The story of Uncle Ba Than overcoming "as difficult as the way to heaven"

Editor's note: On November 13, 11, at the 2013th session of the 6th National Assembly, Mr. Vu Duc Dam was approved by the National Assembly to hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister. Mr. Vu Duc Dam is a secretary and assistant to Mr. Dang Van Than. VietNamNet would like to introduce the article by author Le Phuong Dong, published in Vietnam Post Newspaper, Tet Giap Ngo issue (2014).

On the afternoon of the National Assembly electing 2 new Deputy Prime Ministers (PTT), we visited PTT Vu Duc Dam, "set in mind" to interview him. As always, PTT was happy but still… "please talk, don't interview, don't write anything about yourself" and chat with us cordially and openly.

"Who do you think about the most today?", PTT laughed: There is no time to think. Looking up at the pictures hanging in front of the PTT, including the portrait of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, I asked: Who did you think of the most when you took office as a Minister? The face of PTT Vu Duc Dam was a little emotional. After a few seconds of silence, PTT's voice became lower: “I think a lot about my parents, Uncle Ba Than and Uncle Six Dan. My father and Uncle Six Dan passed away. Uncle Ba Than suffered a serious stroke many years ago…”.

Looking at PTT's eyes, we were silent, no one said anything.

For a moment, PTT laughed again: “Hey, instead of writing about yourself, write about Uncle Ba Than. Without Uncle Ba Than, our country's Post Office wouldn't be what it is today and I wouldn't be sitting here with you guys either"…

…We visited the family of Mr. Dang Van Than - Former General Director of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications, on the Sunday near the end of the calendar year 2013. After his retirement, he returned to his familiar home in one child. Small alley in District 10, HCMC.

Like many other holidays, his whole "postal family" was fully gathered (Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuan Ha, his wife is a retired BD officer, except for the eldest son - Mr. Dang Bac Son, who works in the construction industry. Construction, the second daughter – Ms. Dang Thi Nga, currently the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office and the youngest child, – Mr. Dang Van Dung, is currently the Deputy Director of Center 2 (VMS 6) of the Information Company. Mobile (VMS-Mobifone) Mr. Dung's wife is working at VMS 6, while Nga's eldest daughter also works at VMS 2.

After a brain hemorrhage, now, the hero of the postal industry, who is loved and trusted by the whole industry called "brother Ba Than" no longer speaks, hears, perceives anything anymore, just sits quietly. on a wheelchair. But his face was very serene, as if he knew well that he had nothing to regret, regret...

In the story of the relationship between her husband and a young collaborator in the past, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuan Ha, Hero's wife Dang Van Than is still familiar with the name "Dam...".

She said, her voice soft and slightly sad: In the past, when my grandfather retired, when he was healthy as well as when he had a stroke, every time he went to work, Dam always stopped by even though he had the opportunity to come in. In such a hurry, Dam only had time to run up to the house for a few minutes, hug "Uncle Than" and rub his back, rub his shoulder, then run away again... At one point, my grandfather almost didn't recognize anyone, but he still seemed to recognize it. out Dam. Yesterday, watching TV, seeing Dam speaking at a conference as a PTT, I loved Mr. Than so much. If only he were healthy...

PTT Vu Duc Dam is sad: “Every time I enter, I feel that Uncle Ba still recognizes me. There was a time when I sat down to talk about old memories with my uncle, thinking that I said it just so I could hear it, but unexpectedly, he moved his lips and called "Dam" and burst into tears… Speaking of which, PTT's eyes were also red and full of tears...

…Mr. Than assumed the responsibility of Acting General Director of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications in 1986. That was the time when Vietnam faced drastic demands on technology and service innovation. That drastic demand puts the industry commander-in-chief before the vital choice of continuing to use analog technology or going straight to digital in the West. Cooperating with Western capitalist countries, the decision to use fiber optic cable instead of copper cable at that time for most people was a utopia, a utopia, even with many impulsive opinions about both point.

New technology requires money. But at that time, Vietnam was under embargo, and the Postal Service had no money. Then the only way is to cooperate with big firms that are also seeing the potential of Vietnam as an attractive market. But at that time, "shaking hands to do business with capital is a sensitive thing, so convincing to be favorable above, below, inside, outside is "as difficult as the way to heaven" that General Director of Post Office Dang Van said. Than passed so that he was later recognized as a hero.

“I don't know how to describe it, I can only say that it is EXTREMELY difficult, sometimes even dangerous to political lives. Even my mother knew, there was a time when someone came to my house and said to my father: 'Do you know how much risk you are taking? Why did you take such a risk?"Mr. Son, Mr. Than's eldest son, shared.

“In order to do great things, the head of the agency must first have a heart, be virtuous, and not think about personal gain. My father is a passionate person, wholeheartedly devoted to his work and doing what he believes is right to the end… Not understanding what fate is, my father met Mr. Dam and trusted a young cadre to study abroad from the West. to that. But it was people like Mr. Dam who helped him realize his idea of ​​innovating the postal industry.”, Ms. Nga, Mr. Than's eldest daughter added.

The first time PTT Vu Duc Dam met General Director Dang Van Than was in early 1989, when he first worked at the Post and Import Export Company after returning from studying abroad.

PTT recalled: One afternoon I was led up to meet the Director General. Turns out, he called to ask for instructions on how to use the electronic device that stores the phone book. (In the 80s, such electronic devices were not available in Vietnam, so no one knew how to use them). I was carefully instructed that I would meet the highest leader of the industry, who was also a member of the Party's top leadership.

It's hard to imagine that in that first meeting, I called Uncle Than "Sir". He smiled very kindly, handed the machine, told to sit there and see how to use it and said: Call it Uncle, Uncle Than. Then added, people in the North often call adults Uncle and people in the South often call them Uncle. I sat down quietly, burying my head in the small machine. For me, it's really not difficult, so just ten minutes later, I looked up and saw the General Director squatting… picking up water spinach, he stammered "It's easy to use...". He laughed very happily: "That's it. But Uncle kept asking" and then said: "I cooked all of your rice, stayed to eat and then showed it to me. The two uncles and nephews picked up vegetables quickly…”.

Since then, Uncle Ba often calls me, sometimes just to ask about a specific issue in a project, about a foreign partner, sometimes just to hear about an idea… I didn't notice that. It is very "unusual" for a new employee to be trusted by the General Director and directly exchange work. Later, through many events, sometimes ups and downs, I understood that Uncle Ba gave me a special love. It was Uncle Ba's special affection and trust, his simple example and his wholehearted devotion to his work that made me stick and work with all my enthusiasm. I am a very lucky person, later Uncle Sau Dan will also be with me.

Three years later, Uncle gave his job from the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of International Cooperation to the General Department as his personal secretary, but still asked to do his old job of participating in the negotiation of contracts and projects with partners. foreign. A year later, I was admitted to the Party and was sent back to the old Department as Deputy Director. Later, Nguyen Dinh Cat (who is the younger brother of writer Nguyen Dinh Thi) said that the night he was admitted to the Party, Uncle Ba cycled more than 10km from Nguyen Du to the Mai Dich literary community to show off: "Today already joined the Party for the "little guy". Mr. Cat also said that Uncle Than did this (what he did about the General Department) to bring Dam into the Party. (At this point, PTT couldn't hold back his tears…).

Perhaps, the success of the postal hero Dang Van Than is not only in looking right, choosing the right technology, but also in the MIND and TALENT to look at people, trust people and use people….

…Leaving the house of former General Director Dang Van Than, recalling when PTT told a story, the words of Mrs. Ha, his 50-year-old partner, were echoed, “The meeting and attachment between Mr. for…”, tears welled up in my eyes. Admire and love Uncle Ba Than – I would like to call him that too.