'Proud of the good times'

On the morning of April 26th, at the Youth Cultural Center, a program of interaction with individuals associated with 50 outstanding events and activities of Ho Chi Minh City, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, took place and was deeply moving.

Guests at the exchange included People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang); Mr. Pham Chanh Truc - former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, former Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council; Ho Chi Minh City Reading Culture Ambassador - historian Nguyen Dinh Tu; Mr. Pham Dut Diem - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Xuan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Gio District…

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu (second from the left) with Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Van Tau (third from the left) , former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Pham Chanh Truc (fourth from the left) and other guests at the exchange event.

Photo: Quynh Tran

Mr. Pham Chanh Truc vividly remembers the fervent atmosphere of the historic April 30, 1975: "Throughout the city, the masses rose up to seize power. Our main army units and tanks rumbled into the city center with great enthusiasm; everyone was exhilarated." After the joy of complete victory, the city entered a new phase. "The City Party Committee mobilized people fleeing the war to return to their hometowns to work and live. Young volunteers went to clean up and remove the remnants of the old regime, becoming a major movement, culminating in the Youth Volunteer Force with over 10,000 troops, working side-by-side with the city's leaders to break through and find a bright future...", he recalled, adding: "The image of the city's Youth Volunteer Force at that time became a symbol of the first national reconciliation, very beautiful and spirited. We had defeated the enemy, and there was only one direction left: to become self-reliant and strong economically ."

At the age of 105, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu has witnessed many ups and downs of history. He confided: "On April 30, 1975, I was just an ordinary citizen like everyone else. The city was suffering from war and shortages in every way. I even had to eat corn, sweet potatoes, and cassava to survive; buying a needle and thread was difficult. But thanks to our innovative thinking and the dismantling of the outdated subsidy system, the economy developed. Therefore, there were phrases like 'running for rice' and 'breaking through the barriers,' which not everyone knows now."

As a witness to history, Mr. Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang) - former head of Strategic Intelligence Unit H.63, recounted: "The victory on April 30th was the result of the efforts of many people, but I commend our military mobilization comrades for their excellent work. I remember during a trip to the Truong Son forest before 1975, I met the younger brother of Duong Van Minh (later the President of the Republic of Vietnam). He said that the political organization had sent him there to learn military mobilization work. This shows how thorough our preparations were, with everything planned in advance."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tu-hao-nhung-ngay-thang-dep-185250426213539901.htm