Comrade Phan Van Khoe - A steadfast and indomitable communist soldier

78 years have passed since the day comrade Phan Van Khoe sacrificed his life, but his life of vibrant revolutionary activities, his indomitable loyalty as a communist and his pure moral qualities are always shining examples for present and future generations to strive, practice and follow.

Comrade Phan Van Khoe was born in 1901 in My Hanh Dong village, Cai Lay district, My Tho province (now Hanh Dong commune, Cai Lay town, Tien Giang province), the fourth child in a poor peasant family with many children; although life was extremely difficult, the family still tried to send him to school. With a love of learning, reading many books and newspapers and learning about current issues in society, he had a deep knowledge base and easily absorbed the ideology of fighting the French, gaining independence for the Fatherland, and freedom for the people that those who were doing "national affairs" were propagating and advocating.

In 1928, he was a member of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association in My Hanh Dong commune. In early 1930, when the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association developed into the Annam Communist Party branch, he was one of the first party members in Cai Lay district. At the end of April 1930, the My Tho Provisional Provincial Party Committee assigned him to be in charge of the revolutionary struggle movement in Cai Lay district. In early 1933, he was added to the Executive Committee of the My Tho Provincial Party Committee. At the end of 1933, he was appointed as Deputy Secretary of the My Tho Provincial Party Committee, focusing on the task of consolidating the organization, developing forces and preparing for a new climax of the struggle.

On May 1, 1936, he led the struggle of nearly 500 people from My Hanh Dong communes to Cai Lay market to demand people's livelihood and democracy. The struggle won and resonated throughout My Tho province. At the end of 1936, he was a member of the Southern Regional Party Committee, in charge of the revolutionary movement in the Central Southern provinces, including Tan An, My Tho, Go Cong, Ben Tre , and Sa Dec.

From July 21 to July 27, 1940, in Tan Huong village, Chau Thanh district, My Tho province (now Tan Huong commune, Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province), the Southern Regional Party Committee Conference adopted the Red Flag with a five-pointed yellow star as the official flag of the Front to call upon, mobilize, and encourage the masses in the upcoming uprising and unanimously elected comrade Phan Van Khoe as a member of the Regional Party Committee's Standing Committee, and was appointed by the Regional Party Committee as Secretary of the My Tho Provincial Party Committee.

In early November 1940, he chaired a Provincial Party Committee meeting in Thanh Phu village, Chau Thanh district to review the preparations and plan for the uprising, determining that this was a simultaneous uprising across the province, with the goal of taking power into the hands of the people. To complete the task of the armed uprising, he directed the establishment of Uprising Committees at all levels and, upon gaining power, quickly transferred the Uprising Committee to the task of the people's government.

From midnight of November 22 to dawn of November 23, 1940, the uprising in My Tho broke out. Under the direction of the Uprising Committee, tens of thousands of people with banners, slogans, and torches lit up the sky, simultaneously rose up, occupied military posts and headquarters, dissolved the enemy government at the grassroots level, the Uprising Committee declared the government in the hands of the people, abolished all unreasonable taxes and established a People's Court to try the villains who owed blood debts to the people...

For the first time, the red flag with a five-pointed yellow star was hung on the top of a banyan tree at Long Hung communal house (now in Long Hung commune, Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province) and a banner with the words "Democratic Republic of Vietnam" appeared at the headquarters of the Uprising Committee of My Tho province. In general, from November 23 to 30, 1940, 75 out of 124 communes in My Tho province gained mastery, 15 communes responded at different levels.

The uprising in Cochinchina was brutally terrorized and suppressed by the French colonialists. The Cochinchina Party suffered heavy losses, and the communication system from the Regional Party Committee to the province, district, and commune was cut off. At that time, comrade Phan Van Khoe was still clinging to the area in some localities along the Dong Thap Muoi in Cai Lay district (My Tho province) and trying to connect with the Regional Party Committee and some party bases in My Tho province. After only a short time, he secretly gathered the remaining party members and consolidated his forces.

In January 1941, the Regional Party Committee held an expanded conference in Da Phuoc village, Can Giuoc district, Cho Lon province (now Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City). The conference elected a new Regional Party Committee Executive Committee of 11 comrades, with comrade Phan Van Khoe as Secretary.

In July 1941, he was captured by the enemy and exiled to Con Dao. Although the French colonialists and their lackeys used every trick to bribe, entice, and entice him, he was not shaken or swayed in the slightest. The prison guards used every form of torture, but they only received silence from him. He showed his bravery, steadfastness, fought uncompromisingly, and maintained the integrity of a true communist.

The August Revolution of 1945 succeeded, and the revolutionary government took him from Con Dao to the mainland. In March 1946, he left Cai Lay district to work with comrades in Cai Be district. On the way, he unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy. They took him to Cai Lay and tortured and brutally beat him, but with his resilience, he refused to confess. With the plot to exterminate all political prisoners in Con Dao and knowing that he was an important leader, after two days of not being able to get anything out of him, the cowardly French colonialists assassinated comrade Phan Van Khoe on a dark night at the cemetery - Go Ba Doi Phan, east of Cai Lay market.

With his great contributions, on May 30, 1998, comrade Phan Van Khoe was posthumously awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, for his great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

It can be said that, regardless of his position or difficult circumstances, comrade Phan Van Khoe always excellently completed the assigned tasks, always steadfast and absolutely loyal to the Party's ideal of national liberation, for a prosperous and happy society; his life is a shining example of educating patriotism and national pride; encouraging and motivating cadres, party members and people of all walks of life to actively compete in studying, working, working and fighting to contribute to building an increasingly prosperous, happy and civilized country.

Thanh Tai

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