What did Ho Chi Minh compared his troops to?

Answer 1

This sounds like what did North Vietnam base their army on (which pattern did they use?). In the US Army, for example, the uniform was copied from the French, such as the Union army's kepi cap (hat). Look at a photo of a French soldier's cap from the 1800s and compare that photo to a US Soldier's (Union army) kepi (cap) and you will not see any difference, they will be the same (almost exactly). Same with the rank, the US Army officers wore "shoulder boards" (also called should straps) upon their left & right shoulders, any old western cavalry film will show the US Cavalry officer wearing shoulder boards indicating his rank...those are French.

The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) wore home grown (made in North Vietnam) OD (Olive Drab) cloth covered "pith helmets" with leather webbing inside (as did most other armies). The shape of these pith helmets most nearly matched the steel French "Adrian" helmet worn by the French in WWI and WWII. The NVAs OD uniforms were standard in the 1960s/70s worn by most all other nations at the time.

Answer 2

Ho Chi Minh compared his military to a tiger. He compared the United States military to an elephant.