A special meal for the soldiers protecting President Ho Chi Minh.

"Protecting President Ho Chi Minh required individuals with clean records, firm revolutionary ideology, martial arts skills, and the ability to maintain absolute secrecy... Therefore, participating in ensuring the safety of President Ho Chi Minh was not only a responsibility but also an honor and a source of pride that not everyone could have," recalled Mr. Tran Nguyen Muoi.

At 90 years old, with 60 years of Party membership and a head of white hair, Mr. Tran Nguyen Muoi (residing in Phuc Tho commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province ) exudes an intelligent and sharp mind.

At the age of 18, during the fierce Autumn-Winter border campaign, young Tran Nguyen Muoi was part of the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Corps, building a strategic road from Thanh Hoa to Hoa Binh .

At the end of 1953, the road-opening task was completed. Following new assignments, the Phuc Tho Youth Volunteer Regiment moved to the Dinh Hoa Safe Zone (ATK) in Thai Nguyen. There, the unit was tasked with protecting the outpost at the ATK and managing transportation at the Coc ferry crossing – transporting cadres to and from the ATK. It was at this ferry crossing over the Coc stream that the young man from Nghi Loc met President Ho Chi Minh for the first time.

It was a late night in 1953, and the Phuc Tho Youth Volunteer Platoon was tasked with hauling a car across a stream. Everyone understood that the person coming from the ATK (Vietnamese Resistance Zone) would be an important figure. The weather was cold, the water was flowing swiftly, and the men cheered as they pulled the winch rope, quickly getting the passenger across the river.

"As the bus left the station, a comrade in the group asked, 'Who is in charge here?' At that time, I was the platoon leader of the Youth Volunteer platoon, so I answered. The comrade came closer, leaned in, and whispered in my ear, 'Uncle Ho is on the bus. You'll meet him again.' Hearing that, I was both nervous and overjoyed."

"When I approached, Uncle Ho placed his hand on my shoulder and inquired about the health of the men working at the ferry terminal. Hearing my reply, he recognized my Nghe An accent and asked, 'Are you from our hometown?' I replied, 'Uncle, the entire platoon is from Nghi Loc, Nghe An.' Hearing this, Uncle Ho was very happy and gave the whole platoon a box of candy and a pack of cigarettes," Mr. Muoi recalled.

Unexpectedly meeting President Ho Chi Minh in person, the young man stood motionless for a long time, only snapping out of his daze when the car disappeared into the distance. He ran like lightning to the ferry dock, sharing his joy with everyone. Knowing they had just served President Ho Chi Minh, everyone was delighted. Even more joyful was receiving a gift from him.

Following the victory at Dien Bien Phu, Mr. Muoi's unit was ordered to leave the ATK (Vietnamese Resistance Zone) and return to Hanoi to prepare for the return of central government agencies. Mr. Muoi was selected to participate in the parade celebrating the liberation of the capital and welcoming President Ho Chi Minh back after nine years of resistance.

On October 10, 1954, from the Five City Gates, amidst solemn music, the joyful cheers of the people of the capital, and a sea of ​​flags and flowers, the victorious army marched into the city center. This was the second time Mr. Mười had seen President Ho Chi Minh with his own eyes. And he could never have imagined that, just a short time later, he would become a security soldier, protecting President Ho Chi Minh at the Presidential Palace.

In April 1955, Tran Nguyen Muoi was transferred to the Public Security force and attended "Training Course 3" in Ha Dong. Upon completing the course, the young soldier received an assignment to work in Department 1, Security Bureau - Ministry of Public Security, tasked with protecting President Ho Chi Minh at the Presidential Palace, where he had lived and worked since December 1954.

"The security measures for President Ho Chi Minh were extremely strict, with three layers. The outermost layer was handled by the military, followed by guard posts manned by disguised members of the Security Bureau, tasked with providing 24/7 protection, and finally, the President's personal bodyguards."

"Due to the exceptionally important nature of the mission, those participating in protecting President Ho Chi Minh were carefully selected from many units, having to meet many strict criteria regarding political acumen, ideology, morality, martial arts skills, and absolute secrecy... Therefore, for security guards like us, this is both a duty and an honor and a source of pride," Mr. Tran Nguyen Muoi shared.

Due to the extremely important nature of their duties, each guard shift for the security police force at the Presidential Palace lasts only one hour, with shifts rotating 24/7, and each person performing two shifts per day, one during the day and one at night.

Outside of guard duty, everyone was tasked with honing their skills as security soldiers and studying politics and culture. Leaving his hometown to join the resistance, Mr. Mười had only completed the fourth grade. During his time serving here, while fulfilling his duties as a security guard, soldier Trần Nguyên Mười completed his secondary education and then had the honor of joining the ranks of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

"Besides training and studying, we actively increased production. Uncle Ho said that a plot of land about one meter wide could grow two eggplant plants, so we would have food and be able to improve our health," Mr. Muoi recounted.

After more than two years of service in Department 1 of the Security Guard Bureau, Mr. Mười was transferred to Department 3. This unit was responsible for ensuring the absolute safety of foreign dignitaries (foreign heads of state) visiting Vietnam and during President Ho Chi Minh's official trips.

According to Mr. Mười, this was truly a difficult task, as reactionary forces, subversive elements, and enemy agents could infiltrate everywhere. Meanwhile, President Ho Chi Minh was always close to the people; wherever he went, he always wanted to meet the people directly to listen to their thoughts and aspirations. Therefore, sometimes the security detail had to go ahead a month in advance, "cleaning" the area and eliminating all potential threats to ensure the absolute safety of President Ho Chi Minh.

In 1965, Mr. Tran Nguyen Muoi was transferred from the Security Department of the Ministry of Public Security to take up a position at the 4th Military Region Command. From 1965 to the end of 1966, his nhiệm vụ was to ensure the safety of the Political Commissars of the 4th Military Region, such as Lieutenant General Dong Sy Nguyen and Lieutenant General Le Hien Mai.

In mid-1967, Mr. Tran Nguyen Muoi accompanied Commander and Political Commissar of Military Region 4 Le Quang Hoa and the delegation from the Military Region to the Congress of Heroic Soldiers determined to defeat the American invaders. This was also the time when Company 22, Battalion 4, Artillery Regiment 222 shot down an F8U aircraft at Om Bridge, Do Luong District (Nghe An) - the 1,900th aircraft shot down in North Vietnam.

The delegation of heroes and exemplary soldiers from Military Region 4 had the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh and being invited to a meal by him.

"My driver and I were having lunch in the car when one of Uncle Ho's attendants came out and told us that he wanted us to join him. The meal included fish, a plate of water spinach, a plate of fried eggs, a bowl of soy sauce, and a bowl of pickled eggplant. Uncle Ho said, 'The fish was caught from the pond, the water spinach was home-grown, the eggs were from our own farm, the pickled eggplant was also grown by our comrades in the garden at the Presidential Palace, and the soy sauce was given to me by the people of Nghe An.'"

"Uncle Ho inquired about the fighting situation and the lives of the people in Military Region 4, encouraging the soldiers to continue competing to achieve meritorious deeds so that they could soon drive out the American invaders. Throughout the meal, Uncle Ho kept serving us food, urging us to eat, but being able to sit close to Uncle Ho, to eat with him, we were so happy that we forgot to eat," Mr. Muoi recalled about the special meal that he called "the best meal" he had ever had.

Throughout his 10 years of service protecting President Ho Chi Minh, Mr. Muoi's impression of the head of state was that he was simple, approachable, and there was no distance between the President and his bodyguards or the people.

"Uncle Ho lived close to the people, especially those with shortcomings. He said that those with flaws must be close to so that they don't feel ashamed, and that they must be helped to correct their mistakes and progress. He said that communists, in whatever they do or wherever they go, in their speech and actions, must be exemplary; they must lead themselves before they can lead others," Mr. Mười confided.

Having held various positions, Captain Tran Nguyen Muoi retired in 1984. Returning to his hometown, he continued to undertake many tasks in local political organizations. Following President Ho Chi Minh's example, he lived an upright, honest, and thrifty life, fiercely fighting against wrongdoing and maintaining close ties with the people. His greatest pride was that his children had grown up and followed in his footsteps, serving in the military and police forces.

Content: Hoang Lam

Photo: Hoang Lam

Design: Minh Ngoc

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