'Whether in wartime or peacetime, the Youth Volunteer Force is always ready to take the lead'

The Youth Volunteer Force is an initiative of "Vietnam alone"

PV:DearColonel Tu Ngoc Anh, July 15 was chosen by the state as the Traditional Day of the Youth Volunteer Force.Surely you still remember very clearly the first days of joining this force?

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh. Photo: Ho Phuong

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh: I started joining the Youth Volunteer Force at the end of 1953 and was one of the first batches of Youth Volunteers. Our mission at that time was to reinforce the Northwest campaign, prepare for the general offensive at Dien Bien Phu, and drive out the French invaders.

The day I joined the Youth Volunteers, I was only 19 years old, had finished 7th grade and was a member of the National Salvation Youth Union. We joined the Youth Volunteers at the call of the Union and everyone who was accepted was happy because in our village at that time, most of the young people had joined the army and worked as rocket launchers.

When we left, we didn’t think much. After receiving the mission, we all walked to Dien Quang - Dien Chau and had a month to train and learn the rules. Before the departure order, each of us was given a set of personal belongings and carried 20kg of rice each, following Hoang Mai road to Nho Quan through Hoa Binh and then back to Son La.

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh joined the Youth Volunteers when he was only 19 years old.

The journey of hundreds of kilometers took us 56 days, traveling by day and night. Although the journey was hard, everyone was enthusiastic, cheering and singing. Once, when we had just arrived at Na San carrying our belongings, our group was discovered and bombed by a plane. At that time, I rolled down the slope.

After the bombs were gone, we continued our march and then stopped at the foot of Pha Din Pass. Here, we were assigned to ensure traffic, fill bomb craters and, when necessary, reinforce the troops. For nearly a year after that, it seemed like we never had a night of sleep because our main mission was to work all night, regardless of danger, until the day Dien Bien Phu was completely liberated.

Youth volunteers transport ammunition and food. Photo: Archive

PV:Volunteer for everything, no matter how difficult or easy, to serve the resistance until the day the resistance is successful... As someone who has experienced this task, can you tell us more clearly about the tasks of the Youth Volunteer Force today?there?

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh:The Vietnam Youth Volunteers were established in 1950, in the context of the country needing manpower and resources to fight against the French colonialists' re-invasion of Vietnam. In the first years, our Party and State also clearly stated that the mission of the Youth Volunteers was to "promote the strength of the youth to move mountains and fill seas, volunteer to serve the resistance war to save the country to complete victory and act as a "great school" to train and train cadres of the Party and State to serve the cause of nation building and building future socialism".

In those days, joining the Youth Volunteers was like joining the army. We were equipped with backpacks made of rattan and nylon to protect us from the rain, and each person was given two sets of clothes made of double-stranded fabric (leaf-dyed fabric). Wherever the army went, the Youth Volunteers followed, not afraid of hardship or death, fighting with the army.

Before joining the Youth Volunteer Force, we were also taught about our specific tasks, which were to ensure traffic, supply ammunition for combat, carry wounded soldiers and bring them safely to the rear.

The Youth Volunteers are a young and strong force, led by the Party, organized into squads, platoons, and companies. And we, with the spirit of volunteering, solidarity, and unanimity, have the greatest goal of how to make the resistance successful.

Thousands of motorized convoys transported weapons, ammunition, human resources and material support to all battlefields, especially the beloved battlefield in the South.

PV:“Nothing is difficult/Only fear of not being steadfast/Digging mountains and filling seas? Determination will surely succeedto make" isUncle Ho's poems dedicated to the Youth Volunteer Force fromearly daysDuring his activities, how did he see Uncle Ho's special attention to the Youth Volunteer Force?

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh:From the founding day of the Youth Volunteers (July 15, 1950) until the day Uncle Ho passed away, he visited, talked, wrote letters of praise, and published articles in newspapers about the Youth Volunteers 21 times. Uncle Ho's deep affection and concern helped generations of Youth Volunteers strongly promote their pioneering role and revolutionary will, overcome all difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices to excellently complete the heavy tasks assigned by the Party and Uncle Ho. During the process of participating in the Youth Volunteers force, Uncle Ho's teachings were:“Nothing is difficult/Only fear of not being steadfast/Digging mountains and filling seas? With determination, it can be done”It is also a lesson, a motto for action, and a document for the Youth Volunteer Force to strive to complete its mission.

During the process of establishing the Youth Volunteers, Uncle Ho had very close, comprehensive and specific instructions. As for the assignment of tasks, we had 3 parallel tasks: fighting, working and producing, and training cadres. Therefore, during the fighting process, the Youth Volunteers could "dig mountains and open roads" at night, but during the day they had supplementary education and cultural studies, with a company having 3 cultural teachers.

Thanks to this preparation, many TNXP brothers and sisters who first joined could be illiterate, with a first or second grade education level, but later could study up to sixth or seventh grade. Many of them, after finishing their duties, were trained to become engineers, doctors, cadres, workers...

Uncle Ho appreciated the strength and spirit of the Youth Volunteer Force and called for and promoted this force. Later, the world also praised that only Vietnam had the initiative to put the Youth Volunteer Force into combat service. Through that, it not only helped the combat force feel secure but also reduced casualties, effectively serving the war.

Nghe An is a great rear for the country.

PV:Compared to the whole country, the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force is very large and holds many important responsibilities. As someone who has been closely associated with the Youth Volunteer Force for a long time, how do you evaluate the role of the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force in the two resistance wars against France and the US??

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh:Nghe An has a strategic position in the history of the struggle to build and defend the country, and is considered a great rear base for the great front line. The people of Nghe An have a tradition of steadfast revolution, so whenever there is a mission, we are ready to volunteer, regardless of all difficulties "all for the front line - all for victory". It is a matter of pride that in the two resistance wars against France and the US, Nghe An mobilized more than 43,000 people to join the Youth Volunteer Force, accounting for 1/10 of the total number of volunteer Youth Volunteers nationwide.

The Colonel shared about the important contribution of Nghe An Youth Volunteers in the two sacred resistance wars of the nation.

During their mission, the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force also had many innovations and their own mark, demonstrated in promoting initiatives in difficult circumstances, daring to think and dare to do. Such as breaking mountains to open roads, preventing traffic jams and landslides, performing water transport tasks to serve the Western region of Nghe An and neighboring Laos, serving railway traffic, strengthening the force for Group 559, supporting Quang Binh...

There are many famous places that still preserve the feats of Nghe An Youth Volunteers such as Co Noi junction, Tuan Giao, Pha Din pass, Sam Neua, Khe Sanh, Road 20 Quyet Thang, Gianh river, Truong Bon, Cau Cam, Ben Thuy, Hoang Mai...

During the two resistance wars against France and the US, Nghe An had outstanding individuals such as Hero of the People's Armed Forces Ho Thi Thu Hien - Captain of the 202nd Youth Volunteers Company of Nghe An province - who was mourned three times before volunteering to carry out her mission. The Nghe An Youth Volunteers also had the C317 Truong Bon collective, Team 404, Team 25, Team 73, Team 75 Youth Volunteers who were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State and many companies were awarded medals and emulation flags by Uncle Ho.

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh:Since the mid-1980s, the Provincial Party Committee has issued a Resolution on the establishment of the Nghe An Youth Volunteers - Economic Development Team. For nearly 30 years, the team members have promoted the role of the Youth Volunteers organization to develop the economy in remote areas, and to preserve and protect the border. The achievements of the Youth Volunteers - Economic Development Teams have become typical models of Nghe An Youth Volunteers, contributing to promoting and motivating the volunteer emulation movement and encouraging young people to boldly invest and establish their careers.

Through the development process, regardless of the circumstances of its birth, regardless of the different missions, whether in wartime or peacetime, the Youth Volunteer Force is always the core and pioneering force. Therefore, in the most remote and difficult places, there is always a Youth Volunteer Force ready to seriously implement the sacred teachings of Uncle Ho. That is also the common point of the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force.

Colonel Tu Ngoc Anh

PV:Thank you for this conversation!