The scars and battlefields of Dien Bien Phu, " Dominique ". Part 1.

[firth1974 2,659]

Dien Bien Phu is very much a one horse town kind of place. One road in and one road out, there really is not much here at all. If you have a fascination with military history, then you will love this place. Not sure if when i visited in October, if it was low season, but i flew in from Hanoi, and on that flight were 5 Australians and me, and they were the only white tourists i saw in the 3 nights i stayed here.

Dien Bien Phu, sight of one of the worst battles in modern times, of one of the french's greatest ever defeat, and ultimately the sight of one of the most revered places in all of Vietnam.

This is the town, where in 1953, the french parachuted into, destroyed a small battalion( i believe) of the Viet Minh army, and decided this was the place to launch the biggest trap in the world, the destruction of the Viet Minh. Well, we all know how that ended. Bad for the french, and even worst for the Americans, as this was one of the turning points that "made" the americans enter, what is known to the Vietnamese as the "American War".

With so much to show, i will split my DBP photos into a couple of different threads.

The view from my balcony.................................

The view towards Hill D1 (Formerly called "Dominique" by the french).......................

From halfway up the stairs looking back into the town In the background of the photo, after the buildings, is the airfield. The same strip that the french used in 1954.....................................

And the monument to Victory at the top of the hill. Sadly, there are no remains or reminders of battle left on Dominique at all.................................

This photo gives you some idea of how big this monument is.....................................

This is the view looking towards what is now known as HimLam, but was known to the french as "Beatrice". Him Lam, i believe, was the sight of the first major engagement between french forces and the Viet Minh, of which the french lost!! I never made it as far as Him Lam hill, as i stopped short by 50 meters, but im told a lot of trenches and bunkers still exist there........................

The way up Hill E1, which was known as "Dominique 1" during the battle....................................................

Now completely overgrown and covering the scars, this is the view towards the center of town, full of trees and shrubbery..............................................

Edited October 29, 2015 by firth1974

[js007 795]

Interesting pictures. Imagine all the lives lost in the various Vietnam wars. For what? There you are, having a good time and taking pictures. And the local businesses will probably take Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.