Memories of a historic August from a nearly 100-year-old woman

(Dan Tri) - At that time, she did not know what revolution was, but the village girl felt the new air, which would change the lives of the poor, so that there would no longer be scenes of wading through freezing mud to exchange for a few cans of rice or scenes of working as a servant...

This fall, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai (born in 1928), residing in Do Luong commune (formerly Nam Son commune, old Do Luong district), Nghe An province, received great joy when she was honored to receive the 80-year Party membership badge. During her 80 years following the Party, the days she fought with poor women to gain power are like a bright spot in her memory.

“At that time, I didn’t know what revolution was, I didn’t know what the Party was. I heard that revolution was about winning land, enough food, and warm clothes for farmers, so I followed,” Mrs. Dai said toothlessly about her early days of revolutionary work.

In the small yard, an old lady nearly 100 years old, her hair as white as silk, reminisced about her early days following the revolution.

After the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931), her father - Mr. Nguyen Trong Can, Nhan Hau village, Dang Son commune, Anh Son district (Do Luong commune, Nghe An today) - was arrested and imprisoned in Vinh prison. The family of 7 children, without their father, was even more miserable. As the eldest sister, Nguyen Thi Dai had to work with her mother to raise her younger siblings, but a full meal for the poor peasant family at that time was a luxury.

In Mrs. Dai's memory, those were years of famine and hardship. Her younger sister had to work as a servant for Truong Thi, a landlord in the area.

At the age of 15-16, the village girl Nguyen Thi Dai and her sisters in the village worked as hired laborers for Cuu Thao's family (Mr. Truong Thi). The entire group of laborers only received one pot of rice from Cuu Thao's family, they had to leave early to have a full meal, those who left late would go hungry. After working hard all day, shivering with cold, the eldest sister in the family only had a few cans of rice to bring home for her mother to feed her younger siblings.

The life of hunger and poverty would probably have continued like that, if the 17-year-old village girl had not been “enlightened” by the villagers. Actually, at that time, she did not know that they were communists. Because they were also poor, hungry, and lacking clothes like her. The only difference was that, in their eyes, she felt something very different (later, the girl learned that they were party members of the Dang Son General Party Cell).

In the middle of 1945, the village girl clearly sensed that something special was about to happen. The girl Nguyen Thi Dai was assigned to secretly meet and persuade the women in the village to prepare for a rally. She did not know what a rally was, but guessed it must be very important. Every evening, when the village lights were just turned on, the village girl quietly left her house and went into the village to do her duty.

In the history book of the Nam Son Commune Party Committee, the days of the August Revolution were recorded: “On August 13, 1945, under the direction of the Viet Minh General Department, the people of the villages of Dang Son commune were ready with weapons, flags, drums, and gongs, poured into the streets to participate in demonstrations, demonstrate their strength, and then gathered at the Saint Vo house (a shrine in Dang Son commune).

At dawn on August 18, 1945, the sound of drums and gongs resounded everywhere. Under the guidance of the Viet Minh village, the people of Dang Son, Do Luong, Bach Ha, Thuan Trung, and Yen Lang communes marched to Do Luong district headquarters, shouting slogans as they walked: "Down with the Japanese puppet government ! Long live complete independence of Vietnam! Support the Viet Minh!...".

Although time has erased many things, those historic August days remain intact in the memory of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai.

The 80-year-old female Party member recalled: “Under the leadership of the Uprising Committee, women carried sticks, spears, sickles and rice balls with salt, along with other forces, mainly farmers, marched to the assembly point. The crowd was full of enthusiasm, shouting slogans with the belief that farmers would have land, the poor would have enough food and warm clothes.”

On August 24, 1945, the villagers gathered at the communal house to witness the village chiefs and village leaders handing over books and public funds to the Uprising Committee. The provisional revolutionary committees of the villages were also introduced to the excitement, joy and trust of the people.

The August Revolution succeeded, and provisional governments were established in the communes. The village girl Nguyen Thi Dai, then a progressive young woman, was further trained by the organization and party cell, and took on the work of women in the commune during 1945-1946, then transferred to work at the Anh Son military factory.

During this time, the female cadre both worked and attended a mass education class. The more she studied, the more she understood, the more she understood about the revolution and her own responsibility in the current situation. On January 4, 1947, the village girl Nguyen Thi Dai was officially admitted to the Party.

“At this stage, the Party was operating in secret. Having been informed in advance, that night, I followed the guide on foot from Nhan Hau village to Long Son village, more than 3km away. The admission ceremony was held in secret but solemn conditions. Standing before the Party flag, I was extremely moved and proud...”, she recalled.

From practical work, the female party member quickly matured and was assigned to hold the position of Deputy Secretary, Women's Secretary of Anh Son district (Chairwoman of the District Women's Union).

In 1952, female party member Nguyen Thi Dai was transferred to the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union. However, after a year of working, she realized that she could not fulfill her duties well, partly due to family reasons, so she asked to return to her hometown.

In March 1953, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected Vice Chairman of Tay Son Commune (a commune separated from Dang Son Commune, belonging to the old Anh Son District). In May 1954, her first husband, Mr. Le Tien Thang, died on the battlefield. Suppressing her own grief, she raised her children alone while doing a good job as a local leader.

During this period, the land reform revolution was widely implemented, and as Vice Chairman of the commune, she struggled with her new duties. The woman who had shed tears of humiliation over the bowls of rice she had planted for the landlords, now cried when she saw her fellow farmers receiving their land cards, becoming the real owners of the fields.

Later, Tay Son commune changed its name to Nam Son commune (old Do Luong district), Nghe An province. The task of perfecting and developing agricultural cooperatives, promoting comprehensive development in the direction of large-scale agriculture, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people became the central task.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai, with her experience and capacity, was elected as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of Dai Thang Cooperative (one of the four agricultural cooperatives after the merger).

In 1964-1968, under the leadership of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors of Dai Thang Cooperative made breakthrough decisions on planning, zoning production land, and changing crop structure. Thanks to that, this was also the Cooperative with the largest distribution to the people of the commune at that time.

Faced with new requirements, she continued to work for the Commune Women's Union until her retirement in 1985. Over the years, she lived with her children and grandchildren (Mrs. Dai remarried Mr. Mai Hao, from Binh Dinh (formerly), a soldier from the South, and had 5 more children).

During her conversation with us, Mrs. Dai repeatedly shared her joy at witnessing the glorious milestones of the nation's history, accompanying the country through the most difficult periods and witnessing the prosperity and growth of her homeland and country.

6 grown children, 18 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and the 80-year Party membership badge are the greatest assets in the life of a woman who has lived a full life with the Party and the people.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Duc, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Nam Son commune, shared: "Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai is a shining example of a lifetime of struggle, dedication, perseverance in serving the Party, serving the revolution, living a pure and exemplary life...

Despite her old age and poor health, with the spirit of a Party member, she is always exemplary, encouraging her children and grandchildren to strictly follow the policies and laws of the Party and State; actively participate in local movements, contributing to building a renewed homeland and a strong Party.

Photo: Hoang Lam, Bang Cuong

Content: Hoang Lam

Design: Tuan Nghia

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/ky-uc-thang-tam-lich-su-cua-cu-ba-gan-100-tuoi-20250813081104986.htm