From "King of Hai Van Pass Mines" to Editor-in-Chief of Newspaper: The Life Story of Hero Trinh To Tam

Few people know that he was the first Editor-in-Chief of the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper - the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (formerly) and I was honored to be his "soldier" during that period with many profound memories.

People's Armed Forces Hero Trinh To Tam was born in 1945 in My Cau village, Ung Hoa district, old Ha Dong province (now Hanoi ). Ung Hoa is the place that inspired musician Pham Tuyen to compose the legendary song "The Truong Son Stick". The song is like a call for young people to "cut through Truong Son to save the country".

He was born in a countryside with a rich revolutionary tradition, in a family of four children. His father died early, and his older brother also died in the early years of the resistance war against the French. In 1965, when the US army bombed the North, Trinh To Tam, despite being a student, volunteered to join the "Three Ready" movement.

This is the patriotic emulation movement of the Youth Union during the anti-American period: Ready to fight; Ready to join the army; Ready to go wherever the Fatherland needs.

After that, the young man Trinh To Tam wrote an application to join the army, volunteered to fight in the Southern battlefield and was mobilized to the Tri Thien - Hue battlefield.

From 1967 to 1970, he commanded the unit and participated in 58 battles, destroying 1,500 enemies, including 700 American soldiers, destroying nearly 100 military vehicles as well as collapsing dozens of bridges and culverts... to stop the enemy's advance.

In those battles, he personally killed 270 enemies (including 185 American soldiers), shot down and destroyed 3 enemy planes and many military vehicles.

Realizing that the Hai Van Pass was the enemy's lifeline, Trinh To Tam and his teammates sought to attack and cause difficulties and losses for the enemy. In 1968, he went on a reconnaissance mission and discovered that the American invaders were patrolling the Hai Van Pass. In the early morning, they often gathered at a high point next to the road, so he led a team to lay mines, killing and injuring 60 enemies.

In early 1970, as Deputy Company Commander, he accurately predicted where the enemy was landing troops. He commanded the unit to place mines at the location where the US was landing troops, destroying 2 platoons.

With his resounding achievements in combat, Trinh To Tam was awarded the title of American Destroyer 53 times, and was called "Hai Van Pass Mine King" by his comrades; and the enemy at that time continuously offered generous rewards to anyone who captured "the gray tiger of Hai Van Pass - Trinh To Tam".

In 1971, Trinh To Tam was awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and State when he had just turned 27 and became Captain of the 21st Engineering Company, Group 4, Tri Thien Military Region.

In addition, he was also awarded the First Class Resistance Medal against America for National Salvation; 13 First, Second, and Third Class Feat Medals; and 3 First Class Liberation Medals.

In 1976, when his first daughter was born, he named her Trinh Hai Van to commemorate the arduous and heroic days of fighting at Hai Van Pass. Ms. Trinh Hai Van worked at the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (formerly) and is now the Ministry of the Interior after the merger of the two ministries.

When the country was completely unified, Hero Trinh To Tam held many important positions of the Party and State such as: Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (concurrently Editor-in-Chief of the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper for nearly 3 years). No matter what position he held, he always completed the assigned tasks excellently and was an inspiration to the younger generation about his dynamism, enthusiasm and dedication to work.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nien, former Editor-in-Chief of the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper, recalled: At the end of July and the beginning of August 1993, all preparations for the newspaper's birth were completed, and it was time to choose a good time for the newspaper to celebrate its birth.

The newspaper's first editorial board included Deputy Minister - Hero Trinh To Tam, journalist Kim Quoc Hoa and journalist Nguyen Ngoc Nien, all of whom came from the military.

To preserve a beautiful and heroic memory, he submitted a plan to Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Tran Dinh Hoan and Deputy Minister Trinh To Tam for permission to choose August 25 - the birthday of General Vo Nguyen Giap - the eldest brother of the Vietnam People's Army, as the founding date of the newspaper.

Journalist Nguyen Thu Hang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri Newspaper - author of the article wearing purple ao dai (Photo: LĐ&XH).

This initiative immediately received support from the Ministry's leadership. Therefore, the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper had a very meaningful birthday!

When the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper was first established, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Ngoc Nien was in charge of the Southern office and was responsible for all editorial secretarial and printing work. The Hanoi office was run by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Kim Quoc Hoa.

The newspaper's headquarters is at 2 Ngo Thi Nham Street, Hoan Kiem District. The position of Editor-in-Chief is held concurrently by Deputy Minister Trinh To Tam. Previously, while working at the Central Youth Union, Hero Trinh To Tam was in charge of the Youth Union's press work for many years.

Although he was called a part-timer, Deputy Minister Trinh To Tam was always close to the newspaper. Every week, he came to the newspaper office, sometimes several times a week, to urge and remind us about our work. He knew all the faces of the young reporters who were still in the probationary period like us.

He personally reviewed all the drafts of the articles before they were printed. The articles of Southern reporters from Ho Chi Minh City had to be sent to Hanoi to be forwarded to the Ministry for the Editor-in-Chief to read and then sent back there for printing.

When we first started working at the newspaper, hearing that the Editor-in-Chief was a Deputy Minister and a Hero of the People's Armed Forces, all of us young trainee reporters felt very scared... And it wasn't just us, every time Editor-in-Chief Trinh To Tam appeared at the newspaper, everyone was timid and reserved.

At that time, I was a newly graduated reporter, very inexperienced in communication, but because I had many initial articles that affirmed my writing, I was often recognized.

The editorial board confidently sent me to follow the working delegation of the Ministry's leaders, sometimes Minister Tran Dinh Hoan, sometimes Deputy Minister Trinh To Tam.

When I first started working as a journalist, I was so afraid of traveling by car that I got so sick that I... got sick. Just seeing a car and being told that I was about to get in it made me so dizzy that I... felt like throwing up.

But when I was traveling with the leaders of the Ministry, the fear suppressed the motion sickness to the point that I was surprised that I did not get motion sickness. The only thought in my head was: “If I get motion sickness and vomit in the Minister’s or Deputy Minister’s car, I will… die”! But it was amazing that I did not get motion sickness!

Deputy Minister - Editor-in-Chief Trinh To Tam is small but speaks loudly, clearly, decisively, has a fierce personality, and is quite hot-tempered.

In particular, he was very punctual. Once, I and the then Head of the Department of War Invalids and Martyrs, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lieu (later Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) went to a meeting in Hai Phong in the same car as Deputy Minister Tam. About ten minutes after the meeting ended, I and Director Lieu went out of the conference hall door when Deputy Minister Trinh To Tam's car had already reached the end of the street... That was his personality, he would go on time, without waiting or calling.

In the 90s of the last century, there were no buses available like now, after 5 pm there were never any buses leaving the station. Director Lieu and I sadly stayed in Hai Phong and were arranged by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to stay at the Department's guest house to catch a bus back to Hanoi the next morning.

Later, when he was seriously ill and hospitalized at Military Hospital 108, even though he was sick, I still painstakingly brought news articles to the hospital for him to read and review.

One day, when I brought the manuscript to the hospital, I saw him lying still on the hospital bed as if sleeping. I didn't dare call him, so I just sat there waiting. After a while, he opened his eyes and said tiredly, "Is that you, Hang? I'm too tired to read it today. Bring it back and tell Hoa and Nien to review it carefully!"

That was the last time I brought the manuscripts of the articles to Military Hospital 108 for Deputy Minister - Editor-in-Chief Trinh To Tam to read and approve the newspaper!

He passed away in 1997 at the age of 52 due to a malignant disease - a consequence of the toxic chemical effects of his years on the battlefield!

The sacrifice and bravery of People's Armed Forces Hero Trinh To Tam has become a symbol of the resilient and courageous spirit of the Vietnamese army during the resistance war against America.

His name was given to a long road following the North-South railway line, along Lang Co town, Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province and a street in Bo De ward, Long Bien district, Hanoi city.

With the desire to help today's young generation better understand Hero Trinh To Tam, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Phan Van Quy, the Chairman of the Pacific Group decided to initiate the casting of a statue of Hero Trinh To Tam.

After just over 6 months, on September 4, 2020, the bronze statue of the American-killing hero “Top 1 Hai Van Pass” was completed and placed at Ung Hoa B High School (Hanoi) - on his beloved homeland. The statue was made by sculptor Nguyen Phu Cuong, former Deputy Director of the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).

Sharing about the decision to cast a statue of Hero Trinh To Tam, Hero Phan Van Quy said: “I used to be a comrade of Tam. I had a burning desire to do something about this special hero. And today, I am satisfied when the statue of Hero Trinh To Tam is completed.

I hope everyone, especially the young generation, learn from Hero Trinh To Tam not only in his achievements but also in his exemplary qualities, love, and sociability!

Implementing the Government's National Press Development and Management Plan to 2025, on October 31, 2023, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs issued Decision No. 1672/QD-BLDTBXH to merge the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper, the industry newspaper that has just celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the Dan Tri electronic newspaper , the top electronic newspaper in Vietnam (founded in 2005, received from the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education to the Ministry in July 2020) with a new, short name: Dan Tri Newspaper.

With the belief and determination to "Double the strength", immediately after the merger, all leaders, reporters and staff of the newspaper unanimously agreed to unite and become a unified block, both operating the online newspaper Dan Tri and producing the printed newspaper Lao Dong & Xa Hoi and the special pages Dan Sinh, DTinews, Fica, and the Family and Children special pages, maintaining the Dan Tri brand in the "village" of revolutionary journalism in Vietnam.

After implementing the plan to reorganize and streamline the apparatus of ministries and ministerial-level agencies in the political system, from March 1, 2025, Dan Tri newspaper officially became the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Home Affairs according to Decision No. 122/QD-BNV with two main types: print newspaper and electronic newspaper.

In which, the printed newspaper Labor and Society was given a new name "Internal Affairs and Society" to match the purpose and target audience of the new governing body, the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On April 17, the first issue of the newspaper Internal Affairs and Society (issue 36 in the order of publication of the newspaper Labor and Society in 2025) was introduced to readers. The "young" Internal Affairs and Society newspaper has a solid foundation, inheriting and replacing the 32-year-old newspaper Labor and Society.

Along with Dan Tri electronic newspaper , the Internal Affairs and Social Affairs newspaper closely follows the breath of life, reflects all aspects of social life, the domestic and international socio-economic situation, the tasks managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs such as labor, employment, meritorious people, salaries, social insurance, civil servants, public employees, archives, emulation and rewards... especially the work of arranging administrative units, streamlining the apparatus, building 2-level local governments is taking place very urgently and drastically.

The first Minister of the Ministry of the Interior was General Vo Nguyen Giap. August 25, 1911 was the General's birthday. Thinking back, I feel like there was a bit of fate in the birth of the Labor and Society newspaper, the predecessor of today's Internal Affairs and Society newspaper, when the newspaper moved to its new home, the Ministry of the Interior.

Although he only held the position of the first Minister of the Interior of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam for more than 6 months (from August 28, 1945 to March 2, 1946), General - Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had great contributions in participating in building administrative institutions and organizing the state apparatus under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh.

As written above, Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Editor-in-Chief Trinh To Tam agreed to choose the birthday of the General, the eldest brother of the Vietnam People's Army, as the birth date of the Labor and Social Affairs newspaper - August 25, 1993, when the newspaper's Editorial Board was composed entirely of journalists from the military.

Years have passed, the first generations of the newspaper have grown old, most of them have retired. Following the long tradition and solid foundation of the newspaper that the Hero was the Editor-in-Chief, despite many changes, mergers and consolidations, for us journalists, pride in the glorious tradition is always the driving force to train our mettle, resilience, commitment and love for journalism.

The 32-year journey of the Labor and Social Affairs - Internal Affairs and Social Affairs newspaper and the 20 years of youth of Dan Tri electronic newspaper with the slogan "Double the strength" after the merger and now becoming the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dan Tri newspaper , Dan Tri people enter a new stage of development, promising bright new days!

Journalist Nguyen Thu Hang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri Newspaper

Content: Nguyen Thu Hang

Design: Tuan Huy

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/tu-vua-min-deo-hai-van-den-tong-bien-tap-bao-chuyen-doi-anh-hung-trinh-to-tam-20250617200857124.htm