Teacher Nguyen Thi Kim Dung was born in 1933 in Cao Lanh, Dong Thap province . She had 11 siblings. Her father was a renowned and skilled silversmith, owning a jewelry shop and selling silk at Cao Lanh market. He was also a revolutionary fighter.
Female suicide commando
In 1946, the French returned. That year, Kim Dung was just 13 years old. She and her family evacuated to Dong Thap Muoi. Leaving Cao Lanh market, the boat carrying Dung's family headed towards Ba Sao – Dong Thap Muoi. After a few months in Dong Thap Muoi, Dung was sent to Saigon to study. In 1948, she joined the Lang Le – Bau Co War Zone and the No. 10 Task Force. There, she was officially assigned to the Minh Khai Women's Platoon – the only all-female suicide platoon in the inner city of Saigon – Cholon.
In late March 1948, Dung and the Minh Khai platoon returned to the city center to carry out combat missions behind enemy lines. There, on June 10, 1948, Nguyen Thi Kim Dung had the honor of being one of four suicide commandos participating in the attack on the Majestic Theater. The heavy losses after the Majestic attack made the enemy determined to capture all those involved. A few days later, on August 12, 1948, Dung was betrayed, arrested, and brutally tortured at the Catina police station. In April 1949, at the first trial, Dung was sentenced to 10 years in prison. At the second trial, she was sentenced to death. She was only 16 years old at the time.
Teacher Nguyen Thi Kim Dung (standing, sixth from the left) pictured with students in 1981.
While she was held in solitary confinement in a death row cell, outside, her compatriots waged a fierce struggle, the commotion shaking the Élysée Palace. Kim Dung was personally granted an overturning of her death sentence by the French president, replacing it with a 20-year prison sentence. In early 1950, Kim Dung was transferred from Saigon Central Prison to Chi Hoa Prison.
In 1954, the Geneva Accords were signed, and Kim Dung was released as a prisoner of war at Sam Son, Thanh Hoa. For 21 years in the North, alone, she strived to adapt to the new environment, proving her unwavering loyalty, overcoming all adversity, and simultaneously pursuing her studies to become an intellectual, a scientific officer, and a legendary lecturer in the field of pharmacy.
The legendary teacher
In 1975, upon returning to Saigon, she continued working at the Department of Pharmaceuticals. In 1977, she began teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In addition to her teaching duties, she was also a member of the Party Committee of the Faculty of Pharmacy; for many years she was a recipient of the "Outstanding Emulation Soldier" award at both the grassroots and city levels.
Those were the years when Ho Chi Minh City was under a centrally-controlled economy, facing extreme economic hardship. As the head of the Trade Union, she also worked to improve the lives of teachers through many ingenious initiatives. She mobilized resources such as bags of sawdust for fuel, bags of used clothes, and kilograms of meat to provide nourishment for teachers…
Former students visit their teacher Kim Dung after her retirement. (Photo provided by the subject)
Her voice trembled with age and frailty, but her eyes still shone with pride and contentment: “During the war, I was fortunate to be trusted by the revolution and given a mission in the Battle of Majestic. I never imagined that opportunity would associate my name with a victory recognized by history and the people. In peacetime, after 13 years of teaching, I am also somewhat proud to have contributed to training and supplementing the country's pharmaceutical workforce, many of whom have achieved success and become labor heroes…”
Colonel Mac Phuong Minh, former manager of the Military Region 9 pharmaceutical factory, was a student in the first specialized pharmacy training class (1977-1980), the first university-level pharmacist training class for high school-level pharmacists trained in the war zone. Speaking about his respected teacher, Colonel Phuong Minh confided: “Teacher Kim Dung was the head of the department and directly taught us the subject of Pharmacy. My first impression of her was that she was very beautiful, with captivating eyes and a charming smile. She had a gentle, caring, and cheerful demeanor. Her lessons always made us feel interested and enthusiastic. Moreover, she was one of the four female suicide fighters in the Battle of Majestic in 1948; I was so astonished and full of admiration for her…”
Her students in the first specialized pharmacy training class later all achieved success. Most became key personnel in the pharmaceutical industry in the Southwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City. Ms. Tran Thi Minh Hiep, former Deputy Head of the Personnel Organization Department of the Faculty of Pharmacy - University of Medicine and Pharmacy, was one of Ms. Kim Dung's first students in the first specialized training class. After graduating, she was retained by the university to work in student management. Later, she moved to the personnel organization department. She said that when she happened to read in the newspaper that Ms. Kim Dung was a soldier of the 950th Suicide Battalion and shared a prison cell with Ms. Vo Thi Sau, she not only admired her, but also considered her a legend to generations of students…
Although retired, Ms. Kim Dung was invited back to the school every year to share her experience and give inspirational talks to students until she was 90 years old and had difficulty walking. “Ms. Dung is a very dedicated person to her work and to the cause of education; friendly and approachable to her students. Even after retirement, she remains connected to the school and its students by regularly returning to speak and inspire her colleagues and students of future generations,” shared Ms. Minh Hiep.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nguoi-thay-kinh-yeu-nguoi-giao-vien-qua-cam-196240730201637821.htm
Comment (0)