Global Celebrations: Vietnam's 79th National Day
	Online Meeting to Celebrate National Days of Vietnam and Uzbekistan

Major Archimedes L.A. Patti formerly led the OSS French Indochina Section, based in China. In August 1945, following Japan's surrender, he directed the US Army's forward mission to North Vietnam, aiming to rescue Allied prisoners of war held by the Japanese and to facilitate the disarming of the Japanese forces.

President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi on September 2, 1945. (Photo: Archive)

The Communist Party of Vietnam's e-newspaper reports that before Independence Day, L.A. Patti was consulted by President Ho Chi Minh regarding the draft of the Declaration of Independence. On September 2, 1945, L.A. Patti, accompanied by his team, witnessed the event at Ba Dinh Square and later recounted it with rich detail and engaging narrative in his memoir "Why Viet Nam?".

Archimedes L.A.Patti (1913-1998).

"Ho stood still, a smile on his face. He was diminutive in size, yet immense in the acclaim of his people.He raised his hand for silence and began to read his now famous Declaration with the words: 'All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'

Ho stopped abruptly and asked his listeners: 'Do you hear me clearly?' The crowd shouted back: 'Yes!' It was truly a masterful art of oratory. From that moment on, the masses hung on every word,' wrote L.A. Patti.

Even though he did not fully grasp every word spoken by President Ho at the podium, L.A. Patti remarked, "Just by listening to Ho's voice, calm and clear, warm and intimate, and hearing the crowd's response, we no longer doubted that his words had reached the masses."

According to Dan Viet newspaper, the Independence Day celebration on September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square was also attended by OSS (Office of Strategic Services, the CIA's predecessor) Major Allison Thomas. Accompanying him were the Deer Team, who had parachuted into the Viet Minh resistance base, and the Viet Minh Liberation Army from Tuyen Quang to Hanoi. Additionally, the Soviet representative Stéphane Solosieff was present alongside the Allied forces in Vietnam, as well as the representative of the Republic of China's army, which arrived before General Lu Han's forces to disarm the Japanese army. The Free French army of General De Gaulle was represented by Jean Sainteny.

President Ho Chi Minh and Jean Sainteny in 1946. (Photo: Getty)

In his 1954 memoir "The Story of a Forgotten Peace," Jean Sainteny described September 2 as a pivotal moment in the Viet Minh Revolutionary Government's ascent to power. The pre-planned massive rally on "Independence Day" was deemed a crucial milestone in a sequence of significant events.

He recounted, "On a lofty wooden platform in Puginier Park (now known as Ba Dinh Square), before an assembly of tens of thousands, a succession of orators delivered impassioned speeches, each varying in intensity."

In turn, Vo Nguyen Giap, Tran Huy Lieu and then Ho Chi Minh, whom the masses learned that day was the experienced revolutionary Nguyen Ai Quoc, solemnly declared the independence of Vietnam," the intelligence major wrote.

Jean Sainteny also said in a telegram sent to Kunming that he estimated several hundred thousand people attended the rally on September 2.

"Indeed, estimating the precise number is challenging. Representatives from numerous provinces attended in vibrant local attire. Numerous Catholic priests were present as well, occupying prominent positions. The parade's orderly procession, particularly the lack of rebellious and hostile outcries, stood out as some of the most notable displays.

Standing in the Governor-General’s Palace, Sainteny witnessed the people’s parade from a close position. “The procession advanced along Brière de l’Isle Avenue (now known as Hung Vuong Street), passing directly in front of the gate of the Governor-General's Palace, and there were no signs of hostility directed at us or the Palace, a structure representing French rule in Indochina.”

Sainteny's reports contained some intriguing details: "The American delegation was in attendance. Two American Lightning fighter jets flew at low altitude over the rally attendees for an extended period. The new government's propaganda agency portrayed this occurrence as a display of American support for the Viet Minh."

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