believe in a future where Vietnam achieves a fuller, more complete reconciliation," she said.
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| Edith Lederer, the first female war correspondent sent to Vietnam by AP, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Speaking on behalf of the journalists, Ms. Edith Lederer—the first female war correspondent sent to Vietnam by the Associated Press—expressed her gratitude to Vietnam for inviting reporters from around the world to return.
"All of us have very deep feelings for this country, and now, coming back here helps to further nurture the bond we share with Vietnam," said Ms. Edith Lederer.
She noted that the journalists present had once been in Ho Chi Minh City 50 years ago, during the time of war—and now, once again, they are here, witnessing how far the city and the country have come in terms of economic progress.
"Fifty years after the war, you have changed so much. And we hope that in another five years, if we are invited to return, we will see an even more dynamic, developed, and successful Vietnam," Ms. Lederer emphasized.
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