Dream to meet the General

My eldest sister is a teacher, teaching in An Xa village, Loc Thuy commune (the General's hometown). When the General visited his hometown, my sister had the honor of leading a group of outstanding children to present flowers to congratulate the General, so she was able to be close to the General for quite a while. My sister came back and told the whole family about it. I told my friends about it. My friends and I all had the same dream of meeting the General like my sister, to see him with our own eyes. We were all proud of the General (an outstanding son of Quang Binh , a close and excellent student of Uncle Ho).

Then, when I became a soldier, I was in the same unit with comrades from different provinces. Those comrades said that I was “from General Giap’s hometown”! I was truly proud that the Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army was my fellow countryman. My desire to meet the General grew even more!

Then, one day (a very special day in my life): I was able to sit in a car that was passing by the stage where the General was standing waving, celebrating the liberation of the South in Saigon. But it was only a brief glimpse of the General!

General Vo Nguyen Giap and Labor Hero Pham Thi Nghenh. Photo: CTS

When I returned to study at the Vietnam Army Officers School (located in Ba Vi, Son Tay), the General once visited the school and talked to the staff and students. There were so many people, I could only admire the General from afar.

It was not until the day Quang Binh province was re-established that the General returned to his hometown and visited the Provincial Cadre Training School (now the Political School) that I had the chance to meet him, shake hands, and listen to him speak for 2 hours. The General took a commemorative photo with the school's key cadres (including me).

In 2005, I attended the Vietnam Writers Association Congress in Hanoi . The Quang Binh delegation organized a visit to the General at his private home on Hoang Dieu Street. Upon hearing the news, writer Tran Cong Tan, writer Nguyen Khac Phe, and poet Bui Quang Thanh (although not from Quang Binh) also asked to go with us. The General and Professor Dang Bich Ha (the General's wife) happily received us. The General kindly asked about each person's writing and listened to some poets read poems. I asked the General if I could read the poem Ve An Xa as a gift for him, but the General waved his hand and said: "Don't read poems to me! Read poems about Quang Binh!". I hadn't thought of a poem that the General wanted, so poet Ngo Minh asked to read a poem about his hometown Le Thuy. After listening, the General and us applauded... The General confided in us about writing books. The General advised writers to always stick close to life and write things that have practical meaning for the people. We listened in silence. The General's words were like those of a respectable father teaching his son, very sincere!

Our group of writers asked to take a photo with the General and his wife... After saying goodbye, the General and his wife saw us off to the alley before returning to the house...

So my childhood dream came true.

I have the feeling: Every time I meet the General, I grow up! The General has the noble qualities of Ho Chi Minh. Rarely is there a general who is both a scholar and a martial artist, with great talent and virtue like General Vo Nguyen Giap. It is truly a pride when we hear from somewhere the world community shouting: “Vietnam-Ho Chi Minh! Giap! Giap!”.

Anyone who has met the General or heard him speak, will probably be like me: never forget his beautiful image and warm voice!

***

With sincere feelings and admiration for the General, up to now I have written 4 poems praising the General. They are: My Commander-in-Chief, About An Xa, Before the Tomb of General Vo Nguyen Giap, Where Uncle Giap Rests in Peace. These poems have been published in newspapers and books. Among them, the poem "Where Uncle Giap Rests in Peace" was awarded the prize for best poetry written about the land and people of Quang Binh by the People's Committee of Quang Binh province.

And here is the poem "Where Uncle Giap sleeps forever": Where Uncle Giap sleeps forever/Is where the forest welcomes the dawn early/On one side is the mountain, on the other side is the blue sea/Reminding children and grandchildren: protect the sea and islands!//Rarely is there a person as talented as Uncle/He was glorious but still humble/He was a general but was good at making music/Always for the people... The people loved him and respected him!/Flying up to Heaven and then returning to Mother Earth/Transforming into the trees and grass in the wilderness/Leaving behind... the singing voice of childhood/Remembering each campaign... like a dream!//Uncle Giap's cradle: Vung Chua-Swallow Island/Hoanh Son Pillow-the legend of the Blue Dragon/Respectfully loving Uncle, millions of people came to visit/Uncle lives forever in the hearts of the people.

Ly Hoai Xuan

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202505/uoc-mo-duoc-gap-dai-tuong-2226183/