Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc and the 4th anniversary of meeting Uncle Ho

15 year old boy finds his way to follow the revolution

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc was born on March 2, 1930 in Yen Dung Ha commune, Hung Nguyen canton, now Ben Thuy ward, Vinh city, Nghe An. This is a land rich in revolutionary tradition, and also the hometown of beloved President Ho Chi Minh .

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc is 95 years old this year, but he is still extremely clear-headed and lucid when recounting stories about the honorable times he met Uncle Ho. Photo: Thanh Thao.

Growing up in the context of the country boiling with resistance, at the age of 15, the young man Nguyen Van Phuoc nurtured the determination to temporarily leave his homeland and walk hundreds of kilometers to Thanh Hoa to find the revolution. That journey was not only by foot but also by a heart burning with the desire to contribute to the Fatherland and the people.

He shared: “I was very young at that time, but when they found out that I intended to join the revolution, my parents forced me to get married before letting me go. I was determined to walk to Thanh Hoa to register to join the army, determined to fight the enemy to protect the country.”

With constant efforts and struggles, young soldier Nguyen Van Phuoc later officially became a soldier of the assault company, codenamed Company 71, Battalion 375, Infantry Regiment 9, Division 304 (also known as the Vinh Quang Group).

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc when he was young, Infantry Regiment 9, Division 304. Photo: Thanh Thao.

The first tank regiment of the Vietnam People's Army

From here, the young soldier Nguyen Van Phuoc participated in many heroic battles in the Tran Hung Dao, Quang Trung, Hoang Hoa Tham, Hoa Binh, Thuong Lao campaigns and finally the Dien Bien Phu Campaign "famous Dien Bien, shaking the world". When peace was restored, in 1956, he received orders to study tanks in China.

Accordingly, the first group of cadres to study tank command in China included 36 cadres from platoon to regimental level, led by comrade Dao Huy Vu. These were cadres who had received long-term training in armored tank command, enough to form the military cadre framework for a tank regiment.

Along with that group, we also asked our friends to help train a number of other groups to have all the necessary components to establish Regiment 202 - the first tank regiment of the Vietnam People's Army on October 5, 1959. At that time, Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc was honored to be appointed as the commander of Tank Battalion 1 - the main unit of Regiment 202.

The images, memorabilia, and serial numbers are always preserved and treasured by Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc. Photo: Thanh Thao.

After many years of fighting on the fronts, he was famous for being a brave, decisive, courageous commander who was close to his soldiers. With his persistent contributions, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and held an important position at the Armored Department, National Defense Academy. Throughout his military career, he was closely attached to the Armored Force, which is known as the "iron fist" of the army.

For Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc: "Every time I meet Uncle Ho, I am able to reflect on myself, gain more spiritual strength and steadfast belief in revolutionary ideals."

The honorable times meeting Uncle Ho

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc will never forget a historic day in his life: January 1, 1955. At that time, he was the Commander of the Emulation Fighters of the entire army in the first military parade of Vietnam, a unique event. At that moment, with each step he and his comrades took across the stage, each heartbeat was filled with emotion. Above, Uncle Ho stood there with his silver hair and kind eyes. When he raised his head to salute, that moment seemed to freeze in his chest, and then an oath resounded from the bottom of his heart: Determined to die for the Fatherland, determined to live.

Precious relics from Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc's military career are still preserved. Photo: Thanh Thao.

“I may not remember everything, but I can say that I met Uncle Ho quite a lot, because I was a soldier competing in the whole army. So either I was visited by Uncle Ho, or I was honored to visit him.

The first time I met Uncle Ho was when I was young. That was when Hanoi had just been liberated. At that time, the parade group from Son Tay returned to Bach Mai, I returned to Hanoi to train the whole army's emulation fighters. I was the commander that Uncle Ho visited first. When we heard that Uncle was coming to visit, the soldiers rushed out. At that time, General Nguyen Chi Thanh jokingly said to us: "Comrades, are you protecting Uncle, or are you tiring him out?", because at that time the city had just been liberated, the protection work was still very complicated.

So from then on, every time Uncle Ho visited, we did not rush out like that anymore. The group that Uncle Ho visited the most was the emulation fighters group, the second group was the female guerilla Hoang Ngan, and then the other groups. Therefore, my comrades and I were lucky to have met Uncle Ho many times.

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc with unforgettable memories in his life. During the parade on January 1, 1955, he was honored to be the Commander of the parade unit welcoming Uncle Ho. Photo: Thanh Thao.

The second time, when I was a regimental officer and was sent to the Ministry for training, Uncle Ho visited me for the second time.

The third time was when I and a group of soldiers competed to visit Uncle Ho after he was evacuated.

The fourth time I was able to visit Uncle Ho at the evacuation site, when his health was already weak. The emulation group was able to visit Uncle Ho again. That is what I remember most about the four times I met Uncle Ho." Speaking of this, he choked up.

A general who has experienced many battles, hardships, and battlefields has never made him cry. But today, when talking to a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper, he sobbed and choked up, making everyone who heard his story moved to tears. For Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc: "Every time I meet Uncle Ho, I am able to reflect on myself, gain more spiritual strength and steadfast belief in the revolutionary ideal."

The Pride of the Old General

Now 95 years old, Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc is still lucid, agile, and full of heroic memories. His body still bears the scars of war, and in his body are still embedded shrapnel, traces of life-and-death battles. But he smiles gently: "Those are scars of the pride of Uncle Ho's soldiers."

Then he told us a funny story, his eyes sparkling: “Just now, at the 50th anniversary of the victory in the South and the reunification of the country, when I went to the airport and passed through the security gate, the security check machine beeped again, my child. Because there were still bullet fragments in my body, many security staff at the airport also knew my story because of that.”

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc emotionally recounted the story of the medals he received with the pride of a soldier of Uncle Ho. Photo: Thanh Thao.

Occasionally, when the weather changes, the old war wounds still ache in his body that has been through so many battlefields. But he said, that pain is nothing compared to the silent sacrifices, the irreplaceable losses of countless comrades, those who have remained forever in the deep forests, on high hills or in the cold ground. Those who will never have the chance to return, never see the dawn of peace and independence that they sacrificed their youth to gain.

Having said this, the old general suddenly stopped. He said nothing more. He just sat silently, his eyes looking far away towards the window, where the late afternoon sunlight was shining through the thin curtains, covering the room with a layer of dim, quiet light. We were also silent. No one said anything. Because we all felt that, in that moment, he was returning to his memories.

Programs on TV channels about Uncle Ho always attract the attention and daily viewing of Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc. Photo: Thanh Thao.

"I will never forget Uncle Ho's eyes"

Every day, he still keeps the habit of following the news, chatting, telling stories about the battlefield to the younger generation, as a way to inspire patriotism and national pride. The columns and reports that he often follows and watches every day are the columns "Studying the morality and following the example of President Ho Chi Minh". Every time he sees Uncle Ho's image, hears stories about him, his heart still aches with memories of Uncle Ho.

“Back then, after each time I met Uncle Ho, I tried to do my work and responsibilities better. Few people were as lucky as me to meet Uncle Ho, so I had to fight, train, and work better,” he said emotionally, his voice choking.

With that spirit and determination, throughout his life he was awarded many medals and the title of emulation fighter, which was not only a worthy reward, but also a living proof of his lifelong devotion to revolutionary ideals.

For Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc, Uncle Ho is not only a great leader, but also a father figure who is always present in the heart of every soldier. The four times he met Uncle Ho are four unforgettable milestones.

Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc took the time to welcome reporters from Cong Thuong Newspaper and recounted memorable stories about Uncle Ho on the occasion of the 135th birthday anniversary of beloved President Ho Chi Minh. Photo: Thanh Thao

In the flow of national history, there are silent but great people who have lived their whole lives for the noble ideals that Uncle Ho left behind: Independence - Freedom - Happiness. Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc is one of those people. His whole life is a shining example of Uncle Ho's soldier: Loyal, brave, loyal to the Fatherland and the people.

His life story is not only a memory of a general who contributed to writing the glorious history of the nation, but also a heartfelt reminder to today's generation: Live worthy of the heroic sacrifices of our predecessors to build and protect the Fatherland.

In a quiet moment of conversation with a reporter from Cong Thuong Newspaper on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of the birth of beloved President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025), the centenarian general, Major General Nguyen Van Phuoc, kept repeating one thing: "In this whole life, there is only one thing I will never forget in the lucky times I met Uncle Ho: That is Uncle Ho's eyes."

Thanh Thao

Source: https://congthuong.vn/thieu-tuong-nguyen-van-phuoc-va-ky-niem-4-lan-duoc-gap-bac-ho-387944.html