The Audio Long Read
Vietnam

From the archives: The fall of Saigon: witnessing the end of the Vietnam war – podcast

The Audio Long Read Series
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We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.

This week: In a special tribute to Martin Woollacott, the Guardian’s former foreign correspondent and foreign editor, who has died at the age of 81, Alan Rusbridger reflects on his fondest memories of Martin and how this ‘giant of journalism’ should be remembered.

From 2015: North Vietnamese troops who marched into the capital on 30 April 1975. It marked the most crushing defeat in US military history. Four decades after he reported on these events for the Guardian, Martin Woollacott reflects upon what it meant for the future of both nations

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VIETNAM-FRANCE-WAR-50-FIGHTING<br>This picture taken 14 April 1954 shows Vietminh soldiers assaulting French positions at Muong Thanh airport at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. Vietnam will mark 13 March 2004 the 50th anniversary of the start of the siege of Dien Bien Phu, the epic battle that precipitated the collapse of French colonial rule in Indochina. The fighting began March 13, 1954, and 56 days later, 07 May, shell-shocked survivors of the French garnison hoisted the white flag to signal the end to one of the greatest battles of the 20th century. EDITOR'S NOTE: THE VAST MAJORITY OF VIETNAMESE PHOTOS OF THE BATTLE ARE RECONSTRUCTIONS DONE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROPAGANDA. MOST OF THEM WERE TAKEN JUST HOURS AFTER THE ACTUAL EVENTS DEPICTED. AFP PHOTO/VNA/FILES (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images)
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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