Military Library: Remembering those early, nostalgic days

In 1957, the General Political Department's Song and Dance Troupe received instructions from the Head of the General Political Department, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, to select a female Party member to undertake the task of establishing and building the Army Library. At that time, the General Political Department's Song and Dance Troupe only had three female Party members: Ms. Tham, Ms. Tuyet, and the youngest, Ms. Ngo Thi Ngoc Diep, a 21-year-old female Dien Bien Phu soldier who was also a dancer.

Báo Sài Gòn Giải phóng•07/12/2025

1. Following Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh's directive, the leadership of the General Political Department's Song and Dance Troupe decided to select Comrade Ngoc Diep and two male comrades, Pham Thau and Vu Phan, to establish the Army Library. At that time, the Army Library was temporarily located in a spacious three-story villa with a spiral staircase, right next to Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh's house. The three officers were each assigned a rather spacious room on the ground floor. Artist Ngoc Diep and her newlywed husband, artist Khac Tue, suddenly found themselves neighbors of the commander.

CN4 but ky.jpg

The research and reading room at the Army Library today. Photo: Army Library

One sweltering summer afternoon, Khắc Tuế, having just returned from the General Political Department's Song and Dance Troupe to visit his wife, who was about to give birth, met Phạm Thấu. Thấu, half-jokingly, half-seriously, said to Khắc Tuế:

- Hey, Mr. Cultural Troupe, Thanh asked about you yesterday!

Having grown accustomed to the disciplined lifestyle of the military, Khac Tue was startled to hear Pham Thau say that:

Oh no, why did you call the boss "brother"?

Mr. Pham Thau laughed heartily:

- Hey, Mr. Thanh doesn't like being called "boss." He says it sounds too formal and not friendly.

Khắc Tuế still had reservations:

- But you guys are used to calling Thanh "brother," while I...

Anh Thấu patted Khắc Tuế on the shoulder:

Don't be shy, he's very friendly and outgoing...

That afternoon, Khac Tue was standing right at the entrance of the apartment complex when Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh's car passed by. As soon as he got out of the car and saw Khac Tue, he proactively walked over, shook his hand firmly, and then asked very casually, as if they had known each other for a long time:

- Are you Khac Tue?

Yes, sir.

- What are you guys doing here?

- Yes, sir, we are currently developing a program to prepare for a performance in Indonesia.

- Are you in charge of the group?

- Yes, sir, I'm just the captain of the dance troupe. I'm researching ways to improve the quality of the bamboo pole dance.

- Hey, watch out, a healthy pig might turn into a lame one! Learning from the Tấm Cám opera incident, after the quality was improved, Comrade Thận (Comrade Trường Chinh) kept complaining.

While engrossed in conversation, Thanh Ha, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh's eldest daughter, ran over, affectionately put her arm around her father's shoulder, and Thanh urged her:

- Go find Ms. Diep and borrow some books to read.

Seeing that scene, Khac Tue was surprised. As the highest-ranking leader of the General Political Department, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh not only highly valued knowledge but also allowed that love of knowledge to spread to his soldiers and his children.

2. One day, it was so hot that Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, wearing only a tank top and fanning himself with a hand fan, went to sit in Vu Phan's room and called the three brothers in charge of the library. He raised the issue:

- Libraries should be schools for soldiers. We must find ways to attract officers and soldiers to come and read. Reading is also a form of learning!

On another occasion, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh asked Comrade Pham Thau to bring him to inspect the operations of the Army Library. The Head of the General Political Department examined everything very meticulously, specifically how the books and newspapers were arranged, where the seating for reading was arranged, etc. After the inspection, he immediately commented:

- So far, you only have a place to store books, but no place for people to come and read. Okay, tomorrow, Mr. Vu Phan, go and tell Mr. Dinh, the finance officer of the General Directorate, to allocate funds to buy the best quality wood and make tables and chairs so the soldiers can sit and read properly and peacefully.

Then, he urged the library staff to do some gardening, planting flowers and ornamental plants. Another day, after returning from work, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh brought a package of various candies and a pack of Hoan Kiem cigarettes to the staff of the Military Library, and then kindly inquired about the library's activities.

- Have you guys been informed by the Propaganda Department yet? I just reminded you: We must quickly develop the Army Library to be on par with the Army's cultural, film, and publishing units. It must have a spacious, well-equipped, and officially recognized headquarters; it can't remain as it is now.

Then, during the 10th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh instructed the staff of the Military Library to prepare books, newspapers, and documents to serve the commemorative activities. He himself also used these materials in his trips to give talks about the nation's historic victory.

One of the memories that the staff at the Army Library will always cherish is that one day, in late autumn, when the weather was chilly, Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, dressed in his military uniform and carrying a lunchbox, asked Vu Phan to deliver a meal to Mrs. Cuc (Nguyen Thi Cuc, wife of General Nguyen Chi Thanh), who was ill and hospitalized at Military Hospital 108. He said, "I usually bring meals, but today I have an unexpected guest to attend to. Please help me out, just take my car so we can get there quickly."

3. In 1967, while fighting in Military Region 5, Khac Tue received a dire letter from his wife, Ngoc Diep. In the letter, she wrote: “My dear, a few days ago, Mr. Mai Quang Ca (secretary to General Nguyen Chi Thanh) came to borrow some books from the library. Knowing Mr. Thanh’s preferences, I chose Jane Eyre and Quiet Flows the Don for you to read during your breaks after meetings. Unexpectedly, last night you were rushed to Military Hospital 108 and have passed away.”

In the trench, Khac Tue stood with his head bowed in silent remembrance of the General, tears streaming down the soldier's cheeks...

TRUONG NGUYEN VIET

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thu-vien-quan-doi-nho-thuo-ban-dau-luu-luyen-ay-post827310.html