Stories about the times I met Uncle Ho

May 19th every year has become a special and sacred day for the Vietnamese people in general and the people of Hung Yen in particular - commemorating the birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the Hero of the Vietnamese National Liberation, a World Cultural Celebrity. During these historic days, in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, there is always an indescribable feeling of nostalgia when turning to President Ho Chi Minh with respect, gratitude and reverence.

Meeting Uncle Ho 6 times - a great honor for Hero of the People's Armed Forces Truong Thi Tam

Time has passed, but in the mind of Hero of the People's Armed Forces Truong Thi Tam (92 years old), in Bac Chau village, Dong Ket commune (Khoai Chau), the memories of Uncle Ho are still intact as if it were yesterday. As a loyal female guerrilla Hoang Ngan, she had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho 6 times, the emotional meetings became sacred "spiritual assets" throughout her life.

Mrs. Truong Thi Tam, Dong Ket commune (Khoai Chau) reviews the photo taken with Uncle Ho.

Joining the revolution in 1952, when she was just 19 years old, Mrs. Tam stood out in the "shoulder pole to fight the French" movement, directly organizing and participating in many large and small battles with the guerrilla team, contributing to breaking many enemy sweeps. With her excellent fighting record, she was selected to participate in the parade in Hanoi in 1955, which was also the first time she met Uncle Ho. At that time, comrade Dam Quang Trung assigned the task of representing the Hoang Ngan female guerrilla group to speak, Mrs. Tam was surprised and confused. When she stepped onto the podium, she said: "Dear leaders", making the whole audience burst into laughter. Even more confused, she only had time to say a few sentences and then said "I withdraw".

“As soon as I got down, General Vo Nguyen Giap called me to stop. I was worried when Uncle Ho came over, shook my hand and kindly said: “My child, we have defeated the French colonialists. From now on, when you speak, you must not say “retreat” but “stop speaking”, Mrs. Tam recounted, her eyes shining with emotion. That was the first lesson Uncle taught her, gentle but profound, making her remember it forever.

A year later, during the 1956 parade, Mrs. Tam, who was then the commander of the female guerrillas, continued to meet Uncle Ho. During lunch break, Uncle Ho asked: “How many bowls of rice did you eat, Miss Tam?” When she answered “3 bowls,” Uncle Ho laughed: “That’s not right. You are the commander, you have to eat twice as much!” That statement showed Uncle Ho’s thoughtfulness, and made Mrs. Tam remember it forever.

The photo taken with Uncle Ho is treasured and preserved by Mrs. Tam.

In 1966, at the National Party Building Conference, when taking souvenir photos, Uncle Ho said: "You girls in the city sit outside, let the girls in the countryside sit near me". Those simple words contained Uncle Ho's recognition and respect for those who worked at the grassroots level, silently and devotedly. He also gave each delegate a souvenir photo, a precious gift that she still cherishes like a treasure to this day...

The 6th time meeting Uncle Ho, Mrs. Tam and the delegation participated in welcoming the Bulgarian Government. Uncle Ho appeared, with white hair and beard, high forehead, gentle but bright eyes. "Uncle Ho was very simple, friendly and close. I was touched because despite being busy with a thousand things, Uncle Ho still remembered me, a small female guerrilla," Mrs. Tam recalled.

Having met Uncle Ho many times and been taught every word by him, Mrs. Tam considered it a guiding principle for living, fighting and contributing. In 1968, when her husband volunteered to join the army and died on the battlefield in the South in 1969, she raised four children alone. Overcoming her circumstances, she still excellently fulfilled all tasks assigned by the Party: from Chairman of the People's Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of Dong Kinh commune (now Dong Ket) to President of the Women's Union of Chau Giang district.

At the age of 92, Mrs. Tam is still sharp and agile.

After retirement, Mrs. Tam enthusiastically participated in local movements, continuing to be a shining example for the younger generation to follow. Despite her advanced age, she still maintained her revolutionary spirit, the spirit of a soldier, and absolute loyalty to the Party and the People. Mrs. Tam still recounts her warm, intimate, and sacred memories of Uncle Ho and teaches her children and grandchildren to follow his example.

Memories of a Hung Yen teenager standing by Uncle Ho's coffin

For Mr. Doan Manh Tranh, born in 1954, in Trieu Duong village, Hai Thang commune (Tien Lu), the moment he saw Uncle Ho was also the moment he passed away forever. At that time, he was the youngest person in the delegation of Hung Yen province to visit President Ho Chi Minh in 1969 and was one of 9 teenagers in the whole country to visit Uncle Ho and stand by his coffin.

Mr. Doan Manh Tranh, Hai Thang commune (Tien Lu) looks back at the souvenirs

During the days of May remembering Uncle Ho, we returned to Trieu Duong village, the place where Uncle Ho once visited, to meet the young man from the past... In the flashback, his eyes, marked by the traces of time, were filled with emotion as he recalled the old father of the nation.

As a child, the stories his father told about the Party, Uncle Ho, and the “5 things Uncle Ho taught” that little Tranh read every class hour were deeply ingrained in his mind, cultivating a sense of gratitude. Therefore, despite his young age, in addition to his time at school, he actively helped his father raise geese. To express his gratitude to Uncle Ho, he told his parents to let him raise 5 geese as a gift for Uncle Ho and registered with the aunts and uncles in charge of the team. That action was published in the Central Newspaper and was praised by Uncle Ho; later, writer Le Van wrote the story “A gift for Uncle Ho” in the book “Small things, great meaning” published in 1971.

The story of the boy Tranh raising geese as a gift for Uncle Ho was printed in the book "Small things, great meaning" published in 1971.

According to Mr. Tranh: At around 3am on September 5, 1969, a car came to pick me up, led by comrade Le Quy Quynh, the Provincial Party Secretary at that time. The delegation attending Uncle Ho's funeral consisted of 24 members, I was the youngest. When arriving at Ba Dinh Square, the line of people seemed endless, everyone waiting in line to pay their respects to Uncle Ho. After a day of waiting, the Hung Yen delegation was allowed to pay their respects. Seeing Uncle Ho, the suppressed loss flowed out in tears. The moment standing next to Uncle Ho's coffin became an unforgettable memory in my life. From that moment, I silently told myself that I would try to study and practice to be worthy of the 5 things Uncle Ho taught children.

In 1971, while a 10th grade student at Tien Lu High School, Doan Manh Tranh volunteered to join the army, fighting with his comrades against the invading American imperialists to protect the Fatherland. In 1973, due to being injured during the war, he was demobilized, returned to his hometown and passed the entrance exam to the National Economics University. After that, he worked locally and held many positions. Whether in life-or-death situations when confronting the enemy, or in peacetime, he always kept in mind Uncle Ho's teachings, completed his assigned tasks well, and put the interests of the people first in everything he did. At the same time, he educated his children and grandchildren to study hard and follow Uncle Ho's teachings to build his homeland Hung Yen to become increasingly prosperous.

Even though he is retired, Mr. Doan Manh Tranh still follows Uncle Ho's example in life.

It has been 56 years since Uncle Ho passed away, but his career, ideology, and great, shining moral example still live forever in the revolutionary cause of the nation. Remembering Uncle Ho, many Hung Yen people visit museums and historical sites to see relics associated with Uncle Ho's revolutionary life; return to Uncle Ho's hometown to listen to his childhood stories... Grateful for the great President Ho Chi Minh's contributions, every Vietnamese person in general, and the people of Nhan land in particular, vow to study hard, work hard, and contribute to building their homeland and country to become more and more prosperous...

Huong Giang - Duong Mien

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/chuyen-ve-nhung-lan-duoc-gap-bac-3181123.html