European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Battle that foreshadowed Vietnam by George Esper the associated press v f Gray years ago men fought bied and died in a / Dien Bien Phu in an epic Battle that changed. The course of recent world history. A Over the years the trenches and bomb craters have Given Way to the gentleness of the land save for some Battle Sites with Small decaying Stone memorials that hint at the events that took place. The French stronghold of Dien Bien Phu fell to a peasant vietnamese army of nationalists and communists ending French colonial Rule setting the stage for the involvement of the United states in Vietnam and ending Western a and White a domination of much of Southeast Asia. I new generations of Farmers now roam the peaceful Valley with water Buffalo tending to their crops. Life is simple and uncomplicated. Children play in Ponds. Old men and women ride their bicycles. White Clouds Frame the ring of mountains from which vietnamese troops Laid siege to the French forces for 56 Days. A.  �.,� a /. A a a a o. A a a a a a a a a a a Quot Quot i can no longer communicate with you Quot crackled the last chilling message from the French fortress to Headquarters in Hanoi nearly 200 Miles away. Dien Bien Phu fell on May 7,1954. The victorious vietnamese raised a Banner Over the Bunker command Post of French Gen Christian de Castries proclaiming a determination to fight determination to  with that France waned As a colonial Power. A new player would emerge As a bulwark against the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Dien Bien Phu propelled America i rib a full scale War a decade later. The United states boasted that its military and economic might would crush the poorly armed communists and maintain a balance of Power in the free world. It did t. French president Francois Mitterrand acknowledged As much after a visit to Dien Bien Phu a Little Over a year ago. Quot French colonialism had to understand the necessity of turning the Page Quot he said. Over the years with their own hands the peasants and soldiers themselves have filled the bomb craters and trenches and flattened the Battlefield of Dien Bien Phu on which thousands of vietnamese and French died. They and the generations that followed them gave birth to a new Valley of Lush Green pastures of Rice and Maize and fruit gardens sustaining a population that has grown More than tenfold to 125,000 people. A a Quot Many of the veterans of the Battle Are still alive As the a Ballad of Dien Bien Phu written by Huy can proclaims the soldiers of Dien Bien Phu my comrades wish you forever be in this life. So that thousands of centuries a will listen to your words. The veterans Are paraded out for special occasions such As the 40th anniversary at the front is their Leader Gen. To Nguyen Giap now 82, the legendary Warrior who Defeated the French and later held off More than a half million american troops he wields Little Power today in a newly emerging Vietnam that years ago made its peace with France and is now edging closer to America. A v a a a. A Dien Bien Phu represents the glory of the old soldiers an occasion to put on their tattered mismatched. U n i forms with medal s As they re Trace the e a Tel e be id and pose for photos for reporters and tourists. Cap himself and senior officers who fought alongside. Him took a patrol into the past on a pre anniversary visit to Dien Bien Phu in Early april. Giap stood in front of the command Post of de Castries transfixing villagers with French soldiers seek shelter during a bombardment. Rive Ting accounts of How he d e Fea Ted the e f re n Cage nera. While Giap had been to Dien Bien Phu several times in past years he returned to his old Headquarters in Muong Phang 10 Miles away for the first time since his Victory. He received a hero s Welcome. _ about 4,000 of Giap s troops lie in four tree shaded \ cemeteries in Dien Bien Phu. There is none for the French. Their dead Are symbolized by two rebuilt grave Sites where returning French veterans pay their. Respects. Hundreds of vietnamese and French troops were buried in the Earth  Dien Bien Phu at the positions where they fell or were swallowed up by Monsoon Waters. A a Many of the vietnamese veterans of Dien Bien Phu also fought against the americans. One of the four cemeteries vietnamese troops dig in during a Lull in the lighting around Dien Bien Phu