Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat (1890-1932)

Nguyen Ngo Dat was born in 1890 in Phuc My village, Van Vien commune (now Hung Chau commune), Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province. His father, Nguyen Duc Dieu, was a wealthy landowner in the area. He served as a village headman, collecting rent but also dedicated himself to repairing temples and shrines, personally building sacred houses, and constructing roads and bridges. He had close ties to and frequently assisted the Can Vuong scholar-official movement. His eldest son was shot dead by the French colonialists while participating in the movement at Hong Linh mountain.

Nguyễn Ngô Dật, whose real name was Nguyễn Văn Dật, was the third of six children in his family. As a child, he studied Chinese characters at the home of the scholar Ngô (Cự Thôn village, in the same district). Nguyễn Văn Dật was very intelligent and quick-witted. Because he was a good and obedient student, he was loved by his teacher Ngô, who adopted him as his son. From then on, his name included the middle name Ngô (Nguyễn Ngô Dật). He passed the provincial examination with the highest score, so he was often called Đầu Xứ Dật (First Place in the Province Dật). His wife was Nguyễn Thị Hoét, from Xuân Hồ village, Xuân Liễu commune, Nam Đàn district. She was the daughter of Nguyễn Xuân Đình, who had passed the imperial examination and was a patriotic woman who participated in the Văn Thân movement against the French. His wife's younger sister married Đặng Thúc Thực, the son of Đặng Thúc Hứa, who specialized in transporting people to Siam (Thailand) to continue revolutionary activities in Guangzhou (China).

In 1927, his eldest son, Nguyen Xuan Thanh (also known as Nguyen Phon), a student in the first grade of Cao Xuan Duc Primary School in Vinh City, was instilled with patriotic spirit by teachers such as Tran Van Tang and Ha Huy Tap. Nguyen Xuan Thanh often took his father to meet Teacher Tang at the school. Later, Teacher Tran Van Tang frequently visited Nguyen Ngo Dat in Phuc My village and propagated the Tan Viet Party; he also assigned Nguyen Ngo Dat several tasks. After a period of probation, Tran Van Tang admitted Dat into the Tan Viet Party. Nguyen Ngo Dat was tasked with building a Tan Viet base in the Phuc My area. To spread patriotic awareness among the people, he opened a class to teach the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script to local children, bought progressive books and newspapers to read to the elders and students. Gradually, he recruited Nguyen Bat (also known as Cuu Ba) and Le Phuong (Chau Phuong), villagers, into the Tan Viet Party. Nguyen Ngo Dat frequently traveled to the Phu Xa area because there was already a Tan Viet cell there.Le Xuan Daoorganization.

Around March 1930, Comrade Ton Gia Tinh, from Thanh Chuong, was sent by Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac to Hung Nguyen to establish a base for the Indochinese Communist Party. Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac knew that Ton Gia Tinh had been imprisoned with Le Xuan Dao in Vinh Prison in 1929. Ton Gia Tinh returned to Hung Nguyen to meet Comrade Le Xuan Dao and discuss the establishment of the Party. Comrade Le Xuan Dao contacted several acquaintances to form a trio: Truc (Nguyen Huu Nhuong), Lam (Nguyen Thi Phia), from Trung Can village, Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan district, and Giang (Le Xuan Dao), from Phu Long commune, to operate in this area.

In the spring of 1930, Nguyen Ngo Dat received several sample leaflets of the Indochinese Communist Party from Comrade Thuc Tinh (a friend of his cousin). He then instructed his son, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, and his nephew, Luong Doan San, to purchase lithography, paper, pens, and ink to print the leaflets and distribute them in the area around Highway 8. Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat successfully propagated revolutionary ideas and recruited several people, including Le Vien, Nguyen Thuyen, Nguyen Hua, and Sau Xuong, establishing the Phuc My Party Branch with himself as Secretary. Subsequently, he organized several other branches in Phu Vinh, Xuan Nha, Phu Dien, and My Du. He also formed a printing team consisting of Luong Doan San, Le Dinh Dong, and Nguyen Xuan Thanh to print leaflets, resolutions, Party newspapers, and reprint Nguyen Ai Quoc's "Shipwreck Diary"... to distribute to the branches in the region.

By May 1930, Le Xuan Dao had established the first combined Party cell of the two communes of Phu Long and Nam Kim (Nam Dan district), consisting of 6 comrades with the pseudonyms Kim (i.e., Le Nghia, Phu Long commune), Moc (i.e., Vo Trong Tan, Phu Long commune), Thuy (i.e., Bui Hai Thieu, Nam Kim commune), Hoa (i.e., Nguyen Ngoc Cung, Phu Long commune), and Tho (i.e., Bui Huu Luong, Nam Kim commune), with Le Xuan Dao as Secretary. Later, more comrades joined, including Nguyen Ngo Dat (i.e., Thuy, Van Vien commune), Vo Trong Canh (i.e., Thanh), Vo Trong Linh (i.e., Vinh), and Tran Thong (i.e., Duyet) from Phu Long commune. After establishing the combined Party cell, Comrade Le Xuan Dao assigned the Party members to build Party bases in the region.

The establishment of Party bases in Hung Nguyen district was carried out through three routes: In the communes of Yen Truong, Do Yen, and Van Vien, contact was established and organization was organized by Comrade Le Doan Suu, a member of the Vinh Provincial Party Committee. In the communes of Hai Do, contact was established and organization was organized by the Nam Dan District Party Committee, and in the communes of Phu Long, Thong Lang, and Nam Kim (Nam Dan district), contact was established and organization was organized by the Regional Party Committee.

Following the protest on September 12, 1930, commissioned by the Vinh - Ben Thuy City Party Committee, Comrade Vuong Thuc Ky, Secretary of the Nam Dan District Party Committee, convened a meeting of cadres in Hung Nguyen to discuss plans to stabilize the situation, including fundraising, distributing death benefits, and organizing a memorial service for those who died in the September 12, 1930 protest. The meeting included representatives from five communes: Nam Kim, Phu Long, Thong Lang, Van Vien, and Do Yen.

In October 1930, Comrade Le Xuan Dao and Comrade Le Cong Canh (also known as Muoi) of the Nam Dan District Party Committee convened a conference to establish the Provisional Hung Nguyen District Party Committee and redefine the areas for appropriate leadership. The conference unanimously agreed to transfer the Nam Kim, Hai Do, and Trang Cat communes to the Nam Dan District Party Committee, and the Yen Truong commune to the Nghi Loc District Party Committee. The remaining four communes of Phu Long, Thong Lang, Van Vien, and Do Yen were under the responsibility of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee. The conference elected a Provisional District Party Committee Executive Board consisting of five members.

- Le Xuan Dao (also known as Giang), from Phu Xa, Secretary.

- Nguyen Ngoc Ngoan (also known as Tan) from Xuan Hoa village, in charge of Phu Long district.

- Tran Huu Lan (also known as Dong), from Lang Thon village, was in charge of Thong Lang district.

- Nguyen Ngo Dat (also known as Thuy), from Phuc My village, was in charge of Van Vien and Do Yen districts.

- Nguyen Thi Phia (also known as Lam), from Trung Can village, was in charge of women's affairs.

By the end of 1930, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee transferred comrades Le Xuan Dao and Nguyen Thi Phia to work in Nam Dan and added comrades Nguyen Huu Cuong (also known as Thuoc) and Le Xuan Dong (also known as Phu), both from Nam Dan, to the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee.

Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat's house was in a secluded location, with a large garden of about 6 sao (approximately 6,000 square meters), surrounded by a thick, high bamboo hedge about 1 meter high. The house had 10 main rooms and 3 prayer rooms made of ironwood, with thick wooden planks and sturdy doors; it also had all the necessary outbuildings. Behind it was a field, making it extremely convenient for the Regional Party Committee's Finance Department and the printing team to work. Comrades Bui Huu Luong (also known as Tho), Nguyen Phung Vinh (also known as Am), Truc (also known as Nguyen Huu Nhuong), and Vo Thi Hue (the youngest sister of Comrade Vo Trong An, who served as a liaison for the Department) were often taken by Comrade Dat to wealthy households to solicit donations for the Party's activities. After about 4 months, this base was discovered. At the end of October 1930, the soldiers surrounded the house but found nothing, so they looted all of Comrade Dat's belongings.

Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat and his son, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, had to leave to join an organization operating in another region. Their house was occupied by a platoon of French colonial soldiers under the command of a French officer. Comrade Dat's wife, six children, and his elderly mother, aged 73, had to seek refuge with relatives. In 1932, local officials used Comrade Dat's house as a makeshift hospital, but in reality, it was a poorhouse, gathering beggars from Vinh to avoid embarrassing the city. However, due to poor food and lack of medicine, the number of deaths at this facility reached 200 in two years. After two years, the center had to be disbanded. Afterward, they put the property up for sale, but no one bought it because they lacked the money. In early 1934, a family from Duc Truong commune (Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province) bought the house for 100 Indochinese silver coins, but no one dared live on the land for fear of ghosts. During that time, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat's wife and children still had to live with relatives, work as laborers, and weave cloth to make a living.

In early 1931, the French colonialists implemented a policy of repression, drowning the struggle of the people of Nghe Tinh in general and Hung Nguyen in particular in a sea of ​​blood. They organized raids and imprisoned many communist party members. Taking advantage of this, some vicious reactionary elements in the villages revolted, lurking around the residences of party members and cadres to bring in French soldiers to raid and kill them. On the other hand, the enemy used a policy of issuing surrender cards to force party members and active masses to sign surrender papers, creating suspicion within the Party organization.

Due to enemy repression, the movement somewhat subsided. At this time, Nguyen Ngo Dat and his comrades in the Party Committee's Executive Board focused on consolidating the movement and organizing training for Red Self-Defense Teams to fight the enemy and protect the masses. At the same time, they sought ways to stabilize the morale of the masses and rebuild the Party's base.

To suppress the reactionaries in the region, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat organized a special task force of three people: Hoang Em, Hoang Xi, and Le Doat. These comrades dealt with Le Huu Dac, Que Tam, and several other individuals with blood debts.

On June 25, 1931, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat was summoned to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee at the house of Comrade Chu Gia Loc in Duc Quang village. The meeting included comrades: Le Viet Thuat, Le Xuan Dao, Nguyen Loi, Nguyen Tiem, Nguyen Huu Co, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Nguyen Thi Due, Phan Thai At, Nguyen Sinh Dien, Hoang Khang, and Nguyen Ngo Dat. The meeting assessed the situation following the shooting death of Comrade Le Mao in Ben Thuy, the arrest of Nguyen Phong Sac – the Regional Party Secretary – in Hanoi, and the imprisonment of several regional cadres. The enemy's repression was intense, and the struggle movement had temporarily subsided. The Regional Party Committee's policy was to move the struggle movement into clandestine activities, no longer distributing leaflets or displaying flags as before, and to organize secret commemorative events; party members were assigned to oversee the masses to stabilize the situation.

Regarding organizational matters, it was necessary to bổ sung (add) more cadres to the Regional Committee. The conference elected comrades Chu Văn Biên, Mai Trọng Đán, and Mai Trọng Tín to the Regional Committee.

During this time, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat and the printing team had to stay at the house of Mr. Dien, a fellow villager, and the house of Mr. So, a rickshaw driver, at kilometer 2 on Highway 8, more than 1 kilometer from Vinh. These two families were very kind and dedicated in helping and protecting Party cadres. At that time, transportation was disrupted, so some printed documents could not be delivered to the base. Only leaflets could be distributed thanks to the revolutionary spirit of Mr. So, who pulled the rickshaw, while Mr. Tho, Mr. Dien's son, sat on the rickshaw and distributed them wherever needed.

By July 1931, the enemy had discovered this base, so Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat had to move to the Trai Cay hamlet of Yen Dung village near Con Meo mountain (Ben Thuy). At this time, only three people remained in the office: Nguyen Ngo Dat, Le Thuc Cuong, and Nguyen Xuan Thanh. The office was located at the house of Comrade Cu Thich, the younger brother of Comrade Le Viet Thuat, with Thiu Ngan, a relative of Thich, working for him and also assisting with security. At this time, the district Party committee office had no transportation links; almost all cadres had been arrested, making communication from the province to the district and from the district to the province and then to the commune extremely difficult. Food ran out, and the people provided for them. Later, the printing office had to move to a family near Comrade Thich's house. On the night of July 14, 1931, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat and his son finished dinner and went out to sleep in the fields. Late at night, it started to rain. Thinking that the enemy wouldn't search in such weather, the father and son had just returned to the base when they saw the enemy's flashlight beams and heard the sound of their batons clashing, so they tried to escape. Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thanh tripped and fell, and they were captured and taken to the base to be beaten and interrogated, but Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thanh refused to confess. The enemy searched the fields and found printing equipment and documents, but he still didn't reveal anything. Afterwards, they took him to Vinh Prison and exiled him to Thanh Qua outpost in Thanh Chuong district.

To avoid falling into the enemy's hands, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat drank the opium he had on him and swam across the Dao River. He lay motionless on the other side. On the morning of July 15, 1931, Sister Hai Ngan, a relative who had married and returned to Yen Tuy village to work, found Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat lying unconscious and took him home to care for him until he recovered. After regaining his health, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat went to Ky Anh district (Ha Tinh province) to continue his revolutionary activities.

On August 3, 1931, Nguyen Ngo Dat was arrested in Ky Anh district (Ha Tinh province). Secret police took him to Vinh Prison and imprisoned him in Cell 2 (a cell for serious crimes). The Southern Court of Nghe An province sentenced him to death with three separate sentences:

- Sentence No. 79 dated August 10, 1931, sentenced him to death for the crime of "rebellion" and murdering village chief Le Huu Dac.

- Sentence No. 100 dated August 19, 1931, sentenced to death for "communist activities".

- Sentence No. 108 dated September 4, 1931, sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labor for participating in the murder of Học Xước in Xuân Giang village.

Finally, they carried out Judgment No. 108 dated September 4, 1931, sentencing Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat to life imprisonment with hard labor and exile to Lao Bao. On April 23, 1932, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat was transferred to Buon Ma Thuot prison, Dak Lak province.

On September 28, 1932, Comrade Nguyen Ngo Dat passed away at the age of 42 due to cholera. He was buried in the prison cemetery, grave number 26. In December 1993, his family found his final resting place.