First Indochina War

After his studies at the painting training course in Military Zone III, Phạm Thanh Tâm was assigned to the Culture and Information Office in Hưng Yên Province.^[7]

In 1950, he joined the Việt Minh as a journalist and war artist. His initial assignment was to the 34th Regiment's Tất Thắng newspaper.^[8] He was soon transferred to Artillery Division 351 to work for the division newspaper, Quyết Thắng.^[9]

In 1952, along with his division, he was sent to China for artillery training. After returning to Vietnam, he and his division marched from the town of Lào Cai on Vietnam's northern border with China to Điện Biên Phủ, a journey of over 300 kilometres on foot. He arrived on 11 March 1954, two days before the decisive Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, which he participated in as a soldier and documented as an artist and journalist.^[10]

Second Indochina War

From 1954 to 1963, he worked for three newspapers concurrently: the Military Art Newspaper (Văn Nghệ Quân Đội),^[11] the People's Army Newspaper (Quân Đội Nhân Dân) and the Military Image Newspaper (Hình Ảnh Quân Đội).^[4]

During his education at the Vietnam Fine Arts College, he volunteered for the front during the Second Indochina War. Again as a journalist, he was granted permission to write and paint from the battlefields along the Ho Chi Minh trail; in Khe Sanh, Quảng Trị and Hạ Long Bay; during the 1972 Christmas Bombings; in Đà Nắng and during the Fall of Saigon.^{[2][12][1][4]}

Although artists worked under difficult conditions and with limited resources,^[13] he managed to preserve most of his sketches and paintings by sending them back to Hanoi for safe keeping, using a variety of materials and the occasional use of photographs. He revealed to Sherry Buchanan of The Guardian "At Khe Sanh I did the watercolours right there at the battle. I used a plume rehaussée d'aquarelle [pen with watercolour]. The idea was not to hang around too long in one place. So I would usually add the pen later on. When I traveled around the country and there was no fierce fighting, I had more time to sketch carefully. I traveled with a photographer. That was very useful. If I forgot details, I could look at his pictures and fill in details. I used all kinds of materials: watercolours, pens, pencils – whatever I could find.".^[14]

After Reunification

In 1978, he was appointed the director of the Military Fine Arts Workshop (later merged into the Military Museum) and staged painting exhibitions, taught art courses and erected statues to commemorate the reunification of Vietnam.^[15]

He retired from the army as a Colonel and moved to Ho Chi Minh City with his family in 1989.^[8]

Phạm Thanh Tâm died in Ho Chi Minh City on 30 May 2019.^[16][17]

Books

• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Drawing Under Enemy Fire: War diary of a young Vietnamese artist, 2005, Asia Ink, London ISBN 978-0953783939^[10]
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Carnet de guerre d'un jeune Viêt-Minh à Diên Biên Phu (War diary of a young Viêt-Minh in Diên Biên Phu), 2011, Armand Colin, Paris ISBN 978-2200257590^[19]
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Trang Sử Vàng Điện Biên Phủ (History Of Dien Bien Phu Victory), 2014, Nhà Xuất bản Thời Đại (Thời Đại Publishing House)
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Tiến về Sài Gòn (Going to Saigon), Nhà Xuất Bản Trẻ (Young Publishers) ISBN 978-6049423437
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Dung Dăng Dung Dẻ, Nhà Xuất Bản Trẻ (Young Publishers)
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Vượt Ngầm (Breaking Down), Nhà Xuất Bản Trẻ (Young Publishers)
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Ngày về Sài Gòn (Return to Saigon), Nhà Xuất Bản Văn Hóa-Văn Nghệ (Cultural-Arts Publishing House)
• Phạm Thanh Tâm, Đường 9, Khe Sanh: Tránh, Ký Họa Kháng Chiến Chống Mỹ (Route 9, Khe Sanh: Avoid, Sketch Anti-American Resistance) 2012, Nhà Xuất Bản Trẻ (Young Publishers) OCLC 857863995, LCCN 2013-350686