Top 5 Heroes Who Gave Their Lives in the Legendary Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Trần Can, born in 1931 in Sơn Thành, Yên Thành District, Nghệ An Province, played a pivotal role in the opening battle of Dien Bien Phu at Him Lam. His mission was to plant the national flag, given by President Hồ Chí Minh, on the enemy's stronghold. As the battle erupted with intense gunfire, Trần Can led his squad fearlessly past enemy bunkers, charging straight into the enemy command post. Like a swift arrow, he struck deep into enemy lines, leaping onto their fortifications to plant the flag of victory. He then led his men in defeating the remaining French soldiers in the bunker, capturing 25 prisoners, and seizing various weapons.

During the Battle of Hill 507, Trần Can and his team overwhelmed the French forces, securing the hilltop. The enemy launched ferocious counterattacks to reclaim the position, and the two sides fought bitterly for every inch of ground. Trần Can and his comrades repelled all four enemy assaults. When the enemy launched a fifth wave, throwing grenades as they charged, Trần Can courageously tossed grenades back, leading his team into close combat. Despite sustaining injuries, he continued to lead his men through the night.

The following morning, Trần Can gathered the lightly wounded, motivated his team, and strengthened their defenses. As the enemy launched another fierce assault to retake the gateway to Mường Thanh, Trần Can and his comrades held their ground, successfully thwarting the enemy's advances and allowing the Vietnamese forces to move deeper into Mường Thanh. On the morning of May 7, 1954, the final day of the campaign, Trần Can made the ultimate sacrifice, dying heroically in battle.

Hoàng Văn Nô, born in 1932 in Ngọc Khê, Trùng Khánh District, Cao Bằng Province, enlisted in 1952. On January 31, 1954, his unit, the 925th Battalion, was assigned to intercept a paratrooper battalion (IBEP) in the Green Hill area, Hill 781, east of Dien Bien Phu.

Before the operation started, an enemy company attempted to cross Green Hill. Lieutenant Đinh Văn Niết's squad fired the first shots, causing the enemy to momentarily retreat. However, the enemy then bombarded the hill with artillery and sent another force to flank the position with the aim of ambushing Niết's men. The battle raged fiercely throughout the day. The Vietnamese soldiers, under Niết’s command, divided into two groups—one to hold the enemy back, the other, a three-man team, charged forward to attack.

The two sides exchanged heavy gunfire. Lieutenant Niết and several others were wounded. Filled with grief and fury, Hoàng Văn Nô raised his spear and charged like a lightning bolt. He struck down the first enemy soldier with a lethal thrust to the chest, followed by a second, a third, and a fourth, the latter impaled so deeply that Nô had to forcefully kick to remove the spear. As he moved to kill a fifth enemy soldier, he was struck by enemy gunfire and fell.

Hoàng Văn Nô died heroically, embodying the valor and courage of a true warrior.

Tô Vĩnh Diện, born in 1924 in Nông Trường, Nông Cống District, Thanh Hóa Province, enlisted in July 1949. In May 1953, as the anti-aircraft artillery unit was formed in preparation for the historic battle, he was assigned as the squad leader of an anti-aircraft artillery team.

The artillery was transported over 1,000 kilometers to the staging area. Tô Vĩnh Diện took on every difficult and dangerous task with excellence, always encouraging and assisting his comrades in moving the artillery to safe positions, out of the enemy’s aerial detection range. During the process of hauling the artillery, he took great care in checking the ropes and inspecting dangerous slopes, instructing his men on how to handle unexpected situations.

After five nights of moving the artillery, they reached a dangerous incline known as Chuối Hill. The road was narrow, steep, and treacherous. Tô Vĩnh Diện, along with his comrade Lê Văn Chi, volunteered to drive the cannon up the hill. Midway up, the towing rope snapped, and the cannon began to roll downhill. Despite the peril, Diện remained calm and expertly steered the cannon, but as one of the four ropes broke, the cannon gained even more speed. Chi was thrown off, and in that critical moment, Diện shouted to his comrades, 'I will sacrifice myself to protect the cannon.' Without hesitation, he released the steering handles and rushed forward, using his body to block the cannon’s wheels. His selfless act enabled his team to successfully restrain the cannon. He died heroically, becoming a powerful symbol of strength and resolve that propelled the entire team to complete their mission.

Phan Đình Giót, born in 1922 in Tam Quang village, Vĩnh Yên commune, Cẩm Thủy district, Hà Tĩnh province, joined the military in 1949. In the winter of 1953, his unit was ordered to participate in the historic Điện Biên Phủ campaign.

On the afternoon of March 13, 1954, the first shots rang out signaling the start of the assault on the French position at Him Lam. The entire battlefield trembled as smoke and dust filled the air after a barrage of artillery from both sides. The soldiers of Company 58 led the way, successfully disabling eight enemy bunkers. But on the ninth, Phan Đình Giót was wounded in the thigh. Despite his injury, he disregarded the pain and continued to press forward, fighting alongside his comrades. The French concentrated their fire on the advancing soldiers, and many of his comrades fell.

Fueled by hatred and the desire for vengeance, he courageously charged forward, destroying two more enemy positions and opening a path for his comrades to break through the enemy's defenses. Seizing the moment when the French were disoriented, he pushed forward to capture the second enemy stronghold, providing covering fire to allow his comrades to advance. At this point, he was severely wounded, blood streaming from his body. But when the advance stalled due to the enemy's heavy fire from the third stronghold, he refused to give up. He crawled closer to the third position, determined to neutralize it at all costs. With his remaining strength, he raised his submachine gun and fired into the enemy’s loophole while shouting, 'I will sacrifice for the Party, for the people!' Then, using his own body, he sealed the loophole with his bare flesh. The most dangerous enemy stronghold was silenced by his bravery, allowing his unit to charge forward like a storm and successfully capture the Him Lam position, marking the first victory in the campaign.

Bế Văn Đàn, born in 1931 in Triệu Ẩu, Phục Hòa district, Cao Bằng province, volunteered to join the army in 1948 during the fierce Indochina War. When the Communist Party launched the Đông Xuân campaign of 1953-1954, he was assigned as the battalion’s messenger.

A company from his battalion was tasked with surrounding and holding the enemy at Mường Bồn. The French, seeing the small size of the Việt Minh forces, sent two companies supported by artillery to break the siege, but both attempts failed. The battle became more intense, with the French pushing desperately and the Việt Minh holding firm to block their advance.

The company received orders to hold the enemy at Mường Bồn at all costs so that other units could mobilize forces and carry out the mission of the campaign. Despite just returning from a mission, when the commander called on him, Bế Văn Đàn immediately volunteered for the task. He braved the heavy bombardment and gunfire to deliver messages to his comrades, ensuring they received orders accurately and on time. The fighting grew even fiercer, and he stayed with his company, standing side by side with his comrades to fight the enemy.

When the French launched their third counterattack, only 17 soldiers were left in the company, and Bế Văn Đàn himself was injured. Despite his wounds, he continued to fight alongside his comrades. The company’s medium machine gun was out of action after its gunner was killed, and the other machine gun, operated by Chu Văn Pù, could not fire because there was no place to mount the weapon. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Bế Văn Đàn ran to the gun, without hesitation using his own shoulders to support it. He shouted to his comrade, 'The enemy is right in front of us; if you care for me, kill them!' While using his body as a gun rest, he was hit with two more wounds and ultimately sacrificed his life. Yet, his hands still held the machine gun firmly on his shoulders, ensuring that his comrades could continue the fight.