Vietnam War: General Vo Nguyen Giap Born

August 25, 1911 - Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap is born. The leader of the Viet Minh during the First Indochina War and the mastermind of the victory at Dien Bien Phu, Giap shaped the military of North Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Giap oversaw the planning of the 1968 Tet Offensive, which, while a military disaster, proved to be a political victory. Giap served as minister of defense and deputy prime minister of Vietnam until 1980 and 1982 respectively. Now retired, Giap is the author of several military texts.

Photograph Courtesy of the US Department of Defense