Reconstructing eight heroic portraits of the People's Public Security Forces and heroic Vietnamese mothers

In early September 2025, the Public Security Liaison Committee supporting the Southern battlefield during the resistance war against the US to save the country coordinated with the Soldier's Heart Organization to collect and restore color from black and white photos of heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of many generations of the Public Security Forces.

Colonel, writer Dang Vuong Hung, who initiated the color restoration of black and white portraits of heroic Vietnamese mothers and martyrs, shared: “Due to the highly confidential nature of the police force, collecting photos of police officers during the resistance war period is difficult. The Soldier's Heart Organization has selected the most typical portraits, and a group of young artists have meticulously restored them to present to the Fatherland Front Museum, the Vietnam Women's Museum and the families of martyrs. This is a meaningful activity that contributes to expressing gratitude to those who have contributed to the country and to continuing the tradition for the younger generation.”

1. Vietnamese Heroic Mother Le Thi My (1901 - 1989) is one of thousands of mothers whose children were police officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the security of the Fatherland in the resistance war against France and the US, to protect the border and prevent crime.

Mother Le Thi My was born into a poor patriotic peasant family in Truc Ninh district, Nam Dinh (old). She gave birth to four sons, all of whom joined the army. Among them, her eldest son died in the resistance war against the French colonialists; her youngest son died in the resistance war against the Americans. Her second son is Major General of the People's Public Security, Hero of the People's Armed Forces (LLVTND) Phan Van Lai, former Deputy Director General of the General Department of Force Building of the Ministry of Public Security, former Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Public Security, now 95 years old, 77 years of Party membership, still holding the important position of Head of the Public Security Liaison Committee supporting the Southern battlefield during the resistance war against the Americans to save the country.

Notably, in 2016, Major General Phan Van Lai was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and State, which was also the year My's mother was awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother.

Vietnamese Heroic Mother Le Thi My (1901 – 1989)

2. Comrade To Quyen (1929 - 1996) represented the generation of police officers who participated in the resistance war against the French and supported the Southern battlefield in the resistance war against the US.

He was born in Nghia Tru, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province (old), and grew up with the family's patriotic tradition. He participated in activities before the August Revolution in 1945 and was assigned by the organization to establish and take charge of the Xuan Cau Village Youth Salvation Team. At the end of 1946, he was assigned by the organization to work in Bac Ninh , where he served as the Chief of Police of Tien Du district, operating in the enemy's rear until the victory of the resistance war against the French colonialists.

In 1965, along with tens of thousands of elite police officers, comrade To Quyen volunteered to support the Southern battlefield, then returned to Tay Ninh - the base of the Southern Central Office.

No matter what the circumstances, in the enemy's rear, the Southern battlefield or in the cause of national renewal and construction; no matter what position he held: Head of the National Salvation Youth Team, Head of Tien Du District Police, Deputy Head of Ha Bac Provincial Police, Deputy Head of Tay Ninh Security Department, Head of Hai Hung Police Department, Director of Traffic Police Department, Director of Department V26 of the Ministry of Public Security..., Comrade To Quyen always overcame all difficulties and excellently completed the tasks assigned by the Party and the people. Comrade To Quyen was honored to be posthumously awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and State in 2015.

Comrade To Quyen (1929 - 1996)

3. Heroic martyr Nguyen Hoa Luong (1918 - 1952) was from Tam Ngai commune, Cau Ke district, Tra Vinh province (old), representing the Southern volunteer police force in the resistance war against France.

During his 5 years as a volunteer police officer in Cau Ke (1947 - 1952), Nguyen Hoa Luong led and directly fought with his teammates to win more than 50 large and small battles; completely eliminated nearly 60 evil Vietnamese traitors...

Early in the morning of February 20, 1952, while blocking the enemy's advance on the banks of the Tam Ngai River, Nguyen Hoa Luong was suffering from a severe cold and was in poor health but insisted on going to fight. The battle raged fiercely from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the hail of enemy bullets, comrade Nguyen Hoa Luong heroically sacrificed himself. He was the teacher of both the People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Thi Ut (Ut Tich) and her husband, who were famous for the saying "Fight even with the hem of your pants left".

Heroic martyr Nguyen Hoa Luong (1918 – 1952)

4. Heroic martyr Ta Van Sau (1928 - 1960) was born and raised in Phuoc Tho commune, Dat Do district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (old), and was a representative of the armed security forces of the South in the resistance war against the US.

Ta Van Sau, nicknamed “Sau Ca Cuong”, was a police officer, a key leader of the district, in charge of the armed forces and the trigger of a political struggle that the enemy considered extremely dangerous in the Dat Do area. During a raid, he was betrayed, surrounded by the enemy, and his secret tunnel was exposed. Ta Van Sau was seriously wounded in the abdomen.

Knowing that he could not survive, Ta Van Sau rushed into the bushes, pretending to hold a grenade and defend himself. While the enemy was afraid, he tried his best to tear up the documents and swallowed them all, then shouted loudly: “I would rather die than surrender…”. Knowing that they could not shake the spirit of the steadfast police officer, the enemy fired a few more shots. Ta Van Sau heroically sacrificed himself on the morning of June 20, 1960, at the age of 32.

Heroic martyr Ta Van Sau (1928 – 1960)

5. Heroic martyr Tran Van Tho (1935 - 1961) represents the armed police force operating in the border area (now the border guards).

Tran Van Tho was born in Phu Tho province. When he was young, he moved with his family to Yen Bai. At the age of 15, he joined the guerrillas and enlisted in the army in 1952. During the resistance war against the French, comrade Tran Van Tho and his unit were always steadfast, fought intelligently, and achieved outstanding achievements in the remote areas of border provinces such as Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Son La.

Tran Van Tho mobilized people to study, eradicated drug addiction and backward customs in Xinh Phinh commune. By 1960, no one in the commune was addicted to opium, and people trusted and helped Border Guard officers to protect security and order in the border area. Due to overwork in a difficult area, he was struck down by a severe malaria on August 8, 1961, when he was only 26 years old.

In recognition of Tran Van Tho's contributions, the Minister of Public Security posthumously promoted Tran Van Tho from Sergeant to Second Lieutenant. On January 1, 1967, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. Martyr Tran Van Tho was one of the first five armed police officers to be recognized as Heroes of the People's Armed Forces.

Heroic martyr Tran Van Tho (1935 - 1961)

6. Heroic martyr Nguyen Kim Vang (1944 - 1972) represents the generation of police officers who were children of Southern cadres who gathered in the North.

Nguyen Kim Vang was born into a family with a rich revolutionary tradition in Quang Ngai (old), and followed his family to the North when he was only 10 years old (1954). In 1963, he was one of 100 Southern students selected by the Ministry of Public Security for training in Kien An district, Hai Phong and assigned to work at Station 149, Sub-region 78 of the Nghe An province armed police, and was honored by the unit commander as a "steel boy".

After that, Nguyen Kim Vang continued to the North to study the 2nd course of the Armed Police Officer School. In 1967, he volunteered to fight on the Southern battlefield. Falling into an enemy ambush during a trip to build a base in Phuoc Hau village, Binh Kien commune on January 26, 1972, Nguyen Kim Vang fought steadfastly and heroically sacrificed himself at the age of 28.

With outstanding achievements and heroic sacrifices of the collective and individuals, on June 6, 1976, the Armed Security Company of the Phu Yen Provincial Security Department was honored by the State as a Hero of the People's Armed Forces. Martyr Nguyen Kim Vang, former Political Commissar of the company, was posthumously awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Heroic martyr Nguyen Kim Vang (1944 – 1972)

7. Heroic martyr Nguyen Van Uan (1948 - 1972) represents the police force who sacrificed for national security and the peaceful life of the people during the resistance war against the US in the North.

Born and raised in Viet Tri city (old), Phu Tho province, at the age of 18, Nguyen Van Uan studied at the People's Police Training School and in November 1967, was assigned to work at Police Station No. 23, Hai Ba Trung Police area (now Bach Mai ward police).

Although very young, Nguyen Van Uan soon demonstrated the noble qualities of a People's Public Security soldier, working with the people to build a strong security movement. At the end of December 1972, bombs and bullets from the US Air Force fell on Hanoi. Nguyen Van Uan and the security forces and militia stayed in place to protect the people's property. On the afternoon of December 28, 1972, he was hit by a bomb and died at the age of 24. On September 3, 1973, martyr Nguyen Van Uan was posthumously awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and State.

Heroic martyr Nguyen Van Uan (1948 – 1972)

8. Heroic martyr Bui Xuan Quy (1954 - 1984) represents generations of police officers who sacrificed their lives in crime prevention.

Bui Xuan Quy was born and raised in Ninh Binh, joined the police force in 1974 and was sent to the Central People's Police School for training. In November 1975, he was sent to Hai Phong, working as a local police officer in Trai Cau ward, Hai Phong city.

Heroic martyr Bui Xuan Quy (1954 – 1984)

During nearly 10 years of working as a street police officer, Bui Xuan Quy overcame all difficulties, contributing to the comprehensive development of the movement to protect national security at the grassroots level. As a street police officer, Bui Xuan Quy participated in solving 57 large and small cases; arrested 153 subjects, and confiscated many valuable objects. In the case of chasing a violent robber who used a weapon to rob money that occurred on the evening of March 9, 1984 at My Huong restaurant (To Hieu street), he was seriously injured and heroically sacrificed his life. On August 29, 1985, martyr Bui Xuan Quy was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State.

Presenting color photos reconstructed from black and white photos of heroic Vietnamese mothers and heroes of many generations of the People's Public Security Forces to the Vietnam Women's Museum, September 5, 2025.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Chuyen-dong-van-hoa/phuc-dung-tam-chan-dung-anh-hung-cua-luc-luong-cand-me-viet-nam-anh-hung-i781013/