A photo featuring Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Laos in 1968 is showcased at an exhibition in Laos on October 25, 2019, to mark the 70th Traditional Day of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts in Laos.

As agreed by the Party, State, army, and people of the two countries, a part of the Vietnam People’s Army was entrusted with tasks of helping the Lao revolution in national liberation and defense. Following President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching “Helping our friends means helping ourselves,” generations of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts stood side by side with  the Lao revolutionaries.

Noble international mission

During the struggles against the French colonialists and the American imperialists, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers fought in the Lao battlefields. They helped the Lao government build the fighting capacity of the army and armed patriots, focusing on combat command and developing local armed forces. Colonel Tran Huy Tuan, a former volunteer soldier in Laos, said: “When I arrived in Laos, General Vo Nguyen Giap told us to remember 3 words: love, kindness, and life. Only if we possessed these qualities could we accomplished our jobs. President Ho Chi Minh taught us that helping our friends means helping ourselves.”

300 photos are on display

In this spirit, the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers braved hardships and sacrifices, going wherever and doing whatever the Lao revolution needed. They understood that only by encouraging the Lao people to rise up, could they defeat the French invaders. The Vietnamese personnel stayed with the locals to build grassroots bases and  establishing mass and militia organizations towards building administrations. Nguyen Van Nghiep,  senior Vietnamese expert in Laos, said: “Our army was diligent and good at mobilizing the masses. By doing so, they won the trust from the Lao leaders, cadres, servicemen, and people and built a sentiment of love and sharing with the Laotians.”

Sheltered by the Laotians and supported by the Lao armed forces, Vietnam’s volunteer soldiers accomplished their noble international mission of contributing to glorious victories of the Lao Revolution over the French colonialists and the American imperialists. They were also a win of the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity.

Loyalty nurtured

Vietnam and Laos have been intensifying their renewal process and proactive international integration for national prosperity. The selfless help of the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts 70 years ago marked a beautiful milestone in history, forging closer ties between the two neighbors. Colonel Bangsy Xay Xom Khot, military attaché of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam, said: “We should preserve and promote this close fraternity and noble neighborliness, this sacred and priceless bond for subsequent generations.”