Stories of those who had the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh
(Baonghean.vn) - Uncle Ho was a brilliant leader of the country, the Father of the Nation, a world cultural figure, admired not only by the Vietnamese people but also by people all over the world. Those who had the opportunity to meet or work with him considered it a great fortune and an honor that lasted a lifetime…
Filled with love
Meeting former Youth Volunteer Corps member Nguyen Thi Lan (born in 1944) in Ben Thuy ward (Vinh city), and recalling the story of meeting President Ho Chi Minh 55 years ago, Ms. Lan was moved and proud as she recounted every detail.
She recounted: “I was fortunate enough to meet Uncle Ho twice. The first time was with nearly 200 outstanding Youth Union members and excellent cadres who went to the capital at the end of 1967. That time, Uncle Ho couldn't meet each person individually, so he just stood there waving and giving a warm smile as a greeting. That was enough to make us feel happy and excited. The second time I met Uncle Ho was in early 1969, and this time I was lucky enough to have him spend time talking with me.”
According to former Youth Volunteer Corps member Nguyen Thi Lan, in early 1969, she was on the list of 23 people from the 4th Military Region who went to the capital to wish President Ho Chi Minh good health. Upon entering the Presidential Palace, General Vo Nguyen Giap opened the doors, President Ho Chi Minh stepped out, and everyone rushed to embrace him like long-lost children returning home.
It was the same with him; he took each person's hand and inquired about their well-being as if welcoming back beloved grandchildren and relatives after many years of separation. His gentle voice and affectionate gestures moved everyone to tears, leaving them choked with emotion…
Ms. Lan had the honor of being one of seven people chosen to report on her achievements to President Ho Chi Minh. He spoke with her, sharing his thoughts about life and fighting in the unit, and paying particular attention to the hardships and ferocity of the resistance war against the US and the sacrifices of the young volunteers. Then, President Ho Chi Minh praised Company Commander Nguyen Thi Lan: "Wow! She's small in stature but has a great spirit!"
General Vo Nguyen Giap informed President Ho Chi Minh that the reception time was over and invited him to rest to conserve his energy. President Ho Chi Minh said that he would acknowledge his shortcomings before the Politburo tomorrow, and asked to spend a little more time with the delegation from the 4th Military Region today. Everyone was deeply moved, wiping away tears that streamed down their faces, and then taking a commemorative photo with President Ho Chi Minh…
Later in life, despite the hardships and complexities, former Youth Volunteer Nguyen Thi Lan always cherished the memories of her two encounters with President Ho Chi Minh. This experience motivated her to overcome the difficulties and challenges in her life.
Sharing the honor of having met President Ho Chi Minh, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nham (born in 1942) still cherishes the photo of her with him as a "treasure".
Life has its share of joys and sorrows, but the moments I had with President Ho Chi Minh are unforgettable. Nearly 60 years have passed, but those moments seem to stand still. His warm words, loving gaze, and intimate gestures inspire me to live well, happily, and healthily, and to do many things that benefit the Party and the State...
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MRS. NGUYEN THI NHAM
In 1968, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nham, in her capacity as Head of the Propaganda Department of the Quynh Luu District Party Committee, was assigned by the Provincial Party Committee to participate in a provincial delegation to Thai Binh province to study high-yield rice cultivation techniques. At the end of the training course, the delegation visited Hanoi, the Presidential Palace, and most joyfully, met President Ho Chi Minh.
"We were sitting in the meeting room when suddenly Uncle Ho entered through the back door, still with his simple demeanor and overflowing love," Mrs. Nham recalled.
Uncle Ho spoke about rice cultivation techniques, giving many instructions, essentially saying that while studying in Thai Binh, it's important to remember that Thai Binh's soil is different from Nghe An's, and the people of Thai Binh also have different characteristics compared to those of Nghe An. Therefore, we cannot simply place Thai Binh's soil on Nghe An's soil; instead, we must be diligent and creative to quickly bring Nghe An to have many units achieving 5 tons/hectare like in Thai Binh.
“Later, through various positions, whenever I had to make an important decision, I would remember Uncle Ho’s advice from years ago to consider and weigh my options, always thinking of ways to achieve the best results. For me, Uncle Ho’s advice will always stay with me…,” Ms. Nham shared.
Uncle Ho's words will forever remain in our hearts.
Mr. La Dinh Tham, a retired teacher currently residing in Mon Son commune (Con Cuong district), is nearly 80 years old and still cherishes the memory of meeting President Ho Chi Minh. At that time, Mr. Tham was studying at the Nghe An Mountain Teacher Training School, where President Ho Chi Minh visited during his second visit to his hometown (1961).
More than 62 years have passed, but Mr. Tham still remembers vividly the day President Ho Chi Minh visited the school: "When Uncle Ho entered the hall, everyone was moved and excited, and a long round of applause rang out. When speaking to the students, Uncle Ho called on each student from different ethnic groups to stand up one by one."
When I arrived at the Dan Lai ethnic minority village, I was the only one there. Seeing this, Uncle Ho was surprised and asked, "Why are you the only one from the Dan Lai ethnic minority village? Later, you must try your best to impart knowledge so that more Dan Lai people, especially the girls, can go to school." That day, I was one of three ethnic minority students who received a gift from Uncle Ho: a water bottle.
Following Uncle Ho's instructions, after graduating, young teacher La Dinh Tham returned to his hometown and volunteered to teach in schools with large numbers of Dan Lai ethnic minority children in Chau Khe and Mon Son communes (Con Cuong district). This journey was extremely arduous, as the Dan Lai people lived in poverty and backwardness; they barely had enough to eat, let alone access to education. Teacher Tham and his colleagues braved waterfalls and forests to reach remote villages and hamlets to encourage Dan Lai children to attend school…
As for Meritorious Artist Song Thao, now over 80 years old, she still remembers the times she met President Ho Chi Minh and sang for him: “I met President Ho Chi Minh three times, each time a deeply meaningful experience. I cherish every word he said. All of it has become a foundation for me to move forward in life and my singing career, motivating me to overcome many challenges and obstacles…”
As a member of the Nghe An Performing Arts Troupe, Meritorious Artist Song Thao had the opportunity to perform for President Ho Chi Minh during his second visit to his hometown (1961) and the Northern Region Music and Dance Festival (1965). The third time, after the festival, Song Thao and two other singers were assigned to stay and sing for President Ho. On that occasion, she sang a folk song for him, and he engaged in a warm conversation with her, giving her detailed advice, a memory that the singer from Nghe An will forever cherish…
Many, many people were fortunate enough to meet and work alongside President Ho Chi Minh, and have profound memories of the Father of the Nation. On the days celebrating his birthday, those old memories come flooding back with emotion…
