Our delegation, having left Toulon port two days before Uncle Ho, arrived in Hai Phong on October 5. We were thus better informed about the negotiations in France. Everyone felt unceasingly anxious while the warship Dumont Durville continued to linger on the Indian Ocean. The news that the ship had entered Vietnamese waters and would soon arrive at Hai Phong port was a great relief to us. The entire nation exalted in expectancy.
Delegations of the Government and mass organization went to Haiphong to wait for Uncle Ho on the evening of October 19. A representative of General Morlière, Commissioner of the French Republic in North Indochina, accompanied them. Along Highway 5, the towns and villages were covered in red flags.
Our comrades in Haiphong had made very good preparations for Uncle Ho’s welcome. The army was to play a part in the welcoming ceremony, in which a French army unit was also to participate, under our command. The entire armed forces in Haiphong were mobilized to maintain order and cope with any possible emergencies.
On the afternoon of October 20, when we went to the port, people from Hai Phong, Kien An and the adjacent rural areas were standing along the two sides of Pham Hong Thai, Ho Chi Minh and Tran Phu Streets. Self-defence units and security forces had formed cordons all along the road.
At 4 p.m., the Dumont Durville sailed into Ngu landing place. The golden-starred red flag fluttered by the side of the Tricolour on top of the tall ship’s mast. The ship emitted a long siren blast. Never in this port had a ship’s siren so stirred the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people as on this afternoon!
The Vice-Minister for the Interior, the Mayor of Haiphong and Colonel Debès, commander of the French forces in Haiphong, went on board to pay their respects and to report the programme of the welcoming ceremony. A familiar figure in a faded khaki suit appeared on the ship’s deck. There he was. Immediately thunders of applause and shouts of “Long live President Ho!” drowned everything out.
And the moment when Uncle Ho left the ship and stepped on the soil of the home port a siren blast sounded from the Haiphong Municipal Theatre to spread the happy news throughout the city. After his long sea voyage, he looked healthy with a sun-tanned complexion. He smilingly nodded his greetings to the representatives of the government and the provinces who had gathered here to welcome him. The Vietnamese and French national anthems were played. He attended the ceremony of saluting the flag and inspected the guard of honour. Our soldiers, simply dressed in green uniforms, soft caps, carrying rifles with fixed bayonets, and their officers, whose caps bore a golden star, holding drawn swords, had the honour of presenting to him the greetings of the entire nation on his long-awaited return. Then he moved on to the French unit. At the Vietnamese officer’s order, the Tricolour was lowered to salute him by the French guard of honour, dressed in their white ceremonial uniforms.
The ceremony having ended, he came back to Ngu landing place to express his thanks to the various delegations, accepted a bouquet from the Haiphong population and embraced two children who came running to him.
Thunders of applause resounded all along the route. Many people couldn’t hold back their tears when they saw him.
He went to stay at the City Administrative Committee premises. After dinner, he briefed us on his return voyage. His attitude was as simple and composed as it had been formerly when he used to chat with us after dinner before the trip. He inquired about our health and the situation at home. As he had just arrived back after a long journey, it was not planned for him to receive any visitors that even- ing. But while he was sitting with us, a comrade from the City Committee reported that there was an old man with damaged eye sight who was insistently asking for an audience. He told him to show the man in. It was not cold but the old man was wearing a peculiar woollen blue suit which looked like a military uniform. As soon as he saw him, Uncle Ho rose, came up to him and took him to a seat. Thirty-five years previously, the old man had worked on a ship with Uncle Ho. Having learned that Uncle Ho had returned and was staying in Haiphong, he had put on the suit in which he had worked on the ship and asked one of his grandchildren to take him here. No sooner had the old man said: “Respected President Ho...” than our Uncle interrupted him, saying: “Just call me Ba as before.” Uncle Ho spent a long while with him. The old man was too moved to speak much.
At 5 a.m. on the following day, Uncle Ho went for a walk in the city, then returned to receive his visitors who were many. There were representatives of mass organizations and political parties from Hanoi, representatives of various offices and organizations from Haiphong and representatives from the provinces Kien An, Hon Gai, Quang Yen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh... An aged man presented him with an embroidered scroll bearing this inscription in classical Chinese: “Only one word and the nation is uplifted”, another with a walking-stick made from one hundred vertebrae of a boa constrictor.
At 10 a.m., the special train taking him to Hanoi left Haiphong.
The rows of people coming to welcome him back extended all along the railway line. At every station, there was a big mass gathering amid a sea of flags and posters reading: “Long live President Ho”, “Long live the victorious revolution”, “North and South are one country”... Everywhere, triumphal arches had been put up. The train made a short stop in Hai Duong town where the local people held a grand meeting at the station to welcome him. It took the special train no less than five hours to cover the 100-kilometre journey from Haiphong to Hanoi. During the whole time, Uncle Ho stood by an open window waving to the welcomers.
In Hanoi it was a beautiful autumn day with splendid golden sunshine. Red flags fluttered over the moss-covered roofs and green tree tops. It was past 3 p.m. As it began crossing Long Bien bridge the train gave a long whistle.
At 3.30 p.m., it pulled into Hang Co station. On that day, all the Hanoi population had taken a day off to welcome him back. Acting President Huynh headed a delegation of the government, National Assembly and various mass organizations which was waiting for him on the station platform. People crowded in front of the station and along the road leading to the Bac Bo palace. Standing out in the sea of people were the soldiers in their green uniforms, the military band with its brass instruments and young girls dressed in white shirts and blue skirts in the “New Life” style.
Morlière who had just returned from Cam Ranh was present at the station. The French Command also sent a guard of honour and a military band.
Uncle Ho attended the welcoming ceremony at the station, then drove to Bac Bo palace. The motorcade went through countless triumphal arches. On behalf of the whole country, Hanoi applauded, waved flags and scattered flowers to welcome him.
The whole country was overwhelmed with elation. Uncle Ho shared the same joy, which showed on his radiant face. He came back safe and sound. With his hands at the helm, the Fatherland’s boat would move forward, overcoming all stress and storm. The sun shone more brightly! The colour of the flags became brighter! The trees were greener and the sky grew more lofty!
Uncle Ho met Comrade Nhan and all the other members of the Party Standing Bureau in the Bac Bo palace. At this time, as the struggle was becoming more complicated, some of our leaders were not working in the open. After nearly four months, we again had the opportunity to gather round him. As he talked with each one, he showed his solicitude for every one of us.
Before long, there was a throng of people in front of the palace. He went to the window to wave to them. More and more people kept coming. Young pioneers paraded by, beating drums and shouting: “Uncle Ho has returned! Uncle Ho has returned!” This was also the cry of the entire nation, resounding everywhere on this jubilant day of his return.
On October 23, President Ho issued a statement to the people:
“(..) I went to France in response to the French Government’s kind invitation with the aim of settling the question of Vietnamese independence and the reunification of North, Central and South Viet Nam. Because of the present circumstances in France, these two questions have not yet been settled. More time is needed. However, I can assure you that sooner or later, Viet Nam will be independent and North, Central and South Viet Nam will be reunified ...”
To the people in Nam Bo and Southern Trung Bo he stressed:
“North, Central and South Viet Nam are the same country. We have the same ancestors and forbears; we are kith and kin. North, Central and South Viet Nam are like three brothers of one family.
“Since no one can divide the members of one family no one can divide our Viet Nam.”
“So long as the country is not yet reunified and my compatriots are still suffering, I am unable to eat well and sleep peacefully. I solemnly declare to you, compatriots, that with your determination, with the determination of all people in the country, our beloved south will certainly return to the bosom of the Fatherland.”