'Ho Chi Minh City - Zero Hour' through the eyes of a Western journalist

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), the Truth National Political Publishing House introduces to readers the book " Ho Chi Minh City - Hour Zero - Reports on the end of the 30-year war".

The General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975 of our army and people with the speed of "one day equals twenty years" was a development step at the mature stage in the entire resistance war against the US to save the country; it was the result of the combination of all the forces and factors that made up the invincible strength of our people in the great war of liberation.

This was a glorious victory, of great international importance and profound epochal significance. The 30-year war in Vietnam ended on April 30, 1975, marking a historic turning point not only for the Vietnamese people but also for the world .

With a thickness of more than 200 pages, the book "Ho Chi Minh City - Zero Hour - Reports on the end of the 30-year war" includes reports by many Western journalists - those who were directly present in Vietnam during those historic days.

They witnessed the Liberation Army marching into the South, carrying with them the steadfast spirit of “the Vietnamese people are one” and the belief in certain victory. They witnessed the chaotic scenes of the American-organized evacuation, as helicopters filed out of Saigon, leaving the city in ruins. And just a week later, they saw a different Saigon – calm, orderly, and filled with symbols of a new era.

One of the highlights of the book is the way the journalists describe the changes in people and atmosphere in the city before and after April 30, 1975. They are the Liberation Army soldiers in green uniforms and rubber sandals - "Uncle Ho's sandals" talking openly with the people.

It was the image of students in white ao dai, mothers, and relatives hugging and crying on the day of reunion. The people of Saigon, after the first days of anxiety, returned to their daily lives, although they knew that ahead of them was a challenging journey to rebuild the country.

Besides the stories of each individual, the book reflects a profound truth: Vietnam's victory was not simply the victory of an ideology or a military force, but it was the victory of an entire nation - people who endured too much loss, separation and pain to regain independence and freedom.

The soldiers from the North who went to the South not only regained peace, independence and freedom for the Vietnamese people, but also found their families and loved ones who had been separated by war for decades. The moment of meeting their parents and siblings again after many years of separation became one of the symbols of peace and national reunification.

From the perspective of outsiders, but having the opportunity to witness historical moments up close, "Ho Chi Minh City - Zero Hour - Reports on the End of the 30-Year War" is a valuable documentary book, imbued with the breath of the times. This is a book not only for readers interested in Vietnamese history, but also for readers who want to understand more deeply about the transformation of a nation after the war - about the pain, joy and hope for a better future.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-gio-khac-so-0-qua-goc-nhin-nha-bao-phuong-tay-post872850.html