He was formerly the Secretary of the Saigon-Gia Dinh City Youth Union, and also the first Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union after April 30, 1975.

The atmosphere in the city center was electric.

Mr. Pham Chanh Truc is currently the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union's Traditional Club. The arrival of April awakens countless memories of a time of fire and fire when he and his comrades—students and young people from Saigon-Gia Dinh—spearheaded the struggle during the Spring Offensive and Uprising of 1975. He recounts that from the 1960s, the struggle movement of students and young people in the cities of Southern Vietnam, especially in Saigon-Gia Dinh, intensified. Generations of young people at that time were brimming with revolutionary ideals, always at the forefront, ready to sacrifice for the Fatherland.

From late 1974 to early 1975, the Saigon-Gia Dinh Youth Union was instructed by its superiors to prepare for an uprising within the city. To carry out this task, the Youth Union urgently and secretly deployed forces ready to rise up and seize power when the Saigon regime collapsed at five designated uprising points: Nga Bay-Ban Co-Vuon Chuoi, Cau Kieu-Phu Nhuan, Cau Bong-Ba Chieu, Xom Chieu-Khanh Hoi, and Tan Phu-Tan Son-Ba Queo. These five locations were carefully selected, close to the enemy's headquarters, and concentrated forces there could provide support for the Liberation Army's offensives when they entered Saigon. The command centers prepared flags, loudspeakers, first aid supplies, food, etc.; and mobilized some residents to hide forces and supplies. In that context, at the end of March 1975, Comrade Pham Chanh Truc, along with several other cadres, was sent into the inner city to prepare a plan for an uprising to seize power. He was assigned to take control of District 11. “At 9:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, when the puppet president Duong Van Minh ordered the Saigon regime to remain inactive and cease fire, waiting for the Liberation Army to arrive, I realized this was the opportune moment. Together with my comrades, we quickly moved to District 11 and seized important targets according to the plan,” Mr. Truc recalled.

“At that time, the police and army of the Saigon regime had begun to flee. When they saw us carrying the liberation flag and running towards District 11 amidst the cheers and excitement of the people, many even used motorbikes to transport us to the enemy's key targets faster. The crowd advanced towards the police station and then the District 11 headquarters without any resistance. The morale of the masses at that historic moment was sky-high, powerful like a waterfall. Those were unforgettable moments when complete victory was very close,” Mr. Truc recounted emotionally.

Comrade Pham Chanh Truc interacted and shared his thoughts with the youth of Ho Chi Minh City.

Along with the direction of Mr. Nam Nghi, other directions under the responsibility of the Saigon-Gia Dinh City Youth Union held firm, built bases within the city, and raised the banner of rebellion precisely on the historic day of April 30, 1975. The City Youth Union, together with other revolutionary forces in the city, mobilized the masses to rise up and seize local power, dismantle the puppet regime, paralyze the enemy's central organs, and support the main forces and the general offensive to liberate Saigon-Gia Dinh.

Continuing the spirit and courage: Life is about contributing.

As the first Secretary of the City Youth Union after liberation, Mr. Pham Chanh Truc never forgot the initial difficulties when the country achieved peace and reunification. At that time, he organized youth teams and groups to collect weapons left behind by the enemy throughout the streets, clean up the environment, collect garbage, and erase the remnants of the old regime's propaganda culture; he also coordinated the surrender and re-education of soldiers, officers, and civil servants of the Saigon puppet regime. City youth also actively participated in cultural and artistic activities, production, restoring factories and workshops, ensuring the city did not experience power or clean water outages, and helping to stabilize people's lives as soon as possible.

Recalling that period, Mr. Truc said: "In response to the demands of the new situation, the City Youth Union boldly developed a plan to organize a force of young people to go to Cu Chi district to reclaim land for agricultural production. On March 28, 1976, I personally received the vanguard flag from Comrade Vo Van Kiet, Secretary of the City Party Committee, during the mobilization of 10,000 young volunteers to participate in the plan. Those young people showed courage, pioneering spirit, and were not afraid of hardship and sacrifice in the struggle and on the economic front, determined to overcome the consequences of war and build a new life."

According to Mr. Truc, the organization of the youth volunteer force after liberation was a unique innovation of Ho Chi Minh City. This force was very diverse, comprising cadres, union members, young people, young intellectuals, students, and even demobilized former South Vietnamese soldiers and unemployed young workers... with communist cadres, union members, and youth forming the core. They not only went to the outskirts of the city to reclaim land and cultivate crops, but the youth volunteer teams and brigades also went to many localities in the South, supporting land reclamation and implementing many new economic models. These new models and approaches of the city's youth in volunteer activities, organizational development, youth integration, and technology application... have spread and been replicated throughout the country.

In 2025, Mr. Pham Chanh Truc, despite being 86 years old, still regularly participates in traditional activities of youth organizations and socio-political organizations. Wherever he goes, he is affectionately called "Brother Nam Nghi" or "Uncle Nam Nghi." This is because his enthusiasm, youthful energy, and passion for contributing remain undiminished over the years, always serving as an inspiration for the younger generation. He often reminds the younger generation that life is about contributing. Regardless of the era, ambition, aspirations, and a pioneering spirit are the foundation for the city's youth to assert their role and unique identity.

Further discussing the city's development over the past half-century, Mr. Pham Chanh Truc affirmed: "Ho Chi Minh City is a dynamic city, always at the forefront, the cradle of many movements such as youth volunteerism, poverty alleviation, building charitable houses, supporting poor patients... It is the spirit of daring to think and act that has created the dynamism and creativity of the people of the city named after Uncle Ho, creating new things and new models. This is also the tradition of the heroic land of the 'Impregnable Fortress of the Fatherland'. I always believe and hope that the Party Committee, the government, and the people of the city will continue to uphold this tradition, especially the city's youth union members and young people will always maintain a pioneering role in movements and activities, advancing in science; contributing together with the Party Committee, the government, and the people of the city to successfully achieve the goals and breakthroughs in the new development phase."

Comrade Pham Chanh Truc's life spanned two distinct periods of activity: his youth, dedicated to the revolution and participating in the struggle for independence and national reunification right in the heart of Saigon; after reunification, he held various positions in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Head of the High-Tech Park Management Board, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the city, and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee... With many positive contributions, he was recently nominated by the city to be one of the 50 individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the city's development over the past 50 years.

Text and photos: HUNG KHOA

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/thoi-hoa-lua-o-vung-dat-thanh-dong-826227