General Vo Nguyen Giap, the first General of the Vietnam People’s Army and the highly talented Commander-in-Chief during the two resistance wars, against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, will be 100 years old on August 25.

General Giap is the longest-living person in the military history of Vietnam.

For many years, on special holidays of the nation and his birthday, representatives from all walks of life visit General Giap to pay tribute to the man who devoted his whole life for the cause of national liberation.

On August 22, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Huynh Dam visited General Giap and wished him a long life.

One day earlier, hundreds of military officers, intellectuals and entrepreneurs from all parts of the country gathered at General Giap’s house in Hanoi to congratulate him on this occasion of his 100 th birthday.

They recalled unforgettable memories about the morals and talents of General Giap, who is informally known as “Eldest Brother of the Vietnam People’s Army”.

Numerous activities are held to celebrate General Giap’s birthday.

They include a meeting of Dien Bien war veterans in Ho Chi Minh City, exhibitions of photos and sand paintings and 3D animated film on General Giap.

The Kim Dong Publishing House launched the pictorial book, “General Vo Nguyen Giap, one century - two long marches”. Meanwhile, the Les Indes Savantes Pari publishing house of France issued the book “Vo Nguyen Giap - a life” by Alain Ruscio.

Vo Nguyen Giap is the most outstanding military leader beside President Ho Chi Minh. He became a general when he was 37. He commanded a series of important campaigns during the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, including the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954.

The “globe shaking” Dien Bien Phu Victory is considered as a brilliant milestone in the cause of national liberation, marking the end of the French imperialists’ power in Indochina after 83 years, inspiring national liberation movements in colonial countries and promoting General Giap as a world military figure.

American historian Cecil Curry affirmed that General Giap has become not only a legend, but also a military genius in the 20 th century and is among the greatest military strategists of all time.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Military History, Ho Khang said General Giap knew to develop the tradition of the elder generations in the new era, using the weak to fight the strong, using a few to fight a crowd, fighting firmly, and always winning. The moral aim of troop commander General Giap was to treasure each drop of soldiers’ blood and have close ties with team mates and people as if they were relatives.

After the country was united, General Giap took various important positions in different fields and made many contributions to society./.