Loyal revolutionary soldier Trinh Quang Lich

Loyal revolutionary fighter Trinh Quang Lich

Mr. Trinh Quang Tho, Vice Principal of Lam Kinh High School, stands beside a photograph of his grandfather taken during his imprisonment by the French colonialists, a picture that his family has preserved for a long time. Photo: Chi Anh

A rural area rich in tradition.

Trịnh Quang Lịch was born in Yên Trường village (also known as An Trường), Thọ Lập commune – a land rich in history and culture. More than 1,000 years ago, King Lê Đại Hành mentioned Thọ Lập in this very place through the poem: "An Trường, a strategically important place, is blessed with divine spirits / Protecting the nation, assisting in the retreat of the Song army"... and later, Yên Trường and Vạn Lại were chosen as the capital of the Lê Trung Hưng dynasty. Seven doctoral examinations were held in this area, selecting many talented individuals for the country... All of this makes anyone born and raised here very proud.

However, besides its cultural traditions, Tho Lap is also known as a revolutionary homeland, with its loyal and patriotic people.

In the early years of the 20th century, the lives of people throughout the country in general, and the people of Yen Truong village, Tho Lap commune in particular, were extremely difficult. Hundreds of taxes were imposed on the people, including the unreasonable poll tax (sưu). Many families in Tho Lap, unable to pay the tax, left their homes. Wives and children were shackled and beaten by the local officials. Taking advantage of the farmers' hardship, landlords lent money at exorbitant interest rates, sometimes double the usual rate, leading to land grabbing and the selling of children. These outdated customs pushed the people of Tho Lap to the brink of poverty. Unable to bear it any longer, under the leadership of the Party, the people rose up to demand freedom and equality.

The path of a revolutionary soldier's activities

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the national liberation movement took place throughout the country. In Yen Truong village, Tho Lap commune, many groups were formed to resist the oppression of the French colonialists.

From August 1927 to March 1930, Comrade Trinh Quang Lich worked at the propaganda office of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association in the village. Later, he was transferred to the district's propaganda and training office in My Ly Ha village, Bac Luong commune (now Tho Long commune), thanks to the recommendation of Comrade Nguyen Mau Sung from Quan Kenh village, Xuan Giang commune, and Comrade Vu Van Hop, Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Xuan Giang commune (now Tho Xuan commune).

July 22, 1930, was a significant milestone for those involved in the revolution, especially the fighters of Yen Truong village. At that time, the first Communist Party cell of the Tho Xuan Party Committee was established at the home of Comrade Le Van Sy, with 7 members. Here, Comrade Trinh Quang Lich was assigned by Comrade Le Van Sy to organize a security force, prepare food and supplies, and provide accommodation for the delegates attending the conference. Just a few days later, on July 29, 1930, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee's founding conference was held at the same house. From then on, Comrade Trinh Quang Lich had the additional task of working at the Provincial Party Committee's printing office – publishing the newspaper "Tien Len" (Forward) along with many other important documents.

As time went on, the control and repression by the French colonialists became even more brutal. Comrade Trinh Quang Lich and many other fighters were arrested by the imperialists and exiled to Buon Ma Thuot prison.

After their release, from 1936 to 1939 in Yen Truong, comrades Trinh Quang Lich, Trinh Quang Pho, and Le Van Sy disguised themselves as tobacco traders and went to Hoang Hoa and Hau Loc to seek instructions from comrades Le Tat Dac, Nguyen Doan Chap, and Luu Xuan Ban regarding the direction of mass education activities to fight against the Japanese fascists in Indochina, against high taxes and levies, and demanding the redistribution of communal land by the local authorities.

In late 1941, comrades Trinh Quang Lich, Luu Xuan Ngoan, and Le Van Sy contacted Comrade Duong, a leading cadre of the Tho Xuan revolutionary movement, to seek guidance on their activities. After obtaining this guidance, the Yen Truong Party base set out the following tasks: mobilizing the masses to fight for tax reductions, deferrals of land tax, reductions in poll tax, purchase of national salvation tickets, and to fight against terrorism.

Speaking to us, Mr. Trinh Quang Tho, Vice Principal of Lam Kinh High School and grandson of Comrade Trinh Quang Lich, said: "When he was alive, my grandfather often recounted to his descendants the revolutionary fervor of 1945. In particular, on the night of August 18, 1945, the sound of drums and gongs from the villages in Tho Lap commune resounded throughout the land. The self-defense forces summoned the village chiefs and local dignitaries to hand over their official seals and documents to the revolutionary government. At dawn on August 19, 1945, the self-defense forces and the people of Tho Lap gathered at the village communal house for a rally celebrating the successful uprising, electing a provisional People's Committee, and declaring to the people that the government had returned to the people. Here, my grandfather was elected Chairman of the Provisional Committee of Yen Truong village."

The success of the August Revolution in Yen Truong village owed a significant part to Comrade Trinh Quang Lich. Alongside his homeland, he made numerous contributions to the resistance movements. In 1961, he was awarded the Third-Class Resistance Medal. In 1965, his family also received a Certificate of Merit for their enthusiastic struggle against imperialism and their active support and protection of the revolution. Notably, in 2003, he was awarded the Third-Class Independence Medal for his contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

During these historic autumn days, visiting the Yen Truong Revolutionary Historical Site, admiring the artifacts and gazing at the site's symbol – a combination of the Bronze Drum, the mythical Lac bird, and the hammer and sickle flag, representing the unification of three Party branches into the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee – evokes a feeling of pride and reverence. Mr. Le Van Luc, Deputy Secretary of the Tho Lap Commune Party Committee, stated: "The steadfast revolutionary soldier Trinh Quang Lich is an example of perseverance, overcoming difficulties, and bravely protecting the people. Upholding the patriotic tradition, in Tho Lap, along with helping the people achieve a prosperous and happy life, the Party Committee and government have identified the construction of advanced and model new rural areas as a central and continuous task of the locality."

Chi Anh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/chien-si-cach-vang-trung-kien-nbsp-trinh-quang-lich-260679.htm