David Belle's grandfather died during the First Indochina War. David's father Raymond was born in Vietnam and during the 1954 division of Vietnam was separated from his mother. Raymond was taken in by the French Army and, after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, repatriated to France. Raymond completed his military education in 1954 at age 19 and served with the French sapeurs-pompiers (military firefighters). Raymond died in 1999.