Stefan Kubiak
Stefan Kubiak | |
|---|---|
Nguyễn Thị Phượng and Stefan Kubiak sometime between 1956 and 1963 | |
| Nickname(s) | Hồ Chí Toán ("Mathematician") |
| Born | 25 August 1923 Łódź, Second Polish Republic |
| Died | 28 November 1963 (aged 40) Hanoi, Democratic Republic of Vietnam |
| Cause of death | Malaria and wounds |
| Buried | Văn Điển cemetery, Vietnam |
| Allegiance | |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Captain (Đại úy) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Gold Star Order (Huân chương Sao vàngs) Order of Ho Chi Minh (3rd Class) Order of Ho Chi Minh (3rd Class) |
| Spouse(s) | Nguyễn Thị Phượng (died in 2007) |
| Children | 2 sons: Hồ Chí Thắng (born in 1956) and Hồ Chí Dũng (born in 1958) |
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Stefan Kubiak (25 August 1923 – 28 November 1963), also known as Hồ Chí Toán (nom de guerre "Mathematician"), was a Polish soldier who became a decorated captain in the People's Army of Vietnam. A Soviet partisan near the end of World War II, Kubiak was eventually drafted into the French Foreign Legion and sent to fight against the Vietnamese in French Indochina, but he deserted and switched sides.
Taking part in the First Indochina War and later the Vietnam War, Kubiak proved a valuable strategist and tactician – particularly during the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ. He was awarded Vietnam's highest honours for his feats during the conflict. He settled in Hanoi and started a family there, before succumbing to his wartime wounds and malaria seven years later.