"A very special guest"
Major Archimedes LA Patti, commander of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), had many historical honors and opportunities with Vietnam that few foreigners have had. On August 19, 1945, when Hanoi seized power, the American major and the OSS delegation arrived in Hanoi on the afternoon of August 22, 1945, on an Allied military plane. Their mission was to gather intelligence, assist and coordinate with the Republic of China's army (Chiang Kai-shek's army) in disarming the defeated Japanese fascist army and resolving the issue of prisoners of war. In addition, Major Patti agreed to deliver several letters and telegrams from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh to the United States, and acted as an intermediary for the first Vietnamese- French contacts in September 1945.
Major Archimedes Patti.
On August 25, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh arrived in Hanoi from Tan Trao. Hearing that a US delegation, led by a general, included LA Patti, President Ho Chi Minh was very pleased. He said to those around him, " This is a very special guest; hopefully, it will bring good fortune." In fact, this was not the first time President Ho Chi Minh and Major Patti had met.
More than four months earlier, on April 13, 1945, Archimede Patti, then a captain and commander of the OSS team, was dispatched to Kunming (China) with the mission of gathering intelligence, rescuing and protecting American soldiers in the war against the Japanese, and investigating the secret activities that the Japanese fascists were carrying out in Indochina. For Patti, the name Ho Chi Minh was mentioned for the first time in a telegram dated December 31, 1942, from the US Ambassador (in Chongqing) announcing the arrest and imprisonment of Ho Chi Minh in Liuzhou, Guangxi.
Later, Major Patti had the opportunity to meet and converse with President Ho Chi Minh in the small village of Chin Chou Chieh in Jingxi, Guangxi (China) on April 27, 1945. During that meeting, the two sides discussed and coordinated anti-Japanese activities between the Viet Minh Front and the OSS. This meeting left a deep impression on the major regarding the great leader of the Vietnamese nation. He was deeply impressed by President Ho Chi Minh's profound intellect and his simple yet persuasive diplomatic style.
Returning to Hanoi in late August 1945, President Ho Chi Minh, despite being extremely busy, especially with urgent preparations for Independence Day, nevertheless organized a grand reception for the American delegation led by Major Archimede Patti in the small garden in front of the Metropole Hotel just one day after his return to Hanoi.
After the ceremony, Major A. Patti was invited by President Ho Chi Minh to the house of " the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, " number 48 Hang Ngang Street, for a cordial meal. According to A. Patti's recollection, along with the newly elected President of Vietnam, were also present to receive guests, including Truong Chinh and Vo Nguyen Giap... At that meal, Major A. Patti and Ho Chi Minh had a friendly conversation like old friends.
Later, on the afternoon of September 1, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh invited Major A. Patti to a cordial dinner at the Presidential Palace in the North, held before Vietnam's Independence Day. There, President Ho Chi Minh expressed his appreciation and respect for all the material and spiritual support that the Vietnamese national liberation movement had received from the United States and its allies. He also highly valued and thanked the OSS for its assistance and hoped that the spirit of "friendly cooperation" would continue to develop.
I heard the Declaration of Independence twice.
During his brief time in Hanoi (from August 22nd to September 30th, 1945), Mr. Patti met President Ho Chi Minh several times and had the rare opportunity to hear President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence twice.
The first time was on the afternoon of August 30, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh invited LA Patti to his room on the second floor of house number 48 Hang Ngang Street to read aloud the draft of the Declaration of Independence that would give birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. President Ho wanted the Americans themselves to hear the declaration before it was officially broadcast worldwide.
According to the Major's account, he was startled when he heard the opening sentence: " All men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among which are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ." At that moment, Patti thought he had misheard because it sounded like the American Declaration of Independence. After asking again, Uncle Ho confirmed: " That's right! The noble purpose of the Vietnamese Revolution, of the American Revolution, is for the happiness of mankind. We fight for the happiness of mankind."
That same evening, Patti cabled back to America: “ On September 2nd, 1945, Vietnam will hold its independence declaration ceremony. The opening sentence of the declaration read by Ho Chi Minh will be the opening sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence.”
This memoir recounts the memorable experiences of Major Archimedes Patti in Vietnam.
According to LA Patti's account, "on that same day, President Ho Chi Minh invited me to attend the ceremony on September 2nd at Place Ponier (Pugininer Square, now Ba Dinh Square), right near the Governor-General's palace ." On September 2nd, 1945, along with her working group, Patti was present at Ba Dinh Square.
Later, in his memoirs, Major Archimedes I.A. Patti meticulously and vividly described that momentous occasion: “ From the early morning, the people of Hanoi, like swarms of bees, in large and small groups, poured into the area around Ba Dinh Square to attend this historic event. I decided to decline President Ho Chi Minh’s invitation to the VIP viewing area. I wanted to witness the ceremony as an ordinary observer, to immerse myself in the fervent and enthusiastic atmosphere of the masses in order to record the most authentic and vivid feelings…”
…The honor guard and the soldiers stood straight and watched intently as they watched who would be the first to appear on the platform. A few minutes later, a voice shouted: “Raise your rifles!” The crowd suddenly fell silent. On the platform, everyone was dressed in white, wearing ties and bareheaded, except for one small man in a dark khaki jacket… That was President Ho Chi Minh…
Then, the loudspeakers broke the silence, introducing Ho Chi Minh as "the liberator, the savior of the nation." Guided by party members, the crowd began to sing and for several minutes chanted "Independence!" Ho Chi Minh stood still, smiling, and the crowd below cheered. He raised his hand to signal silence and began to read the Declaration of Independence—now the famous Declaration of Independence... Ho Chi Minh stopped abruptly and asked the people: "Can you hear me clearly?" The crowd shouted back: "Clearly!" What a masterful oratorical performance!
From that moment on, the masses listened attentively to every word and gesture of Mr. Ho. We didn't understand what Mr. Ho was saying. Le Xuan, our former liaison, had to try very hard to translate Mr. Ho's words for us, but it was very difficult. However, hearing Mr. Ho's voice—calm and clear, warm and intimate—and hearing the masses' responses, we no longer doubted that he had truly understood the people.”
“Around two o'clock, Mr. Ho finished the Declaration, followed by Vo Nguyen Giap speaking about the role of the Viet Minh, emphasizing the Party's work in the political-military fields, socio-economic development, education and cultural programs… After the speeches, the newly appointed ministers were introduced to the people one by one. The ceremony concluded with the ministers declaring their loyalty and unwavering support for the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam,” recalled Major Archimedes LA Patti.
Ha Anh
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