The soldier who fought at Dien Bien Phu had the opportunity to meet President Ho Chi Minh three times.

(Baonghean.vn) - At the age of 84, Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan (from Son Tan, Huong Son, Ha Tinh, residing in Hamlet 18, Nghi Phu Commune, Vinh City, Nghe An), has a significantly diminished memory. Yet, the memories of those days "sleeping in bunkers, eating dried rice, and having blood mixed with mud" in Dien Bien Phu, and especially the sacred memories of his three encounters with President Ho Chi Minh, remain vividly etched in his mind.

He recounted with emotion: "The first time I met Uncle Ho was in the summer of 1953, on a beautiful evening in the bamboo forest of Đoan Hùng, Phú Thọ. That day, I and my comrades were assigned to build the first artillery unit of the 367th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, 351st Artillery Division. Uncle Ho and Comrade Nguyễn Chí Thanh rode horses through the forest to visit. On behalf of the Division, Political Commissar Phạm Ngọc Mậu went out to welcome Uncle Ho. Seeing Uncle Ho, unable to contain their emotions, everyone in the unit raised their torches and shouted:

Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan (third from the left) at the Dien Bien Phu Veterans' Meeting in Vinh City in 2013.

- Long live President Ho Chi Minh!

The old man waved kindly to everyone and gently reminded them:

- Put down your torches, or the hut will catch fire, revealing our secrets, and the enemy will attack; it will be unsafe.

Speaking to the officers and soldiers, Uncle Ho praised and commended our army and people for their heroic fighting and great victories in the Northwest Campaign. He analyzed the situation and upcoming tasks, and instructed them to always maintain vigilance and unwavering fighting spirit to deliver a decisive blow to the French invaders, forcing them to abandon their ambitions of aggression. He emphasized: "The 351st Division is the first artillery unit of our army; you must quickly master the equipment, maintain and preserve the weapons and equipment well, and train thoroughly in techniques and tactics so that in your first battle, you will achieve great success and victory."

In the middle of the Đoan Hùng bamboo forest, Uncle Ho and his comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh sang aloud the "Song of Unity." Amidst the singing and resounding applause that filled the forest, Uncle Ho and Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh waved goodbye to everyone and calmly mounted their horses to return home.

Later, we learned that Uncle Ho had visited the Division to prepare us – the first generation of Vietnamese anti-aircraft artillery soldiers – for our march to Guangxi (China) to receive weapons and equipment, and receive combat training so that in the spring of 1954 we could return to the Fatherland and unleash a storm of fire on the French colonialists in the "decisive blow" of the Dien Bien Phu campaign. Bearing Uncle Ho's instructions firmly in mind, the officers and soldiers of the 367th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment successfully completed their mission, contributing to shooting down 62 French enemy aircraft and supporting the forces liberating Dien Bien Phu. In this historic campaign, squad leader Nguyen Dinh Chuan was awarded the Military Merit Medal (Third Class) and two Certificates of Commendation from the Division and the Front.

The second time he met President Ho was after the victory at Dien Bien Phu, when President Ho and the Central Committee returned to the capital. After successfully completing the parade at Ba Dinh Square on September 2nd, his unit had the honor of welcoming President Ho and Chief of General Staff Van Tien Dung for a visit.

The President smiled broadly, raised his hat high, and waved to the neatly lined, solemn soldiers who were welcoming him.

- The other day, during the holiday, Uncle Ho and the Central Committee "approved" you all. Today, Uncle Ho has come to visit so that you all can "approve" him!

The entire army chanted "Long live President Ho Chi Minh!" The thunderous applause echoed throughout Bach Mai airport. This time, Uncle Ho spent more time speaking with the officers and soldiers. He essentially said: After nine years of arduous struggle, we have liberated half of the country; the task of implementing the Geneva Accords and moving towards national reunification remains extremely challenging. The enemy is extremely insidious, cunning, and brutal; therefore, the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army must truly unite and actively contribute to building a strong North to serve as a solid foundation for the struggle for reunification...

Finally, Uncle Ho sang the "Song of Unity" again, and from the high platform, he affectionately raised his hat and waved goodbye to everyone before leaving.

The third time he met Uncle Ho was on the morning of February 16, 1969, the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Rooster, at the Air Defense - Air Force Command Hall. Uncle Ho entered the hall, gestured for everyone to sit down, and said:

- Today, Uncle Ho, Comrade Nguyen Luong Bang, and Comrade Van Tien Dung, on behalf of the Central Committee and the Government, have come to visit you all. Happy New Year! We wish you new progress and new victories!

The doctor asked:

- Which guy shot down the most American planes?

Colonel Dang Tinh, Political Commissar of the Air Force, stood up and addressed:

- Uncle, Comrade Nguyen Van Coc has shot down 9 planes.

The doctor smiled happily:

- Come up here with Uncle Coc, little Coc. This year, Uncle hopes to have even more Cocs!

The President shook Comrade Coc's hand very firmly, then turned to the audience and said:

- But what about the girls? Do they have many achievements? Send one of them up here.

For two consecutive years, Vu Thi Hue, an outstanding worker, was chosen to be by President Ho's side. President Ho looked at Hue affectionately:

- This year, try your best to become an outstanding worker again!

Uncle Ho's health had deteriorated significantly lately; everyone was moved to tears upon seeing him. He introduced Comrade Van Tien Dung to speak with the officers and soldiers. When the Chief of General Staff spoke about "nurturing a healthy and well-nourished army," Uncle Ho smiled brightly and asked everyone:

- Are your foster siblings here?

The entire hall erupted in cheers:

Yes, sir, we do.

The doctor glanced around the hall and then said:

- Send a foster sister and a foster brother up here.

The President shook hands with the two soldiers responsible for supplying the troops, then he asked:

- Have you children read books about "For the country and the people," and studied examples of "good people and good deeds"?

Yes, sir, we do!

That's good. Reading is a form of learning. Learning must go hand in hand with practice.

Having met Uncle Ho three times, the immense love and affection of Uncle Ho gave him strength. For 40 years in the military, fighting on battlefields, whenever he faced difficulties, hardships, fierce battles, or dangers, he always remembered Uncle Ho. From the depths of his being, a miraculous willpower and strength were continued, helping him overcome everything to fulfill his duty as a soldier.

Text and photos:Nguyen Khac Thuan