On August 29, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh invited the head of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Colonel Archimedes Patti, to the house at 48 Hang Ngang Street to discuss the draft “Declaration of Independence” and the planned organisation of the declaration ceremony; the entry of the Chinese Nationalist Party into Indochina to disarm the Japanese troops from the 18th parallel upwards; and the “nationalisation programme” of the Vietnamese Government concerning a number of important economic sectors.
At the reception, he wished to exchange with Colonel Patti on some of Viet Nam’s policies and future plans, such as the activities of the Provisional Government in the coming days, including the organisation of the Independence Day on September 2, the introduction of the members of the government, and the government’s programme of action for the people to know.
He called an interpreter to translate for Colonel Patti to hear the draft Declaration of Independence. Patti was extremely surprised to find that Ho had included in it some sentences from the US’s Declaration of Independence of 1776 but had rearranged the order and replaced certain words to give them a new meaning.
On behalf of the Provisional Government, President Ho Chi Minh requested Patti to convey to US President Truman (Harry S. Truman) a telegram stating: “To ensure effective results for the matter which the Joint Commission of Allied Powers is tasked with resolving in Viet Nam, we request that the US mission be admitted as a member of the said commission and establish relations with our government.
“We request that our government, the sole legitimate authority in Viet Nam, and the only one that has fought against Japan (military activities conducted by the Viet Minh Front and US officers), be given the right to represent in that commission.”
On the same day, the Viet Bac Liberation Army arrived in Ha Noi and made its debut at the square of the Ha Noi Opera House.
On August 29, 1945, the Viet Bac Liberation Army arrived in Ha Noi and made its debut at the square of the Ha Noi Opera House.
