On the occasion of the anniversary like this, as the cameramen from the battlefields, we remember more and more about the past years, which were very hard but also sacred and full of love.
Precious footages
In February and March, I was working at the People’s Army Cinema Center and heard that a lot of film crews in Hanoi went to the V zone, Hue, Tri Thien and Tay Nguyen … Battle in the New Year 1968 already was available for me Tay Thua Thien; in 1972 I was also arranged early to go to Quang Tri. This time, in the mid-March 1975, I waited for long time but did not call, I was little impatient . Then, in the second half of March, I was ordered to accompany the comrade Tran Viet, as the acting director of Center. We eagerly prepared military equipment and cameras, but did not know where to go and what to do. Different from other groups, we were provided with two military vehicles and audio recorder, so vaguely guessed where to go. We just thought so and got on.
People’s Artist Dang Xuan Hai with his 35-mm camera to take the Duong Van Minh Cabinet Room in 1975
Photo: TL
Our group went from Hanoi along route 1 to Quy Nhon, then through the Central Highlands to Loc Ninh. Coming here, we knew that this area is in the west of Saigon, near the core target! From the 24th day, our group was provided with new military equipment. My team (I am the main shooter) received the order to folow the Group 232 to go to Saigon and take camera of anything we saw. Along the route I shot some outstanding scenes, for example, our troops with tanks are crossing the Vam Co River; people rows the boats to bring the soldiers across the river, many enemy’s posts were destroyed … In the night of the 29th day, we were given a handful of rice to accompany the infantry. Early April 30, we were at Bong Bridge and meet the enemy. The unit fought, and cameral group effectively recorded the scene when our troops opened the road to Saigon.
We continued to cross the Bay Hien intersection. The cameramen freely recorded the images of the people cheering, the liberating flag intermingled with the red flag with a gold star to welcome the Liberation Army, road sections with an abundance of guns, clothes and footwear of the American soldiers on both sides. These precious scenes predicted the disintegration of American troops and government in Vietnam. We felt that the victory seems very close! As soon as we enter the Capital’s closed administrative-territorial entity, we met our troops. I ran to the left side of the gate, climbed up to the outside house of a watch post, and took the scene of tanks approaching, the soldiers jumping down to occupy the houses. Because of the secret attacks, limited communication conditions and the street Saigon which we did not grasp, we came to the Independence Palace at 12:30 PM on April 30, no one can shoot the scene of tanks ramping down the Palace’s gate.
After a while, the people rushed forward. We took the scene of people bringing water to invite the soldiers, exchanging, and shaking hands to celebrate. Some people also demanded to see our cameras, touched our military uniform and then praised: “What gentle the liberation soldiers are”!
We were sorry about the delay, but in return, we took a lot of precious images. In the afternoon of April 30, we wondered how to took the whole of Duong Van Minh Cabinet Room which was being kept in the rooms of the Independence Palace. Fortunately, Mr Tran Viet had the letter of recommendation from the General Political Department, which was submitted to the Military Administration and approved for us to take the images of the Cabinet in the next morning. We become joyful and forgot about our fatigue after two days of recording the country’s important historical moment!
Impressive impression
The 35-millimeter cameras worked at their full capacity, until the sun went down and the light was not enough to continue shooting, all realized that they had not eaten all day! We returned to the General Staff of the American government to find room for sleeping and were led by a comrade to a family to eat rice. In the dinner with only one sour soup pot in the middle, we ate simply but warmly. It was the first meal of the Liberation Day and in unity and peace…
Liberation Army’s tank crashed the Independence Palace’s main gate at the noon on 30/04/1975
Photo: TL
That night, I was lying but could not sleep!
Remembering the military time, I was sent to study the battlefield filming and then to the Gio Linh front (Quang Tri). In the general attack in the New Year 1968, I and my camera were at the inner city of Hue to shoot the scenes of fighting in both the Tay Loc airport and Dai Loc area, capturing prisioners and pulling the red flag with gold star up to flagpole of Hue city. In 1972, I took camera in Dong Ha and Ai Tu airports (Quang Tri), then went to the other bank of Ben Hai river to deliver my films to the North, to make the “News of Victory in Quang Tri” Reportage… On the 30th of April 1975, I shot the historical footage again. In victory and liberation, I should have been happy, but I … miss.
In the general attack in 1968, I was wounded after 7 days of living in Hue. The battle was very intense, our troops had casualties. I was injured in my leg, and my camera was broken and could not shoot anything. After I was taken to the forest clinic for treatment, those films were transferred to the North. That images are shown on the historic April night. On this liberation night, where are my collegues and soldiers in my films? I keep thinking about that.
Thinking back, I was fortunate to take the camera in all three important events of the country, and record the history of the country into my camera. Many footages has become the materials in “Historic Victory in the Spring of 1975” movie (Golden Lotus award at the 4th Vietnam Film Festival). Looking back at my footage, I am honored to fulfill the responsibility of recording the history, giving a true view of our history.
On the occasion of the anniversary like this, as the cameramen from the battlefields, we remember more and more about the past years, which were very hard but also sacred and full of love. When shooting the coordinated units, we were open, a soldier also reminded us considerately: “Remember to follow us, we will try our best to fight so that you can record the victory images”!
People’s Artist Dang Xuan Hai
President of Vietnam Cinema Association, former director of the People’s Army Cinema Center