Comrade Vo Trong An - a revolutionary path, a loyal heart.

"A person only dies once; if not now, then later. To die for the Party and the Fatherland is glorious. So many comrades have gone before us! We will certainly not be afraid."(1) - That was the mindset of the steadfast communist soldier Vo Trong An when asked why he was able to overcome the harsh prison conditions at Vinh Prison and Kon Tum Prison where he was imprisoned and tortured three times.

Comrade Vo Trong An was a Party member, a veteran revolutionary, former Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of Hung Nguyen District (in 1945), Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, and Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province (in 1961).

Throughout his life of persistent and continuous revolutionary activity, both in secrecy and in public, during wartime and peacetime, Comrade Vo Trong An consistently demonstrated himself to be a loyal, unwavering, and exemplary cadre and Party member who was unafraid of hardship and sacrifice, and devoted to serving the Party and the people. He is a shining example of implementing President Ho Chi Minh's teachings on "diligence, thrift, integrity, righteousness, impartiality, and selflessness."

1. The guide for the Red seeds of the Vietnamese revolution.

Comrade Võ Trọng Ân (alias Nho Thạch, Giáp) was born in 1899 into a family with a tradition of patriotism and a love of learning in Phù Xá village, Phù Long commune (now Hưng Xá commune, Hưng Nguyên district, Nghệ An province).

His father was Mr. Vo Trong Ich, and his mother was Mrs. Le Thi Tuong. Both parents always instilled in their children a love for their country and their people. Vo Trong An's paternal grandfather, Mr. Vo Trong Ai, was the eldest son of Vo Trong Can (often called Mr. Tu Lang because Mr. Can was famous for his traditional Chinese medicine).

Although he passed the Han studies baccalaureate examination in the year of Quy Dau (1873), Vo Trong Ai did not enter official service but stayed at home practicing medicine to treat the people, raising and educating his children to adulthood. Vo Trong Ai's fourth brother, Vo Trong Vieng (Tac Vieng), was a general in the Can Vuong movement of the late 19th century who gathered over 300 militiamen and, along with Doc Thoai (from Phu Long), took control of the Giang River region, helping the poor resist taxes.

In 1895, when the Can Vuong movement failed, the French colonialists captured Vo Trong Vieng, brought him back to his hometown, and executed him by beheading, hanging his head from a bamboo pole in Vuc market to intimidate the patriotic spirit of the people. Vo Trong Vieng's son, Vo Trong Dai (Vo Trong An's uncle), went abroad to Siam (Thailand) to participate in revolutionary activities in 1914.

The patriotic traditions of his family, clan, and homeland contributed to nurturing in the young Vo Trong An the yearning and ambition to fight like his uncles and older brothers to overthrow the colonial and feudal regime and bring peace and happiness to the people.

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After Uncle Vo Trong Dai emigrated to Siam, the Vo family ancestral temple (the branch of the Tu Lang clan) became a meeting place for patriotic young people with the ideal of going abroad. Here, Vo Trong An had the opportunity to meet and exchange views on national salvation with like-minded friends. From these meetings and discussions, the flame of struggle was further ignited in the heart of the patriotic young man, Vo Trong An.

In 1918, Vo Trong Dai returned to his hometown and selected his intelligent and quick-witted nephews, Vo Trong An, Vo Trong Tan, Vo Trong Canh (cousins), and Dinh Nho Boc, to go to Siam (Thailand) for training to act as liaisons between Trai Cay and Phu Xa (Hung Nguyen). After a period of living and studying in Siam, the three Vo brothers returned to their homeland with the task of guiding patriotic young people through Trai Cay for training. The first group included comrades such as Ho Tung Mau, Hoang Van Hoan, and Dang Quynh Anh…

Besides guiding the way, Vo Trong An and Vo Trong Canh also organized and mobilized their relatives, young people in the region, and people from other localities in Ha Tinh... to go abroad. With its advantageous location, isolated from the village, surrounded by dense trees, and with a passage to the Lam River allowing for safe escape to the other side, the ancestral temple of Tu Lang continued to become a meeting place for patriotic young people. From here, they could easily travel downstream by raft or upstream on the Ngan Pho River to Laos and then to Siam.

In 1923, Vo Trong An mobilized and organized for Comrade Le Manh Than, a fellow villager from Phu Xa, to leave the country with an identity card bearing the name Le Xuan Dao. From then on, Le Manh Than used the name Le Xuan Dao for his activities and later became the Secretary of the Phu Xa Party Branch, the first Secretary of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee (in 1930), Head of the Finance Department of the Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee (in 1931).

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In early 1924, the two brothers Vo Trong An and Vo Trong Canh continued their journey through forests and across streams, organizing a safe trip to Siam for a group of comrades including Le Hong Phong, Le Thiet Hung, and Pham Hong Thai. From Trai Cay, these comrades continued on to Guangzhou and were directly taught by Nguyen Ai Quoc, becoming the leading figures of the Vietnamese revolution. After this trip, Comrade Vo Trong An also guided many other patriotic young people through Siam and China.

2. Unyielding and steadfast in imperialist prisons.

After the Viet Restoration Society was founded at Con Meo Mountain (Vinh - Ben Thuy) on July 14, 1925, its members returned to their localities to establish a base of operations. At the Vo family's ancestral temple, the branch of the Tu Lang family held a meeting to form a sub-group of the Viet Restoration Society, including comrades: Dang Thai Mai, Ton Quang Phiệt, Ton Gia Chung, Vo Trong Tan, Vo Trong An, Vo Trong Canh, Le Xuan Dao…

In 1927, secret agents discovered documents in the church of Mr. Tú Lang and arrested Võ Trọng Cánh, sentencing him to three years in prison. Võ Trọng Ân was also arrested and imprisoned in Vinh Prison on charges of illegally sending many young people abroad and participating in the Phục Việt Society (later renamed the Tân Việt Party). In the harsh prison environment, the torture and oppressive regime could not shake the will and spirit of the patriotic young man Võ Trọng Ân. In early 1928, he was released from prison and began a life of dedicated service to the revolutionary movement in his homeland.

Following the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam on February 3, 1930, grassroots Party organizations were established. In May 1930, the Phu Xa village Party branch was formed with eight members, including the brothers Vo Trong An and Vo Trong Canh, and two other members of the Vo family. Comrade Vo Trong Canh was assigned to oversee financial matters, relief efforts, fundraising, and borrowing rice from wealthy families to alleviate famine among the poor.

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Comrades Vo Trong An, Vo Trong Canh, and Le Xuan Dao always stood side by side, forming the "three pillars" in the movements to establish the Party before 1930, as well as in the people's struggle in the southwestern districts of Hung Nguyen in 1930-1931.

In late 1930 and early 1931, Nghe Tinh suffered from drought and crop failure, making the lives of the people, already burdened by heavy taxes, even more difficult. Ton That Dinh, the Prefect of Hung Nguyen, colluded with the Governor-General of Nghe An, Nguyen Khoa Ky, to send troops to suppress the revolutionary movement in Hung Nguyen. By October 1930, they had established a system of 14 military posts in the district and declared Vo Trong An, Le Xuan Dao, Vo Trong Tan, and Vo Trong Canh to be extremely dangerous elements, promising generous rewards for their capture.

In 1931, before the crackdown by the colonial and feudal authorities, after Comrade Vo Trong Canh's sacrifice, Comrade Vo Trong An also fell into the enemy's hands for the second time. Vo Trong An was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment and 2 years of house arrest (according to judgment No. 83 dated August 10, 1931)(2). Knowing that he was a guide for many patriotic young people to go abroad to Thailand, a key cadre in the Phu Xa branch, and a close friend of the District Party Secretary Le Xuan Dao… they relentlessly tortured and abused the communist soldier Vo Trong An.

Despite repeatedly facing the brink of life and death amidst the enemy's beatings, Comrade Vo Trong An always maintained his integrity and unwavering faith in the Party's leadership. He transformed the prison into a revolutionary school, a place for forging the will and character of a communist, and actively participated in the struggles and studies within Vinh Prison.

In 1934, Vo Trong An was released from prison. Upon returning to his hometown, he secretly contacted and reconnected with Party bases. By early 1935, Vo Trong An had made contact with comrades Le Dinh Vi (Provincial Party Committee member), Chu Huy Man, and Vo Van Nhuong (Nghi Loc), and actively worked to restore the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee. He organized a combined Party branch operating in Phu Long and Thong Lang communes.

Taking advantage of the Goda Delegation, a representative of the French government visiting Indochina to survey and understand the situation, Vo Trong An and several comrades organized the collection of people's aspirations to present to the delegation for investigation… Thanks to these active efforts, the people of the districts in Hung Nguyen such as Yen Truong, Phu Long, Phu Xa, Duong Xa, Long Cu, Yen Thai… participated in demonstrations and enthusiastically welcomed and presented their petitions in the Vinh market area and Diec Pagoda.

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Comrades Vo Trong An and Chu Huy Man became key Party cadres in Hung Nguyen, contributing to the rebuilding of the Phu Xa Party branch in 1937 and the Phuc My Party branch in 1938, with dozens of Party members throughout the district. Although the official District Party Committee had not yet been established at this time, comrades Vo Trong An and Chu Huy Man, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, led the struggle movement of the people of Hung Nguyen as if they were a Party committee.

Along with supporting grassroots Party organizations throughout the district, Vo Trong An and his comrades in the Phu Xa Party branch quickly established legal and semi-legal mass organizations such as: the Progressive Youth, the Plowing Association, the House-Roofing Association, the Reading Association, the Folk Song Team, etc.

In 1940, Comrade Vo Trong An was arrested for the third time and imprisoned in Vinh Prison. In an attempt to eliminate this staunch communist, they sentenced him to life imprisonment and exiled him to Kon Tum Prison.

This is Vo Trong An's memoir from his time in Kon Tum prison:“…I was sentenced to hard labor, so I had to work extremely hard: chopping trees, digging earth, breaking rocks until my hands were blistered and bleeding; the food was meager – moldy rice, dried fish with maggots, drinking plain water; I suffered from all sorts of illnesses besides scabies, including malaria and dysentery. Even with a high fever and shivering, I still had to go to the construction site to dig earth, chop trees, and carry rocks. If I was slow, they would beat me on the neck and head, some people bleeding profusely. Many comrades were exhausted and were beaten to death right there at the workplace. A considerable number died from dysentery and malaria. One person with dysentery could spread tuberculosis to the whole camp. We had experience using roasted sweet potatoes for those with dysentery to eat, which helped. On the way home from work, passing through the village, the villagers would often give us a few sweet potatoes, which we saved for medicine. During breaks, we would light a fire and roast them for the sick to eat as a form of nourishment and priority treatment…”3).

At Kon Tum Prison, Vo Trong An also met with key Party cadres such as To Huu, Chu Huy Man, and Nguyen Duy Trinh… The poems of Comrade To Huu became a source of encouragement for Comrade Vo Trong An and his fellow political prisoners, giving them strength to overcome the harsh years in prison. Despite being tortured and abused in various ways, and with a deep longing for his family… Comrade Vo Trong An, with the will and courage of a communist who had been arrested and imprisoned many times in imperialist prisons, overcame everything with the belief in the day of his freedom to return to his homeland and continue to contribute his strength and intellect to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the People.

Following the Japanese coup against the French on March 9, 1945, communist party members collectively fought for reduced sentences and the release of political prisoners. At Kon Tum Prison, many comrades were released, including Vo Trong An, Nguyen Quang, Ngo Mau, and others.

3. Exemplary Party members and leaders who wholeheartedly serve the Party and the people.

Returning to his hometown, Comrade Vo Trong An contributed to the revolutionary movement in his district, leading to new developments. Under the leadership of Vo Trong An, Vo Trong Cu (son of Comrade Vo Trong Canh, who called Vo Trong An his uncle), and other comrades, the Hung Nguyen Viet Minh led the people in preparing in all aspects to seize power for the people.

Following the success of the demonstration with the participation of over 2,000 people organized by the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee in early August 1945, the Hung Nguyen District Viet Minh Conference was convened. At the Conference, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thanh was elected Secretary of the District Party Committee, and Comrade Vo Trong An was elected Deputy Secretary. After Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thanh was transferred to the Provincial level, Comrade Vo Trong An was elected Secretary of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee.

On August 18, 1945, the Nghe An - Thinh Hoa Uprising Committee issued an urgent notice summoning representatives and staff of the Nghe An - Thinh Hoa Viet Minh Executive Committee to Vinh for a meeting to discuss plans for an uprising to seize power in the provincial capital.

Upon receiving that notice, at Hung Nguyen, on August 18, 1945, the District Party Committee Conference resolved:“Within 13 days, those committees (i.e., the Provisional Revolutionary People's Committees) had to be established throughout the prefectures to await orders to seize power.”4)

But just one day after receiving the Notice from the Nghe An - Thinh Hoa Uprising Committee, on August 19, 1945, under the leadership of Comrade Vo Trong An and other comrades in the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee, the General Uprising to seize power was quickly successful in the district capital, forcing the district chief to hand over the seal to the revolutionary government. The people enthusiastically elected the provisional revolutionary committees in the localities of the district.

In December 1945, the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee Conference was held at Comrade Nguyen Quang's house, organized by Comrades Nguyen Duy Trinh and Vo Trong An. With his capabilities and prestige, Comrade Vo Trong An was re-elected as Secretary of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee, in charge of the Viet Minh Executive Committee. Under the leadership of the District Party Committee, headed by Comrade Vo Trong An, the Party branches and government departments were increasingly strengthened.

Many difficult tasks, such as organizing famine relief production, establishing a fund to support the resistance, popularizing education, mobilizing young people to move south, and preparing for elections at all levels, were successfully led by the District Party Committee. The arduous tasks did not discourage the District Party Secretary, Vo Trong An. He was enthusiastic in his work, always standing side-by-side with the people in times of difficulty as well as in times of prosperity.

In late 1946, when the resistance war against the French broke out, Comrade Vo Trong An was transferred to the province and elected to the Provincial Party Committee. In early 1947, he was transferred by the Zone 4 Party Committee to reinforce Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province. After two years, with Comrade Vo Trong An's contributions, the Tho Xuan District Party Committee was comprehensively strengthened, and all aspects of government administration serving the resistance war became more effective. Mass organizations operated well thanks to good people-mobilization work. At that time, Comrade To Huu, his former fellow prisoner in Kon Tum, returned to work. Seeing Comrade Vo Trong An's outstanding contributions in Tho Xuan, and in his capacity as a member of the Central Committee of the Party, he proposed to the Zone 4 Party Committee that Comrade Vo Trong An be transferred to work at the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee…

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In 1950, facing a complex situation in the mountainous border region between Nghe An and Laos, Comrade Vo Trong An was transferred by the Regional Party Committee to Nghe An to serve as the Head of the Special Task Force of the Provincial Public Security Department. With this new responsibility, he coordinated with the Provincial Military Command and other national defense and security forces to make correct decisions, contributing to maintaining security and sovereignty in the liberated zone of Inter-Region 4, including Nghe An.

Thanks to Comrade Vo Trong An's exceptional abilities and work experience, from 1952 to 1956, the Provincial Party Committee continued to assign him to promote rent reduction and land reform. Recognizing this as a difficult and complex task, he demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in his work and successfully completed the assigned nhiệm vụ.

Comrade Vo Trong An was assigned by the Provincial Party Committee to be the Chairman of the Provincial Purchasing and Selling Cooperative. Thanks to his active contributions, the purchasing and selling cooperative system gradually formed and developed strongly, rapidly increasing in number, contributing to stabilizing prices of many essential goods, and stabilizing the lives of the people. Based on these outstanding results, Comrade Vo Trong An was elected to the Standing Committee in charge of inspection and the work of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee.

On December 8, 1961, Comrade Vo Trong An, along with Comrade Vo Thuc Dong (Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee), personally went to Vinh Airport to welcome President Ho Chi Minh on his second visit to his hometown. Comrade Vo Trong An, in his capacity as a Standing Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee in charge of internal affairs, played a crucial role in ensuring the safety of this momentous event.

At the end of 1963, Comrade Vo Trong An was granted retirement by the Party and the State. During his retirement years in his hometown of Hung Dong, he maintained the fine qualities of a communist party member, remaining insightful and contributing many important opinions to the province, the city, and his hometown. He also regularly encouraged his children and grandchildren to uphold the traditions of their homeland and family, following the example of their ancestors in fulfilling their sacred duties to the Party and the nation. In 1997, Comrade Vo Trong An passed away, leaving behind deep sorrow for the Party Committee and the people of Nghe An.

Comrade Vo Trong An was awarded many prestigious honors by the Party and State of Vietnam, including: the Second-Class Independence Order, the Second-Class Resistance Against France Order, the First-Class Resistance Against America Order, the National Unity Medal, the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Medal, and the 60-Year Party Membership Badge…

Comrade Vo Trong An's life and revolutionary career spanned years of arduous struggle, yet were filled with immense pride. Forged in the storms of revolution, imprisoned three times by imperialist forces, and facing the brink of death many times, he always maintained the integrity of a true communist. Comrade Vo Trong An's contributions are a source of pride for his family, clan, and his hometown of Nghe An, and his hometown of Hung Nguyen, rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions. He is a shining example for present and future generations to learn from and emulate because:

"Though imprisonment is arduous, the spirit remains unwavering."

A revolutionary path, unwavering loyalty.

A head of white hair, a life of purity.

One joy - one worry for the country.”(5)

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Note:

(1) Vo Trong An - a tall tree casting a shadow, Hoang Chinh, Thanh Nien Publishing House, 2010, p.68

(2) According to the prison records of Comrade Vo Trong An kept at the Soviet Museum of Nghe Tinh

(3) Vo Trong An - a tall tree casting a shadow, Hoang Chinh, Thanh Nien Publishing House, 2010, pp. 68, 69

(4) According to History of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee (1930-1945) Volume 1, Nghe An Publishing House, 2019, p.138

(5) Excerpt from the poem "That Soldier" by Mr. Tran Van Dieu, a fellow worker during the time of seizing power for the people in Hung Nguyen, given to Comrade Vo Trong An on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

References:

- History of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee (1930-1945) Volume 1, Nghe An Publishing House, 2019

- History of the Hung Nguyen District Party Committee, Volume 1 (1930-1945), 2000

- Nghe An: Exemplary Communist Figures, Volume 3, National Political Publishing House, 2010

- The Red Suitcase, Vinh University Publishing House, 2020

- Vo Trong An, a towering figure, Youth Publishing House, 2010