Comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong and the activities to seize power during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement

Comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong, commonly known as Nguyen Nhat Lam (alias Tinh, Ly), was born in 1911 in Bui Thien village, Cat Ngan commune (now Cat Van commune, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province). His father was Nguyen Nhat Dung, a patriot who knew Chinese and Vietnamese. His mother was Nguyen Thi Phat, a loyal, hard-working woman.

In 1925, the Phuc Viet Cat Ngan group was established under the leadership of comrade Tran Huu Doanh. The association organized mutual aid groups, progressive reading groups, taught Vietnamese to children, and raised money and rice for young people who went abroad to Trai Cay of Mr. Dang Thuc Hua.

At that time, the boy Nguyen Nhat Phuong had just turned 14 years old and was studying at Tho Son school with his friends. After that, he transferred to study at the French-Vietnamese school in Vinh city, taught by teacher Nguyen Van Hua. With the enlightenment of comrade Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Nhat Phuong was intelligent, quick-witted, and learned lessons very quickly, and was praised and admired by his teacher and peers. After a period of studying in Vinh city, Nguyen Nhat Phuong returned to his hometown and participated in the local patriotic movement.

On March 20, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam cell in Thanh Chuong was established with 8 members, with comrade Ton Gia Tinh as Secretary. At the end of March 1930, the Cat Ngan cell was established with comrade Dang Dinh Chan as Secretary. At this time, along with actively developing party members, the cell secretly propagated the Party's guidelines, led the masses to fight against the oppression and exploitation of feudal colonialists, demanded the redistribution of public land to the poor, and abolished high taxes and heavy duties. Comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was now working under the direction of the Cat Ngan cell. His house became a meeting place for patriotic youths, a printing facility for Party documents and leaflets.

Implementing the resolution of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee on organizing a demonstration on a district-wide scale on September 1, 1930, Cat Ngan Party Cell led the people to demonstrate. At 1:00 a.m. on September 1, 1930, leaflets were scattered all over the streets, the red hammer and sickle flag was planted on the roof of Dao Ngan communal house, Vi temple, Ru Dat banyan tree... along with the sound of drums, gongs, wooden fish and cheers. Comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong and the demonstration group crossed the Giang and Trai rivers, joined the group of General Vo Liet and marched down to the district capital. More than twenty thousand people, with a seething spirit, surrounded the district office, the district officials were frightened and fled. Before the relentless attack of the revolutionary masses, the French colonial government apparatus and its henchmen in Thanh Chuong were completely paralyzed and disintegrated.

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With his active activities, in October 1930, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam, and was assigned by the organization to secretly distribute leaflets and documents.

In February 1931, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was assigned to be in charge of propaganda work of the Party Cell and to do printing work for the Anh Son District Party Committee.

From August 1931 to December 1931, he was assigned to work at the Central Region Party Committee. Afterwards, he was captured by the enemy and exiled to Buon Ma Thuot prison, sentenced to 13 years of hard labor and 10 years of house arrest (prison file number 1059). He was one of the prisoners imprisoned with comrade Nguyen Duy Trinh and many other comrades. During his imprisonment, despite having to endure the harshness of the prison and the cruelty of the prison guards with savage torture methods such as: electric shock, nailing his fingers, tying his legs... he still gritted his teeth and endured, determined not to reveal his organization and comrades and affirmed:

“…Even when the fire is out and it's dark

Firmly believe in the Party and never leave our Party

Even when the enemy interrogates, the enemy interrogates

Grit your teeth and rather die than leave your Party"!!!

Month7/1936, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was returned to his locality and put under the enemy's house arrest. He continued to contact a number of other party members, guiding the masses to switch from secret activities to legal public activities, skillfully applying propaganda, disseminating policies of superiors, orienting the development of associations such as: plowing guilds, roofing guilds, book and newspaper reading associations...

In 1940, the Cat Ngan Party Cell was consolidated, including comrades who had completed their prison terms and comrades who had been operating secretly. In March 1941, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was arrested by the enemy for the second time. The enemy used all means of interrogation, but still could not get any more information, so they handed him over to the village chief for house arrest. It was not until 1945 that he returned to activities, secretly participating in the Viet Minh movement and directly participating in the Cat Van Commune Uprising Committee. In 1946, the organization assigned him the task of being the Viet Minh Chief in the commune.

In 1947, the Provincial Party Committee assigned comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong to work in the Western Nghe An region. After completing his mission, he returned to work at the Administrative Resistance Committee of Cat Van commune. In May 1949, the Region IV Party Committee assigned him to work in the office at the IV Military Region Command, then in charge of political work at Hospital K43 (now the IV Military Medical Institute).

In 1953, he returned to work at E44, in charge of the Company Political Commissar. In 1954, he was assigned to study at the 9th Army School in China, and after graduating, he was appointed as a leader at Battalion 419. From 1956 to 1961, due to the request of his superiors, he returned to work at Military Hospital 4, Military Region IV, and was promoted to the rank of Senior Lieutenant the earliest at that time.

From 1961 to 1969, he was sent to study at the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor School, then returned to work directly as Party Secretary of Phosphate Factory 32, a large fertilizer factory in the province. By the end of 1969, he was allowed to retire by the Party and State in Cat Van commune.

From 1969 to 1975, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was both the president and a member of the Front, a retired member of the commune, contributing to the movement of planting trees and building an agricultural and forestry model that was recognized by the Party and the State as one of the leading points of the whole country.

In October 1996, due to old age and poor health, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong passed away at his hometown at the age of 85.

With his great contributions to the national liberation movement, comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong was honored by the Party and the State and awarded many noble titles: Third-class Independence Medal; Second-class Resistance Medal; Commemorative Medal for Revolutionary Soldiers Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy; 65-year Party membership badge; Uncle Ho badge, and many other noble awards.

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REFERENCES:

-Prison records kept at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum

- History of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee (1930 - 1963), Nghe An Publishing House 2005.

-History of Cat Van commune party committee (1930 - 2015), Nghe An Publishing House.

-Documents of Mr. Nguyen Nhat Lien's family: provided by comrade Nguyen Nhat Phuong's son.