Comrade Vo Mai (1891-1985): Dedicated entirely to the revolution.
Comrade Võ Mai was born on November 12, 1891, in Vạn Phần village, Lý Trai commune, Diễn Châu district (now Diễn Vạn commune, Diễn Châu district), Nghệ An province.
Vo Mai's grandfather, Vo Tat Dac, passed the baccalaureate examination during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc and was appointed district magistrate. However, after only a few years, he resigned from his position and returned to his village to teach. Vo Mai's father, although a good scholar, also followed in his footsteps as a teacher.
In late 1926, Vo Mai was sent by the Viet Restoration Society to attend a political training course in Guangzhou (China). Upon completion of the course, Vo Mai was admitted to the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League, under the pseudonym Quoc Hoa.
Upon returning to her hometown, Vo Mai began establishing Youth Union branches in the districts of Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Anh Son, and others.
During the two years (1927-1928), Vo Mai successfully completed the task of maintaining contact with the Youth Association in Siam and sending a number of cadres to attend political training courses.
In late April 1929, Vo Mai, along with comrades Nguyen Sy Sach, Nguyen Thieu, and Truong Quang Trong, attended the National Youth Congress in Hong Kong.
The Indochinese Communist Party was founded in June 1929. The Provisional Central Executive Committee appointed comrades Tran Van Cung, Nguyen Phong Sac, and Vo Mai to establish the Central Vietnam Regional Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party.
Under the leadership of the Party Committee, many Youth Union branches in Nghe An were transformed into the first communist Party branches, such as the Duong Long, Duong Xuan, Tri Le (Anh Son), Loc Da (Vinh), and Van Phan (Dien Chau) branches… At the same time, Comrade Vo Mai established Party branches in Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang.
After the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Comrade Vo Mai went to Vinh to discuss work with Comrade Nguyen Phong Sac. However, on the way back to Vinh on the night of February 28, 1930, Comrade Vo Mai was arrested by the enemy in Hue. After three months of imprisonment and torture without success, the Southern Court sentenced Comrade Vo Mai to life imprisonment with hard labor and exile to Lao Bao.
Released from prison in early 1937, Comrade Vo Mai returned to his hometown to continue his revolutionary activities.
In 1944, Comrade Vo Mai contacted Comrades Tran Van Cung, Nguyen Xuan Linh, and Nguyen Duy Loi to discuss the direction of organizing the Viet Minh Front in Vinh.
In May 1945, Comrade Vo Mai was appointed to the Viet Minh Front Mobilization Committee of Nghe Tinh Province, headed by Comrade Nguyen Xuan Linh.
In August 1945, he was a member of the Uprising Committee and participated in leading the seizure of power in Nghe An.
Following the success of the August Revolution in 1945, Comrade Vo Mai was entrusted with many important responsibilities such as: Member of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Nghe An Public Security Department, Political Commissar of the Guard Battalion, Party Branch Secretary, Member of the Joint Administrative Branch of the Military Region IV Finance Department, and the Inspection Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee…
Comrade Vo Mai passed away on August 17, 1985... For his great contributions to the revolution, Comrade Vo Mai was awarded many medals, decorations, and prestigious honors by the Party and the State.
