Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Candidate of Economic Sciences
US aggression in Vietnam Keywords:, bombing of Hanoi, Soviet-Chinese relations
It was the fourth year of the undeclared U.S. air war against North Vietnam. After the first raid on August 5, 1964, it escalated from February 7, 1965 into a massive bombing campaign of populated areas of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) aircraft of the US 7th Fleet.
American air raids continued with several interruptions and varying intensity until 1973.
OUR WEEKDAYS
The Hanoi Central Hospital, where I, the third secretary of the Soviet Embassy in the DRV, was stricken with jaundice in January 1968, was crowded with wounded members of the South Vietnamese National Liberation Front's military operation that attacked the US Marine Corps base in the Khesan Valley, 25 km from the demilitarized zone.
I will not forget the lively, heart-touching stories about the past battles of these heroic young guys (the number of amputees was amazing), with whom I became friends during the weeks I spent in the hospital. This was the real truth about the war in the South of the country, unknown to me before and different from the official descriptions. Many such meetings were held under the roar of exploding bombs and anti-aircraft cannonade in the bomb shelter, where we were brought or transferred after the air alarm from different departments during frequent air raids.
The Red River Bridge located a few hundred meters from the hospital was a permanent target of US air strikes on Hanoi. Built in colonial times by the French architect Eiffel, the author of the tower named after him in Paris, this bridge has become truly legendary. Repeatedly destroyed, it was always restored by the heroic efforts of the Vietnamese and survived, remaining throughout the war a vital strategic artery through which everything necessary was supplied to the army in the South.
When the bridge could be put out of action, t ...
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