Could you ask him to describe his activities when he was working as a shoemaker and running the intelligence against the French, and be as specific as possible?

I went all around town to see what the daily activities of the French convoys were like. This meant that they bought meat and vegetables daily to supply their forces in Cao Bang.

At that time I approached every truck in the convoy to try to find out the specific items that they bought, and afterwards I would make my report to our people outside. Based on how much food they bought and what the specific items were, we could guess what their real troop strength was.

So that was my job: investigating the places where they stationed their troops, the convoys that passed by and the amounts of the purchases they made and then sending my reports to my superiors.

Okay.

I worked as a shoe maker. Every day, I walked along the streets to find out...

Stop. Stop.

In 1946, when I arrived here in Lang Son from Hanoi, I worked as a shoemaker. But in reality my job was intelligence. I had to find out what the transportation of their troops was like, the real extent of their food purchases and their logistics between Lang Son and Cao Bang. This was to enable us to find out their real troop strength.

At that time the French stationed a full regiment in Lang Son. But after the victory over Cao Bang and along the highway, the French lost their nerve. So after only three days under siege, the French fled. The French officers escaped by airplane and their soldiers ran on foot down the Tien Nien route. Since the French forces withdrew so fast, they did not have time to destroy anything at all. They left behind many mines at the various sites that they had intended to blow up. They only had time to destroy the bridge behind them as they fled.

In 1968 the Americans bombed this place. It was December. I remember this very vividly because at that time we were celebrating out three big historical events: the Bac Son Uprising, the Nam Ky Uprising and Army Day. When the American planes came, I was holding a meeting in this cave here. But the anti-aircraft units of this city immediately shot down a plane. After that, we captured the American pilot and had him sent up to our superiors.

I continued to direct the self-defense forces. The planes destroyed everything on both sides of the bridge, the entire church compound over there and the entire provincial administrative compound. The bridge collapsed and houses crumbled.

In 1968 the Americans sent their planes up here to destroy the provincial capitol city of Lang Son. When the airplanes came, I was holding a meeting celebrating the anniversaries of three historical events: The Bac Son Uprising, the Nam Ky Uprising, and the Army Day. When the planes came, our air defense units shot one down immediately.

I then directed the self-defense forces to capture the American pilot and take him to higher authorities. After that, I went back to my position and continued to direct the battle. That first bombing destroyed everything on both sides of the bridge, the entire row of houses on that side of the slaughterhouse and the entire church compound. But in spite of the destruction, one airplane was shot down and the pilot captured.

On February 17, 1979, while I was still at home I heard gunfire. The Chinese entered into Dong Dang that day and the fighting was going on. But I stayed on for seven more days before leaving. Then I went to the mining area Dong Mo and stayed there for ten days before coming back home again.

When I arrived in town I saw that the Chinese had placed a 50-kilogram mine here at this building with the intention of blowing it up. If the mine had gone off, this whole building would have been destroyed. They broke down this door and destroyed quite a number of things in here. There are still traces of their destruction around. We suffered a lot of losses. But on our part, we just had to rebuild, that’s all. And in the end they had to withdraw.

I want to remain forever in Lang Son. After me, my children; and after my children, my grandchildren. No matter how many times the foreign invaders come and destroy this place, I will continue to rebuild and will continue to remain here forever. I will never be afraid. If I have to fight again, I will fight again.

And when the fighting is over, I will rebuild and will continue with my work. And my children and my grandchildren will continue to live here. This is my native place. I just love it here and will never leave it for any other place. So that’s what I think...