Memories of two meetings with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

On the afternoon of July 19, 2024, upon hearing the news of the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Mr. Pham Huy Cam, Secretary of the Party Branch of Lao Ly village, Ta Phoi commune, Lao Cai city, was stunned for a long time. His hands, holding the phone, paused for a long time before the sad news, unable to read further because the words blurred. A profound sense of sorrow and loss welled up in the heart of this elderly Party member.

In that moment of grief, Mr. Cam searched through the commemorative photos he had taken with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other exemplary individuals who had studied and followed President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, taken in November 2023. Words of encouragement, warm handshakes, and images of the General Secretary's simple, approachable demeanor kept recurring in his mind.

Mr. Pham Huy Cam is originally from Phan Lan village, Ta Phoi commune. In 2019, he was encouraged to become the leader of Lao Ly village, a particularly disadvantaged area inhabited entirely by the Xa Pho ethnic minority. This man, with his graying hair, quick gait, and unwavering dedication to village affairs, has remained committed to this impoverished village for many years. With the responsibility entrusted to him, and demonstrating the spirit of a Party member, Mr. Cam has led the local Party branch and the Xa Pho people in overcoming poverty and backwardness, rekindling hope in this village known for its "five no's": no elderly association; no veterans' association; no children attending high school or vocational training; no one weighing 65 kg or more; and no household earning 100 million VND per year.

Five years have passed since Mr. Cam came to live in the village, and the obstacles have gradually been overcome, bringing a new look to the highlands and rekindling the faith of the Xa Pho people in the Party's care and leadership. Recognizing the contributions and efforts of this dedicated Party member, in 2023, Mr. Pham Huy Cam was the only representative from Lao Cai province to attend the meeting between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and exemplary individuals in studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh .

The journey from the remote, impoverished village of Lao Cai to the capital filled Mr. Cam with pride, emotion, and excitement that kept him awake at night. On the afternoon of November 2, 2023, at the Party Central Headquarters, Mr. Cam, along with 66 delegates representing thousands of exemplary individuals who have studied and followed President Ho Chi Minh's example across the country, had the honor of attending a meeting.

In his memory, the General Secretary, with his calm, slow, and friendly voice, congratulated, praised, and thanked the delegates from all over the country for their selfless dedication in all positions and fields.

The General Secretary emphasized that, during his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh left our Party, our nation, and our people an extremely precious legacy: Ho Chi Minh Thought, Ho Chi Minh's ethics and style, and the Ho Chi Minh era. Among these, Ho Chi Minh Thought, ethics, and style are an invaluable treasure of revolutionary spirit that we – all generations of Vietnamese people today and in the future – must always strive to learn from and follow, forever preserving and promoting; considering them the crystallization of noble spiritual values, becoming the standard for building and revitalizing culture, and building the Vietnamese people of the new era...

The General Secretary expects and believes that the collectives and individuals who have been honored with this great honor will continue to strive, learn, and train themselves regularly; preserve and promote the noble title bestowed upon them, and spread the exemplary effect and influence in society.

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, Mr. Pham Huy Cam and the delegates were deeply moved and proud to be present, listening to the concern, encouragement, and motivation from the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Everyone hoped to have more opportunities to return to the capital for future commendation programs, and that the country would have more exemplary individuals in learning from and following President Ho Chi Minh's teachings.

On the sidelines of the meeting, many delegates expressed their desire to take a commemorative photo with the General Secretary. Seeing the delegates standing in large groups, Mr. Pham Huy Cam thought he probably wouldn't have the chance, so he stood quietly in a corner. However, to his surprise, the General Secretary waved and called out, "Please, Mr. Gray-haired delegate, come here and take a photo with me." Mr. Cam, overjoyed, approached the General Secretary, filled with astonishment and emotion. After he stood beside him, the General Secretary continued his conversation with Delegate Pham Huy Cam about the importance of a handshake as a symbol of unity.

That intimate and affectionate image has been deeply imprinted in the mind of the elderly Party member Pham Huy Cam and has been recorded in commemorative photographs that he has always cherished and preserved throughout the years.

He said emotionally: "This was the second time I had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong. Before that, in 2011, when I attended the national conference honoring outstanding individuals in Hanoi, I had the honor of meeting and shaking hands with Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong for the first time, when he was the Chairman of the National Assembly. Each time we met, I was always impressed by the high-ranking leader of the Party and State with his calm, simple, and approachable demeanor."

At this point, Mr. Cam fell silent, his aged hands clutching the corner of a photograph taken at the end of 2023. After a long pause, he spoke again: "That was the last time I met General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong."

On the afternoon of July 19th, as the whole country mourned the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Mr. Cam sat in a daze for a long time in his old house, occasionally looking at a large printed photograph of the General Secretary and exemplary delegates smiling together. How heartbreaking it was that the image of the General Secretary now only existed in his memories.

After putting the photograph back in its original place, Mr. Cam hurried to the market to buy a bouquet of white lilies to offer as incense in remembrance of the General Secretary. For him, this loss was as painful as losing a loved one. Having finished, the old Party member trudged from his home to the highlands of Lao Ly to broadcast over the village's loudspeaker about the great loss to the Party, the State, and the Vietnamese people, and the sorrow that the entire nation was experiencing following the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. That afternoon, the people of Lao Ly listened in silence to the sad news broadcast over the loudspeaker in the somber, hoarse voice of Party Branch Secretary Pham Huy Cam.

Recalling those memories, Mr. Cam choked up: "I am so fortunate and proud to have met and shaken hands with the General Secretary twice. Those memories will forever be cherished and preserved. That honor, along with the encouragement from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the meeting with exemplary individuals who study and follow Uncle Ho's teachings, serves as a foundation, motivation, and a reminder for me to continue striving and contributing to the community and my village, worthy of the trust and expectations that the General Secretary has placed in us."

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