Willing to follow the example of the “Great Elder Brother”

Colonel Nguyen Sy Hoi -(Member of Provincial Party Committee - Commander of Nghe An Provincial Military Command)

(Baonghean) - General Vo Nguyen Giap has passed away, leaving behind endless sorrow for millions of Vietnamese people and friends around the world. For the armed forces of Nghe An province, the passing of the "great Elder Brother" is a great loss. Turning sorrow into action, officers and soldiers of the armed forces of Nghe An are determined to follow the example of the General, constantly striving to always be worthy of the title "Uncle Ho's soldiers", worthy of the trust and love and to be a solid support of the Party Committee, government and people of the province.

Born and raised in a land rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions, as the next generation of the “Red Self-Defense” soldiers in the revolutionary movement of 1930-1931, after 68 years of building, fighting and growing up, the cadres, soldiers, army and people of Nghe An province were visited by the General many times, directly commanding the battlefield. In 1946, when the country had just gained power and was facing a “thousand pounds hanging by a thread”, internal enemies, external enemies, the General was present in Nghe An.

Working with the officers and soldiers of Inter-Zone 4, the General reminded the armed forces of Nghe An and other provinces to actively prepare for long-term resistance plans. In 1965, when the resistance war against the US entered its fiercest period, the General continued to command the officers, soldiers and people of Inter-Zone 4 and especially the provinces of the North Central region, paying special attention to Nghe An to be active and creative in opening communication routes for people and vehicles to the front line to soon unify the country.

General Vo Nguyen Giap took a souvenir photo with officers, soldiers and armed forces of Nghe An.

In 1978, when the country was unified, General Vo Nguyen Giap continued to return to Nghe An, working with officers and soldiers of the armed forces of the Military Region and the province. The General advised that the country had been liberated, but the soldiers could not be complacent or satisfied, the immediate task was still extremely arduous, it was necessary to prepare forces, spirit, and material resources for the war to protect the country...

In the following years, the General visited and worked with the Party Committee, government, people and armed forces of Nghe An many times, and visited the heroic Red Village Guerrilla Team. Wherever he went, General Vo Nguyen Giap always advised the armed forces to always train and be ready to fight.

The country is at peace but the armed forces must not be lax. They must not only do well in their duties of protecting the Party, protecting the government, protecting the people, but also pay attention to caring for and supporting wounded soldiers, veterans and their children and grandchildren... General Vo Nguyen Giap is the Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Army, a man who devoted his whole life to the country and the people, a great saint. For the cadres and soldiers of the People's Army in general and the armed forces of Nghe An province in particular, the General is always a great Elder Brother. The teachings and reminders of the General during his lifetime will always be followed by generations of cadres and soldiers of the armed forces of the province.

When hearing the news of the General's passing, all the officers and soldiers of the armed forces of the province were shocked and moved by the great loss. As for me, the memory of the time I met the General in the past came back in tears. On May 26, 1990, when I was a young officer at the Military Region 4, the General visited the Military Region, met and talked with the officers and soldiers in the unit. He held my hand tightly, a warm hand and advised and taught me with care like a grandfather telling his grandson to strive, study and train to be worthy of being Uncle Ho's soldiers. That short meeting and the General's teachings have followed me throughout my military career.

The General's passing has left the officers and soldiers of the provincial armed forces as if they had lost a great brother, a teacher, an exemplary father, who devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the people. As soon as the General passed away, the Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command have put their grief into action, launching a wide-ranging political study campaign for all officers and soldiers to follow the example of the great General. For nearly a week, the officers and soldiers of the provincial armed forces have ensured 100% of their military strength, together reviewing the glorious revolutionary journey of a talented and virtuous general, while making efforts to train, strive continuously and serve the people who came to offer incense and flowers to pay their respects to the General.

Immediately after receiving the direction of General Phung Quang Thanh - Minister of National Defense, the Military Region 4 Command and the opinions of the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, and Provincial Military Command directed the Command, 21 Military Commands of districts, cities, towns, and affiliated units to solemnly set up altars for General Vo Nguyen Giap. At the locations where the altars were set up, there were full guards, honor guards, officers on duty, visiting officers... performing well the ritual work and having full staff and soldiers to serve, creating the best conditions for agencies, units, and people of all walks of life to pay their respects to General Vo Nguyen Giap from 4:00 p.m. on October 10 to the end of October 13, 2013.

Officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command visit General Vo Nguyen Giap. Photo: NK

At the Provincial Military Command Headquarters alone, in recent days, hundreds of officers and soldiers from departments and offices under the Provincial Military Command have stayed up all night by the General’s altar to serve the people visiting. Outside, officers and soldiers take turns keeping vehicles free of charge, providing drinking water and ensuring security and order for people visiting.

More than 18 nautical miles from the mainland, officers and soldiers of Mat Island show their affection for the General through practical and specific actions, which is to launch a special emulation campaign "Improving training quality, combat readiness, following the example of General Vo Nguyen Giap" determined to turn grief into revolutionary action, steadfast in will, steady in hand to firmly protect the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland.

For nearly a week, officers and soldiers of Regiment 764 have suppressed their grief and reminded each other to overcome all difficulties, maintain political courage, be resilient in all circumstances, heighten vigilance in training and be ready to fight to excellently complete assigned political tasks to show gratitude and be worthy of being the next generation of the "Elder Brother" of the People's Armed Forces.

In the highland border areas, officers and soldiers of the Military Commands of Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop districts... with concrete actions have launched a movement to learn from the General with his close and simple virtues to continue to mobilize and help people of all ethnic groups develop their economy, improve their cultural and social life, truly being a working army as the General once instructed the armed forces.

The “Great Elder Brother” has passed away, but his image and teachings still live on. The cadres and soldiers of the provincial People's Armed Forces vow to follow the General's example, always unite, promote revolutionary heroism, be a unified bloc in will and action; always be closely attached to the people, continue to train and cultivate themselves to make the traditional qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers increasingly promoted and shine. Constantly improve the overall quality, combat readiness level and fighting strength to a new, more comprehensive and solid level, to always be worthy of the trust and love, to be a solid support of the Party Committee, government and people of the province.