Vietnam's undefeated war hero Giap is 100

The legendary general Vo Nguyen Giap built his career on never backing down, even against seemingly impossible odds.

Now, decades after ousting the French and later the Americans, he is celebrating another victory: his 100th birthday. Giap is revered by Vietnamese second only to the former president Ho Chi Minh. Together, they plotted gutsy campaigns from jungles and caves using ill-equipped guerrilla fighters to gain Vietnam's independence, eventually leading to the end of French colonial rule throughout Indochina.

Two decades later, Giap's northern Communist forces also wore down the US military, forcing them out of the former South Vietnam.