Memories of 72 years after the oath of independence through the story of General Cu

Celebrating the 72nd anniversary of National Day, September 2, Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu (former Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics) recalled every small detail of the day President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence.

Bearing the "oath of independence", experiencing two resistance wars, Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu is now one of the last witnesses to attend the Independence ceremony.

At 91 years old, walking is difficult, but when asked about old memories, General Cu suddenly became excited, his voice clear and loud, no different from when he was young.

Sitting on the porch, talking about that historic moment, he still remembers almost every small detail of the day Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence.

...72 years ago, Pham Hong Cu was a 20-year-old soldier in the Hoang Dieu self-defense and national salvation team (the first local army of Hanoi) established by the City Party Committee after the August Revolution.

The team's mission was to protect the Party and Viet Minh Front's leadership agencies at the central level. Just a few days after its establishment, his team was assigned the important responsibility of protecting the stage at Ba Dinh Square - where the Provisional Government was introduced and President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence.

Lieutenant General Pham Hong Cu

He recalled that autumn day, Hanoi was filled with sunshine and a forest of red flags with yellow stars. Banners in five languages ​​were hung everywhere, people poured into the streets, Hanoi had never been so excited.

The rally was attended by all social classes and components: workers in blue pants and white shirts, suburban militiamen in brown shirts and tight belts, rural women with their hair tied up and wearing traditional Vietnamese dresses, women from the capital gracefully dressed in traditional Vietnamese dresses, young people in short shirts and shorts, children dancing to the beat of drums, the elderly, monks, and priests were all present.

The ceremony took place on the afternoon of September 2, but his team had been there the night before to prepare. The unit sent two platoons to directly protect the stage, one platoon stood right next to the stage and one platoon was spread out across the streets and surrounding high points to protect from a distance.

“I and Mr. Hoang Phuong (one of the platoon commanders) stood right near the podium, because we were in charge of raising the flag.”

On the afternoon of September 2, he and his teammates witnessed an unprecedented scene, a large rally at Ba Dinh Square - this was also the first time he met Uncle Ho.

Ba Dinh Square, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Photo: Archive

“At the square, we stood in solemn rows under the national flag, waiting for the great moment of the nation,” he excitedly recalled. From Dien Bien Phu Street, a convoy of black cars, flanked by police on bicycles, arrived.

In front of the stage was a delegation of the Provisional Government. Leaders such as General Vo Nguyen Giap and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong wore black suits, an old man in white khaki clothes and rubber sandals stepped out. Everyone made way for him.

“At that time, Mr. Phuong stood next to me and nudged my arm and asked quietly: Do you know who that person is? I shook my head, then Mr. Phuong said: The old man is Nguyen Ai Quoc.”

After saying that, he sobbed again: "Everyone has heard of Uncle Ho, but not everyone has had the chance to meet him. We were young and only heard stories about him, so when we found out it was Uncle Ho, we all couldn't hold back our tears. Some were moved to tears, but I burst into tears of joy."

Standing on the grandstand, Uncle Ho spoke in a voice as resonant as a bell mixed with the sun and wind of the Central Nghe An accent. The whole square fell silent to listen to him speak.

After Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence, the ceremony of "Oath of Independence" came. I clearly remember the oath that General Cu recited loudly and eloquently: "First, to support the Ho Chi Minh Government; Second, to resolutely fight against the French invasion. If the French invaders return, I will not serve as a soldier for France, will not sell goods to France, and will not lead the way for France."

After each oath, we all raised our hands: “I swear”. When we raised our hands to swear, my teammates and I cried. We were moved because from that moment on, our country was no longer a slave country, a country that had lost its country. Our country was completely independent....".

His words and thoughts in the Declaration of Independence have been deeply ingrained in my mind ever since.

"We have seen the value of independence, the responsibility to protect the Fatherland, to protect the newly gained independence.

Moving on to the two resistance wars, on April 30, 1975, the South was completely liberated, the country was unified, the journey of more than 10,000 days to fulfill our oath was completed" - General Cu's words.

According to Vietnamnet