Disregarding danger, three young Swiss men climbed to the nearly 100-meter-high spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to raise the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in protest against the war.
On January 19, 1969, the two-colored flag—blue and red with a yellow star in the center—flew atop the highest spire of Notre Dame, sparking widespread public attention. News agencies around the world reported on the appearance of the National Liberation Front’s flag at this iconic French landmark on the day of the preliminary session of the Paris Peace Talks. This conference involved four parties: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the United States, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and the Republic of Vietnam, with the goal of ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam.
Despite the risks, three young men from Switzerland returned to their hometown of Lucerne, more than 600 km from Paris, relieved after a harrowing 30-hour journey to raise a flag in support of a nation nearly 10,000 km away. They were Bernard Bachelard, 26, a physical education teacher; Noé Graff, 24, a law student; and Olivier Parriaux, 25, a physics student.
“We wanted to support the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam ahead of the Paris Peace Talks, discredit the Nguyễn Văn Thiệu government, and condemn war crimes,” recalled Olivier Parriaux, now 80 years old, as he shared the story on November 18 during his first visit to Ho Chi Minh City with Bernard from November 15-19.
Olivier explained that since the 1960s, strikes, protests, and calls to end the war in Vietnam had taken place globally, involving millions of participants. He and his friends were among those who felt compelled to take more decisive action. The opportunity arose in early 1969, with significant global events approaching, including the Paris Peace Talks (scheduled for January 25) and U.S. President Nixon’s inauguration (on January 20).
The three decided to raise the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to make a statement. This 700-year-old landmark was a symbol of France, recognized worldwide. They planned to place the flag on the cathedral’s 94-meter-high spire.
Having never been to Notre Dame Cathedral before, the group studied its structure through books. Fortunately, they found an atlas with detailed diagrams of the cathedral, helping them identify a way to access the spire. Meanwhile, Bernard Bachelard’s wife sewed a 17.5-square-meter flag using silk fabric. Olivier noted that the flag’s size and material were carefully chosen to ensure it was thin, durable, light, and capable of fluttering well in the wind. They also devised a method for securing the flag during the climb while allowing it to unfurl with a single pull of a rope.
At 6 a.m. on January 18, the three left home in a car bound for Paris. By 6 p.m., when tourists had mostly left the area, they approached Notre Dame Cathedral.
Mr. Olivier Parriaux recounts the process of raising the flag on the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the night of January 18, 1969. Photo: Lê Tuyết
All three were slim and experienced climbers from the Alps, Europe’s highest mountain range. Among them, Bernard, the smallest but most agile as a physical education teacher, was tasked with raising the flag, assisted by Olivier. Noé Graff remained below to keep watch.
Bernard led the climb, followed by Olivier. Starting from the base of a tree, they scaled the cathedral’s roof, passed one bell tower, and reached the central roof leading to the spire. To get to the top, they had to navigate four statues of apostles and continue climbing inside the tower.
Despite their research, differences between the atlas and reality posed unexpected dangers. The distance from the first bell tower to the roof edge was described as one meter but turned out to be 2.5-3 meters. The gap required a running start to jump, which was impossible on the cathedral roof.
Bernard jumped first, crossing smoothly. Olivier followed but slipped, grabbing onto the roof edge just in time. Bernard quickly helped him up. “We were 36 meters above the ground—a height that could have been fatal if we fell,” Olivier recalled.
Another unexpected challenge was the size of the statues. The atlas described them as two meters tall, but they were twice that size. Additionally, the steep roofs offered little to hold onto. It took nearly an hour to pass the statues.
“We moved very slowly because the structure, built centuries ago, was no longer stable,” Bernard recounted. The higher they climbed, the narrower the spire became, until only a tight embrace could encircle it near the cross. At this point, Olivier stopped while Bernard continued inching upward to secure the flag.
“Winter winds were strong, and being nearly 100 meters above ground without safety gear made the cold even harsher,” Bernard recalled. “Our hands ached from gripping the rings, and our faces were blackened by years of accumulated rust.” However, the moment the flag unfurled atop the spire, all hardships were forgotten. “All we felt was pure happiness,” he said.
On their way down, Olivier used a saw to cut away the metal bars they had climbed to reach the spire. “I cut about 10 meters of bars, enough to prevent anyone from climbing up to remove the flag quickly,” he explained.
The flag-raising mission was completed by 2 a.m. on January 19. The group then took their horse-drawn cart straight to the offices of Le Monde newspaper to deliver a press release announcing that the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was flying atop Notre Dame Cathedral.
However, their challenges were far from over. As they drove through a large square, they encountered a police patrol. “I thought all three of us would be arrested,” Olivier recalled. The situation in France was tense at the time, with local authorities actively cracking down on protesters.
“I was most worried for Bernard, as he worked for the government and was married, while Noé and I were just young bachelors,” Olivier said. Fortunately, when the police noticed their Swiss license plate, they smiled and waved them on, allowing the group to escape.
By 4 a.m., police near Notre Dame spotted the flag fluttering atop the spire and sounded the alarm. However, they were unable to climb the spire because Olivier had cut the access bars. It wasn’t until 3 p.m. that authorities brought in a helicopter to send personnel up to remove the flag.
Prof. Dr. Trinh Quang Phu, Director of the Oriental Development Research Institute, who was in Paris at the time as a journalist, recalled being deeply moved upon seeing the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flying high.
“My colleagues and I, along with journalists from many countries, raised our cameras to capture the moment. It was truly special and filled with emotion. I wondered who the heroes behind this act were and where they came from,” Prof. Phu reminisced. The flag, fluttering in the wind, served as a rallying call for peace-loving people around the world to oppose the war.
While public opinion and the media were abuzz, the three Swiss men who raised the flag remained silent. According to Olivier, they initially kept their actions secret for safety reasons. Even after the U.S. withdrew its troops and peace was restored in Vietnam, the group refrained from speaking out, believing, “What we did was insignificant; what mattered was the impact of the event at the time.”
However, five years ago, when Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was devastated by a fire, the group was deeply moved as they watched the iconic spire burn and collapse into the flames. They felt compelled to share their story as part of the cathedral’s history. The group authored a book, Le Viet Cong au sommet de Notre-Dame (The Viet Cong Flag on the Spire of Notre Dame), detailing the event.
Fifty-five years later, at the invitation of Nguyễn Văn Nên, Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee, two of the three men visited Vietnam—the country they had quietly supported and fought for in their own way.
“During our days here, visiting many places, we’ve realized how deeply the war’s aftermath still lingers,” Olivier said. He pointed out the continuing dangers of unexploded ordnance, which still claims lives, and the enduring impact of Agent Orange on people and Vietnam’s natural environment.
As a result, the group has committed to a new fight: advocating for justice for Agent Orange victims. They plan to support this cause by raising funds and seeking legal assistance for those affected.
Source: vnexpress.net (By Lê Tuyết)
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