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Vietnam „The man who has no face” Vietnam is not an easy country for signatures. My first autograph in 1977 was from Pham Van Dong, (1906-2000) the most famous North-Vietnamese Prime Minister ever (1955-1976). He was also the Prime Minister of the reunified Vietnam until he retired (1976-1987). That time, I did not have any photo of him so I only sent a small card to him for signing. He signed it by ball point pen. It is worth knowing, the North Vietnamese political leaders did not send out signed photos, but – sometimes– they were ready to sign items they had received. 
Pham Van Dong signed card /1/
The other important communist political figure of that area was Madame Nguyen Thi Binh. (1927- )
In 1969 she was appointed Foreign Minister and she represented the Vietcong, later the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam at the Paris Peace Conference and signed the agreement in 1973. Madame Binh later became the Minister of Education, and in 1972 she was appointed Vice President of The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War Hungarian newspapers published her picture very often. She was very popular and honoured in all Hungary. The Communist Hungary’s sympathy laid with Madame Binh. From the Hungarian Press Agency I got a small photo, and I sent it to her to Hanoi and she signed it. She also used ball point pen. It was in 1970.
Nguyen Thi Binh signed photo /2/
34 years later – in 2004 – I wrote her once again when she signed
(backside) a big size photograph taken in the Paris Peace Conference.
Nguyen Thi Binh photo /3/
Nguyen Thi Binh signature /4/
The most enigmatic political leader of the Vietnam War was Nguyen Huu Tho. (1910-1996) American President Lyndon Johnson called him „the man who has no face” – as no pictures were published of him during the War, nobody could see his face.
He was the Chairman of the National Liberation Front (Vietcong), also he was the Chairman of the Consultative Council of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (1969-1976 ).
In the united Vietnam he served as Vice President, and in 1980-1981 he became the President of Vietnam. He dedicated a photo to me in 1979 which shows him among his Vietcong soldiers.
 Nguyen Huu Tho dedicated photo /5/ In my opinion, the most important Statesman of the Vietnam War – including the Americans, also North and South Vietnamese – was General Vo Nguyen Giap (1911 - ), Hero of Dien Bien Phu, Hero of Vietnam, Minister of Defence of North Vietnam and later The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He won both the First Indochina War against the French (1946-1954), and the Vietnam War (1960-1975) against the Americans. General Giap’s signature was not easy to receive. I did not get answer for my former letters.
I had a photo of Giap showing him when he had met American Minister of Defence Robert McNamara (1916 - ) in Hanoi in 1995. I sent this photo to McNamara who signed it. After it, I sent the same photo to General Giap. I was very glad that Giap also signed and dated the photograph. But he wrote his name partly on the signature of McNamara. I think he wanted to show, he is „greater” than his American enemy-colleague…..
General Vo Nguyen Giap signed photo + letter /6/ Hungary did not have any contact with South Vietnam. We only called their Government “The South-Vietnamese puppets”. It was unadvisable to send letters to Saigon, but my letter however arrived to President Nguyen Van Thieu. (1923-2001) President Thieu (1965-1975) had time to sign a photo during the War. 
Nguyen Van Thieu signed photo/7/
In Hungary, General Nguyen Cao Ky (1930 - ) was the most hated Prime Minister of South Vietnam (1965-1967) I am glad he dedicated a photo to me. 
Nguyen Cao Ky signed photo /8/ The most interesting South Vietnamese politician was the „Dragon Lady”, Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu. (1924 - ). She was de facto First Lady of South Vietnam (1955-1963), she was the wife of the brother of President Ngo Dinh Diem. Madame Nhu was born in an aristocratic family. She is the great-granddaughter of Dong Khanh (1864-1889) who was the Emperor of Vietnam (1885-1889).
She was a very beautiful but hated woman. She often caused controversy because of her strong anti-Buddhist ideology.
Thich Quang Duc was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road in 1963. Madame Nhu called it a "barbecue" and stating "let them burn and we shall clap our hands". She denounced American liberals as "worse than communists" and Buddhists as "hooligans in robes".
On November 1 in 1963 her brother-in-law President Ngo Dinh Diem, and her husband were assassinated in a coup d'état. This time Madame Nhu was staying in California, and she did not return home. She lived in the United States, later she moved to Rome. Currently she residences in France.
My old wish was to get a signature of Madame Nhu. For many years I was not able to locate her. Finally I turned to the wife of a former French Prime Minister. The lady was a Hungarian born woman, and she was so kind to forward my letter to Madame Nhu. A family member of Madame Nhu answered me, that she never signs photos, no cards.
At the end of my long correspondence with the family member, I have received a long letter that have been signed both by this family member and Madame Nhu! This is a very special letter to me. 
Madame Nhu, signed part of her letter /9/
Nguyen Khanh (1927 - ) was the Head of State and Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1964. Actually he is the President of the Government of “Free Vietnam” 
Nguyen Khan signed photo /10/
I am also interested in the Imperial Vietnam. In the years 1970’ I was a university student when I was already thinking the way to get the signature of Bao Dai (1913-1997), the last Emperor of Vietnam (1925-1945). I had to wait for more than 20 years, when I finally found him in 1995 with the kind help of a contact person. 
Bao Dai dedicated photo /11/
I also got a dedicated photo from his wife Princess Vinh Thuy ( 1945 - ) who is often called Empress Vinh Thuy. 
Vinh Thuy dedicated photo /12/
And I received the signed photo of Bao Long (1936-2007) son of Bao Dai, Crown Prince of Vietnam.
Bao Long signed photo /13/ ZOLTÁN MÁRIÁN
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Autograph Article 
