According to Major General Tong Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department (General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army), the past 80 years have been a great journey of our nation under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam . In particular, during the nation's long resistance wars, the soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army have gone through years full of difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices, but they have been very brave, resilient, and resourceful, together with the people, achieving many glorious feats.

Today, upholding the noble tradition of Uncle Ho's soldiers, those soldiers continue to participate in building and protecting the Party, the government and the people, setting a shining example, passing on the revolutionary "fire" and patriotism to the younger generation.

Lieutenant General, People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Duc Soat is a person with outstanding achievements, shooting down 6 enemy planes, becoming one of the heroic pilots of our Army, chosen to light the flame of revolutionary tradition.

Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat lights the traditional flame at the State-level rehearsal of the National Day celebration, parade, and march on the morning of August 30. Photo: TRONG HAI

This year, People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Duc Soat has turned 80. In 1965, he joined the army, then along with 59 Vietnamese students, he was sent to the Soviet Union to learn how to fly the MiG-21, the most modern fighter jet of the Soviet Union at that time.

After more than 2 years, he and his comrades returned to their homeland and went to battle against the powerful US Air Force. His first achievement was to destroy an unmanned aircraft of the invading US “sky bandits”. With his extraordinary courage and skills, pilot Nguyen Duc Soat then shot down 5 enemy aircraft.

During his 44 years in the military, from a young soldier who started learning to fly the MiG-21, Hero Nguyen Duc Soat became one of the best pilots of the Vietnam People's Air Force. After peace , he continued to study at the Gagarin Air Force Academy and the Voroshilov General Staff Academy (Soviet Union) and held the following positions: Commander of the 927th Air Force Regiment; Commander of the 372nd Air Force Division; Deputy Commander, Commander of the Air Force; Commander of the Air Defense-Air Force; Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. Regardless of his position, he always strived to fulfill the noble mission of a soldier of Uncle Ho's Army, which is to protect the sky and bring peace to the country and the people.

At the age of 80, Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat still strides strongly and decisively. Sharing with us about the honor of being the one to light the traditional flame at the National Day Celebration on September 2, he said: "I belong to the generation of cadres and soldiers who directly went to battle, fighting the enemy, so I deeply understand the value of independence and freedom today. Being chosen to light the traditional revolutionary flame at the 80th Anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2 is a great honor for me. After completing the task in the preliminary and final rehearsal program at the state level, with only 2 more days until the official ceremony, I will try to stay healthy to complete this sacred task."

“The torch that lit the fire altar during the Commemoration Ceremony was carried from the Ho Chi Minh Museum to the historic Ba Dinh Square, symbolizing the spirit and ideals of the Ho Chi Minh era - a symbol of the indomitable will, immortal strength, and eternal aspiration of the Vietnamese people, forged from thousands of years of history of building and defending the country, and will continue to be passed down to descendants today and tomorrow...”. Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat affirmed.

PAINTING

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/80-nam-cach-mang-thang-tam-va-quoc-khanh-2-9/anh-hung-phi-cong-va-su-menh-thap-ngon-lua-truyen-thong-tai-le-ky-niem-quoc-khanh-2-9-843972