Vu Chong Pao - a "flame" that shines brightly in the highlands of Nghe An province, embodying the ideology of mass mobilization based on the people, as taught by President Ho Chi Minh - Photo: Archival material.
Coming from a humble village, he dedicated his entire life to the revolution.
In his small house in Son Ha village, Muong Xen commune, Mr. Vu Ba Vu (born in 1959) - the second son of Hero Vu Chong Pao - still carefully preserves his father's mementos. For him, these are not only family memories but also the pride of the entire clan.
“My father was a very strict man, but he was also wholeheartedly devoted to his people. He always told us to study hard, to follow the Party and President Ho Chi Minh to help our people escape poverty,” Mr. Vu Ba Vu shared.
Born in 1930 in Na Ngoi commune (formerly Ky Son district), Vu Chong Pao grew up in a turbulent border region. When the French colonialists and bandits invaded and harassed the area, the young Hmong man, not yet 20 years old, rose up to gather forces and form a guerrilla team to protect his village with rudimentary weapons.
Starting as a guerrilla leader, he quickly rose through the ranks: Head of the Na Ngoi Commune Police, official of the former Tuong Duong District, Chairman of the District Fatherland Front Committee, and then Chairman of the former Ky Son District People's Committee for two decades. In every position, he clearly demonstrated the qualities of a leader who was close to the people, understood the people, and wholeheartedly dedicated to the people.
The memory of his father, Vừ Chông Pao, remains a source of pride and honor in the hearts of his second son, Vừ Bá Vừ, and his wife, Lầu Y Xì - Photo: TH
I had the opportunity to meet President Ho Chi Minh twice.
In particular, his two meetings with President Ho Chi Minh in 1954 and 1963 became turning points in his thinking and actions. The teachings of President Ho Chi Minh on national unity and how to win over misguided compatriots stayed with him throughout his life.
“My father told me that President Ho Chi Minh instructed us to make the people understand who the real enemy was, and to persevere in persuading them, not just using force. He remembered that and applied it very successfully in the former Ky Son district,” Mr. Vu Ba Vu added.
It was thanks to this ideology that, in the 1960s, when bandit forces were relentlessly trying to entice the Hmong people to establish their own "kingdom" in Chau Pha, led by Vang Pao, Vu Chong Pao chose the path of mobilizing the people as his foundation. He traveled to every village, met with every village elder and clan leader, and persistently persuaded the people to return to the government.
Mr. Vi Hoè, former Secretary of the Ky Son District Party Committee, now retired, recalled: "I belong to a later generation of officials, and having worked with him, I saw that Mr. Pao was very dedicated, responsible, and devoted. Mr. Pao spoke very persuasively. He didn't yell or scold, but analyzed the situation to help people understand right from wrong. Thanks to him, many people who had followed the rebels voluntarily returned. People trusted him as they trusted family members."
Thanks to his significant contributions in suppressing bandits and maintaining border security, he was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State in 2010.
The resting place of People's Armed Forces Hero Vu Chong Pao is located right in the garden of his second son, Vu Ba Vu - Photo: TH
Pride will forever remain on the border.
Not only was Vu Chong Pao a bandit suppressor who maintained peace in his village, but he also laid the foundation for many changes in the former Ky Son district during peacetime.
In the 1990s, when opium cultivation was still a haunting specter in the highlands, he was a pioneer in campaigning to eradicate it. Undeterred by treacherous roads, he traveled to every "hotspot" village, patiently persuading each household.
Ms. Xong Y Tong (born in 1961, Mr. Pao's daughter-in-law) recounted: "There were trips that lasted a whole week, during which he ate rice balls and slept in the forest. He told the villagers that growing opium poppies was harmful to their children and grandchildren. Thanks to his reputation, many families voluntarily destroyed their opium poppies."
Pride in his father has always been a driving force and a source of belief for Mr. Vu Ba Vu - Photo: TH
From opium fields, Ky Son gradually shifted to cultivating medicinal herbs, Shan Tuyet tea, ginger, potatoes, etc., opening up a new direction for the local economy . The people not only escaped social ills but also gradually improved their lives.
After retiring, he continued to contribute as the Vice Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, in charge of Ky Son district. In the eyes of the people, he is not just an official, but the "spiritual leader" of the Mong people.
Mr. Vu Giong Denh (108 years old), from Huoi Giang 3 village, Muong Xen commune, slowly said: "Mr. Pao's passing is a great loss for the people. But what he left behind will last forever. The people still mention his name whenever they talk about unity and the revolution."
Not only the older generation, but also the younger generation have heard many stories about him as a role model to follow. Stories about him are passed down within each family and lineage.
Plum trees – one of the types of trees that Mr. Vu Chong Pao encouraged people to plant decades ago – are now contributing to the income of people in many communes in western Nghe An province. (Photo: CSCC)
Mr. Vu Ba Vu choked up as he said, "My father returned to Muong Then in 2015, but whenever there's a major event in the village, people still mention him. That's a great source of pride for our family."
More than ten farming seasons have passed, and the highlands of Ky Son are changing day by day. New roads have been opened, and economic models are gradually taking shape. But in the hearts of the ethnic people here, the image of their leader from years past remains ever-present.
Hero of the Armed Forces Vu Chong Pao was not only an outstanding individual, but also a symbol of the will, faith, and aspirations of the people of western Nghe An. His career, character, and contributions have become a guiding light, inspiring generations today and in the future.
Amidst the vast borderlands, the name Vu Chong Pao is still mentioned with utmost respect. And for the people here, he has never truly left – because he is the "flame" that lives on in every story, every way of thinking, and every step of change in their homeland.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/vu-chong-pao-ngon-lua-sang-mai-noi-reo-cao-xu-nghe-2513561.html
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