Mrs. Dang Bich Ha, wife of General Vo Nguyen Giap, has passed away.
Mr. Vo Hong Nam, son of General Vo Nguyen Giap and Mrs. Dang Bich Ha, said that his mother passed away at 0:50 AM on September 17th.
Ms. Dang Bich Ha was born in 1928 in Nghe An province and is the daughter of Professor Dang Thai Mai. She is an Associate Professor and holds a PhD in History.
Mrs. Dang Bich Ha and General Vo Nguyen Giap had four children: Vo Hoa Binh, Vo Hanh Phuc, Vo Dien Bien, and Vo Hong Nam. In addition, she always showed love and treated Vo Hong Anh – the daughter of General Vo Nguyen Giap and Nguyen Thi Quang Thai – as if she were her own child.
Despite the age difference, they remained close friends until his final days. General and his wife, Dang Bich Ha, lived very simply. They proactively handled everything they could without bothering their subordinates.
The house at 30 Hoang Dieu Street always maintained a warm and friendly atmosphere. Until 2009, when his health deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized, Mrs. Bich Ha visited him every week, chatting with him. When she was too tired to visit, he would ask his children and instruct them: "Tell Mrs. Ha to take care of her health!"
Speaking to VietNamNet, journalist and Colonel Tran Hong (who took many photos of the General) said that General Vo Nguyen Giap and his wife always lived simply.
Mr. Tran Hong took a photo in October 1994: "That day, I witnessed very touching gestures between the couple. The meal consisted of only two eggs, extremely simple. The wife offered the egg to the husband, and the husband offered it to the wife; the bowl of eggs was passed back and forth."
He would say, "You eat," and she would reply, "You eat first so you'll have the strength." The two of them showed each other very special care and concern.
After taking that photo, I was on the verge of tears."
Having had many interactions with the General and his wife, Colonel Tran Hong said that the General always showed Mrs. Bich Ha great respect. When there were guests, the General always called her "Sister Ha," but normally he would gently call her "Miss Ha." Mrs. Ha, when there were guests, would call him "General Vo Nguyen Giap," but normally she would call her husband "Brother Van."
