To live is to continue learning from his example.

The former female Captain of the Special Task Force that operated secretly in Da Nang City during the war against America told us about the 8 times she met Uncle Ho.

Unforgettable memories

Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc was born into a poor farmer family in Hoa Phong commune, Hoa Vang district (Da Nang). Since childhood, Kim Cuc was familiar with hiding cadres and working as a liaison. And at the age of 17, she was captured by the enemy twice but escaped both times thanks to her bravery and intelligence.

Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc (second from right) is always a patriotic example for her descendants to follow.

“At the age of 22, she was assigned to be the Captain of the Special Task Force, operating behind enemy lines in Da Nang. The third time she was captured, she had to endure terrible tortures from the enemy that few could imagine. They hammered nails into her head, used pieces of glass to torture her, stabbed her skin and private parts, and many times she passed out and then woke up,” she said. But the female soldier never said a word. The enemy was helpless, and her teammates once again admired the strong will of the loyal female Captain.

Going to the North for treatment at the Viet Xo Friendship Hospital, Mrs. Cuc had the opportunity to meet Uncle Ho. The first time was on his birthday - May 19, 1966. "That day, while she was being treated, she saw a simple old man with white hair and beard enter the room. Knowing it was Uncle Ho, she was about to run out to greet him, but Uncle Ho gently waved his hand: You sit there, don't run out. He asked her little by little: With such pain, can you sleep at night? Then he turned to tell the doctors to take good care of Cuc," Mrs. Cuc recalled, her voice choked.

Many times after that, Uncle Ho sent a car to pick up the female Captain to the Presidential Palace for dinner, along with Uncle Pham Van Dong. Uncle Ho always paid her special attention - not only because he loved a wounded soldier, but because he saw in her the indomitable spirit of an entire generation.

To give her better treatment, Uncle Ho sent her to China. Before leaving, he kindly advised her: “When you get there, try to learn the language of your host country. Later, if you need to talk, it’s okay without an interpreter.” He also said: “If a journalist comes to ask you questions, and you’re not feeling well, just rest. When you have the strength, let them meet you – so they can see the fighting spirit of our people, and the crimes of the enemy.”

Those words of advice made her remember them forever. She said: “During her time in China, she studied day and night. When she returned to the country and met Uncle Ho again, he suddenly asked her in Chinese, and she answered awkwardly in Vietnamese. Uncle Ho immediately reminded her: “You have to answer in Chinese!”. Seeing her fluent response, Uncle Ho smiled gently: “Good! No matter where you are, in any situation, you have to study.” Remembering Uncle Ho’s teachings, during her continued treatment in Hanoi , she quietly took supplementary cultural courses, then passed the entrance exam to Hanoi University of Science and Technology. When he found out, Uncle Ho did not scold her but was only worried that studying too much would affect her physical health.”

One time she met Uncle Ho was very memorable for her, it was on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet in 1968. Mrs. Cuc said: "On the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, after dinner, Uncle said: You two go out to the garden to play with your brothers, I will go back to my room to read the newspaper, later we will go to see a performance!". As the sun set, the weather became colder, she put on the cotton hat that Uncle Ho gave her, followed the security guard and Ms. Muoi to walk on the mango street and then up to the hall of the Presidential Palace. A moment later, the car took Uncle Ho there.

Uncle Vu Ky helped Uncle Ho climb the steps, she and Ms. Muoi followed Uncle Ho into the hall. Uncle Ho sat in the middle of the front row, Uncle Vu Ky guided her and Ms. Muoi to sit next to Uncle Ho but in the back row. One by one, many uncles and aunts arrived, including their children and grandchildren in the Presidential Palace. Everyone smiled and greeted Uncle Ho. The uncles gave each other seats next to Uncle Ho.

Seeing that, Uncle Ho stood up and waved his stick down to the row below, waving it to signal Uncle To (that is, Comrade Pham Van Dong), Uncle Le Duan, and Uncle Truong Chinh to come up. Everyone happily laughed loudly in the hall. Uncle Ho beat the rhythm and sang the song "Unity", and the whole hall resounded: "Our unity is strength/Our unity is iron and steel/Our unity is durable/Whether iron or steel/But iron and steel are less durable..."

Uncle Ho was very happy, the whole hall was warm and happy with Uncle Ho like a family. At 7:30 pm on the night of December 30 - early 1968, the art troupe of the General Political Department came to perform to celebrate the New Year to wish Uncle Ho and the leaders of the Party and State a happy birthday.

In the art troupe, there was Tuong Vi who sang very well. Uncle took a rose from the plate next to him and gave it to Tuong Vi. Tuong Vi happily ran to Uncle to receive it. Uncle said: "You're wearing high heels, you might fall while running!". Uncle sat and watched from beginning to end, she still sat next to Uncle. There were so many excellent performances, but she only listened attentively to Ai Hoa and Ai Van (daughters of Artist Ai Lien) singing the song: "The little liaison!". She listened and suddenly felt pain as she looked at Uncle! She secretly remembered a liaison soldier of Hoa Vang District Team, Le Ngoc Anh.

When she went to the North, Ngoc Anh told her: "When you get there, when you meet Uncle Ho, convey my words, those of a young liaison nephew from the South, wishing him good health. Remember to ask Uncle Ho to give me a badge with his image sent to me so I can wear it on my chest to fight the Americans. Try to remember and not forget!". Before she arrived, she had not yet met Uncle Ho to convey the words of a 15-year-old liaison Le Ngoc Anh who was enthusiastically fighting the Americans in the fierce Hoa Vang battlefield, when she heard that he had bravely sacrificed himself on the American-destroying belt of the fiery land of Hoa Vang. With tears in her eyes, she kept it a secret and did not dare to tell Uncle Ho about this...".

To live is to continue learning from Uncle Ho's example.

Like many other female revolutionary soldiers, the life of Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc is also a long series of silent sacrifices.

During her time working undercover, to maintain her cover, she was arranged to marry comrade Bay Can - a fellow grassroots activist. “It was a wedding without a wedding dress, without betel and areca nuts, only the same revolutionary ideals. When she was injured and had to go to the North for treatment, Uncle Bay stayed behind to fight. A month after Uncle Ho passed away, she received more bad news: Comrade Bay Can had sacrificed himself, shot by the enemy right in the field where the two had dated,” she said.

After the country was reunified, she had another chance to meet Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Thanh Tra. It was the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong who helped make this meaningful relationship possible.

After the liberation day, Mrs. Cuc returned to Da Nang City. Although her health was poor due to many injuries (a 1/4 war invalid), she was still enthusiastic in participating in women's work. She was always a pioneer in all activities. She learned and listened to the thoughts and aspirations of the people, especially the poor, disadvantaged households, the lonely elderly, orphans, and disabled children to find ways to help them in a timely manner; at the same time, she was always close to the women, finding sources to help women borrow capital to develop the family economy...

“Her husband worked at the Political Department of Military Region 5. Due to the nature of his work, he was often away from home. She took care of all the housework and family matters. However, she always fulfilled both roles: an enthusiastic and responsible female cadre, loved and respected by her colleagues, and a responsible mother and grandmother who loved her children and grandchildren very much. But then her husband left her after a serious illness,” she said.

Her children are all grown up, two of them working in the armed forces. She also boasted that she had just received 30 million VND in support to repair her house at 149 Thanh Long to prevent leaks during the rainy season. “All levels, sectors and organizations regularly visit and provide timely support to my family. I feel very happy,” she confided.

At the age of 89, Ms. Cuc is still very clear-headed, telling us many stories about the dangerous war years; especially the stories about the times she had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho, which are still intact. She said that she still participates in historical storytelling sessions during traditional activities; and still regularly participates in Party cell activities at her place of residence. “I was fortunate to have met Uncle Ho. The more I think about it, the more I feel that I must live up to his trust. So if I am still alive, I will continue to learn from Uncle Ho's moral example,” Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc shared.

Talking to CAND Newspaper reporter, Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc said that she had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho 8 times. During the last meeting, when Uncle Ho was weak, it was one of the most sacred moments in her life. “After hearing the Voice of Vietnam radio broadcast an article about a girl from Quang Nam who was “both good at fighting and good at studying”, Uncle Ho sent his secretary to the school to pick her up and visit her. He only had time to hold her hand and said: “I know you ran away to study and studied very well. I am happy, but I did not advise you because I was afraid it would affect your health”. Then he turned to Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and said: “If anything happens to me, please take care of Tran Thi Kim Cuc and Tran Thi Ly (female Hero of the People's Armed Forces Tran Thi Ly, born in 1933 in Quang Nam)”. Hearing that, she could only burst into tears. A month later, Uncle Ho passed away”, Hero Tran Thi Kim Cuc recalled that meeting, choking up.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/doi-song/con-song-la-con-tiep-tuc-hoc-tap-theo-tam-guong-cua-nguoi-i768879/