At an age rarely seen, Mr. Le Duc Van (real name Nguyen Huu Phuc) received the title of Outstanding Citizen of Hanoi 2023, alongside the pride of being a Hero of the People's Armed Forces and a member of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union.
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| Mr. Le Duc Van speaking to young people in Hanoi in 2020. (Archive photo) |
Having spent many years in charge of student and youth movements in Hanoi, then holding the position of Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and later working at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism , Mr. Le Duc Van is currently the Head of the Liaison Committee of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union…
Pioneer of the youth movement
Born in 1926, even as a student at Buoi High School, Mr. Le Duc Van joined the Ngo Quyen Team - a patriotic student organization at the school - and was soon admitted to the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union in August 1944 at house number 46, Bat Dan Street (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi ).
In his memory, the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union, when first established, had about 60 members, many of whom were students from schools such as Buoi, Thang Long, Gia Long, Dong Khanh, and Van Lang... operating semi-openly, carrying out tasks such as distributing and posting leaflets, passing on revolutionary news, and organizing rallies and demonstrations in offices and schools...
He recounted: “The organization's activities received much support from the people; everyone treated each other like family, and meetings could be held anywhere. In particular, under the leadership of the Party, with direct guidance from the Hanoi City Party Committee, the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union participated in and spearheaded most of the struggles until the revolution succeeded.”
Mr. Le Duc Van vividly remembers the fervent atmosphere of the August Revolution of 1945 and the young men and women in their late teens and early twenties, carrying within them the flame of revolutionary enthusiasm and unwavering faith in the Party and President Ho Chi Minh .
To ensure widespread implementation across all fronts, and to leverage the strengths of each member, the Executive Committee of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union established semi-professional teams and groups, operating independently and professionally, each assigned to a specific task.
Notably, during its 260 days of operation, the Hoang Dieu Youth Volunteer Brigade, under the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union Executive Committee, successfully carried out tasks such as: organizing and protecting a rally at Canh Market (Hoai Duc, Ha Tay); infiltrating and organizing a rally at EPIV school; organizing an armed march and rally in Me Tri village; coordinating with the National Salvation Youth of Nhan Chinh commune, Tu Liem district, to break into a Japanese grain warehouse at Moc village communal house, Quan Nhan, and distribute the grain to the poor; infiltrating and giving speeches to disrupt a fake independent exhibition organized by the puppet government immediately after its opening day…
For example, at noon on August 17, 1945, the Hoang Dieu Youth Volunteer Brigade disrupted a rally of the General Association of Civil Servants, seizing the initiative and transforming the rally into a demonstration of the spirit and determination of the revolutionary masses of Hanoi in the anti-Japanese and anti-collaborator movement. They successfully conducted a demonstration and march starting from the Grand Theater, along Trang Tien Street, and spreading in all directions until 10 PM that same day.
The climax was on Sunday, August 19, 1945, when the Hoang Dieu Youth Volunteer Brigade successfully organized a rally, calling for an uprising, and a demonstration march to seize the Governor's Palace, the City Hall, the Treasury, the Hoan Kiem Lake Post Office, the Hang Trong Police Station, and the Security Guard barracks…
The Executive Committee of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union also established the Anti-Treason Honor Guard, the National Salvation Youth and Self-Defense Volunteer Team in the outskirts of Hanoi, and other groups and teams such as combat self-defense squads, student self-defense brigades, women's groups, liaison groups, and self-defense volunteer teams... all closely connected and contributing their efforts to the uprising and the seizure of power in August 1945.
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| Hai Hung, Mai Luan, Tran Thu, Le Duc Van, and Nguyen Kim Chi - members of the newspaper Hon Nuoc (Soul of the Nation). (Archival photo) |
The Soul of the Nation - the voice of Hoang Dieu youth
During his revolutionary years in the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union, Mr. Le Duc Van was also assigned by the Hanoi City Party Committee to be in charge of the newspaper Hon Nuoc (Soul of the Nation) - the official publication of the male and female national salvation youth in the Hoang Dieu area.
He stated that the newspaper "Hon Nuoc" (Soul of the Nation) was created to implement the Central Party Standing Committee's policy of "Each major city must have a youth mobilization committee and publish its own youth newspaper." Five people were involved in producing the newspaper at the time, with him in charge of content, printing, and distribution.
Initially, Hồn Nước (The Soul of the Nation) was published in two-page issues, with a print run of about one hundred to two hundred copies. It contained editorials, news, and revolutionary poetry and prose, focusing on propagating the revolutionary principles and policies of the Viet Minh, and reflecting the activities of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union...
The first issues of Hồn Nước (The Soul of the Nation) are currently preserved at the Vietnam National Historical Museum, including the fifth issue dated July 1, 1945, printed using lithography with blue ink, two pages on opaque white paper measuring 28cm x 37cm. The front page of the newspaper featured prominent articles such as: "Culture and Revolution," "Stay Calm in the Face of Terror," and "Break the Chains and Break the Yoke"...
Due to the circumstances of the resistance war, the location and printing techniques of the newspaper Hồn Nước (Soul of the Nation) changed several times. Initially, the newspaper was printed at house number 15, Hàng Phèn Street, using rudimentary printing techniques. At first, they used purple gypsum to make printing molds, but it was unsuccessful. Later, they switched to printing using stone powder mixed with water to make printing molds. They used purple ink to write on long sheets of paper, which were then placed on the mold and rolled until the desired result was achieved, after which the paper was peeled off.
In early 1945, after the Lunar New Year, the printing office of the newspaper Hon Nuoc was moved to Giap Nhat village, belonging to the Hoan Long agency (now in Thanh Xuan district). Later, the location was discovered, and the printing office moved again to a small, unoccupied brick house in Lang Trung village, then to Xuan Canh hamlet (on the road from Nho Son to Ha Dong).
As the uprising approached, the printing office of the newspaper Hon Nuoc (Soul of the Nation) moved once again to Dich Vong, Tu Liem. When the August Revolution succeeded, the printing headquarters was openly located near what is now the Central Bank, at which point the newspaper switched to machine printing.
Besides the arduous printing process, the most dangerous part was distributing the newspaper and leaflets. Those performing this task usually worked in groups of three, each assigned a specific job: one person kept watch, one applied a paste made from glutinous rice flour to the wall, and the other pressed the leaflets and the newspaper "Hon Nuoc" onto it.
The newspaper Hồn Nước (Soul of the Nation), along with Viet Minh leaflets, was posted in crowded places such as the gates of Láng Pagoda, the communal houses of Quan Nhân, Chính Kinh, Hạ Yên Quyết, and Thượng Đình villages... The newspaper, along with various leaflets, documents, and posters, contributed to encouraging the youth of Hanoi in particular, and the people of the capital in general, to rise up and seize power.
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| The newspaper Hon Nuoc (Soul of the Nation) was published on July 1, 1945 (Original photo from the National Historical Museum). |
Revolutionary spirit in peacetime
Following the success of the August Revolution, the members of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union continued to participate in protecting the revolutionary government in the capital, enduring the resistance wars against France and the United States.
After the liberation in 1975, the Liaison Committee of Viet Minh soldiers in Hoang Dieu before the August Revolution (now called the Liaison Committee of the Hoang Dieu National Salvation Youth Union) was established.
Today, those former members of the National Salvation Youth Union are all of advanced age, yet they still retain their revolutionary fervor, enthusiasm, and sense of responsibility in the activities of the Veterans' Association, the Senior Citizens' Association, and the Fatherland Front in their residential areas.
As a passionate individual, Mr. Le Duc Van held many different positions. Even after retirement, he remained enthusiastic in participating in activities, especially in gatherings and talks to help the younger generation better understand the heroic moments of the resistance war years and to further instill patriotism.
With the title of Outstanding Citizen of Hanoi 2023 at the age of 97, he is an exemplary role model for today's and future generations to learn from, work diligently, and take the lead in various aspects of life, contributing to the country's renewal process.
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