Like having Uncle Ho on the day of great victory!
On these days exactly half a century ago, the whole country was filled with the song of triumph: As if Uncle Ho was there on the day of great victory/ Uncle Ho's words have now become a glorious victory/ Thirty years of fighting to regain the integrity of the country/ Thirty years of democratic republic, the resistance has succeeded... (Music and lyrics by Pham Tuyen).
The lyrics are short, but contain so many sacred emotions. The rhythm of the song is the beat of millions of Vietnamese hearts in proud and tearful remembrance of the outstanding leader who is loved by the entire Party and the entire people...
During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh always had special affection for his compatriots in the South. He said: "The South is always in my heart". During the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists, Uncle Ho always followed every step of the revolution in the South. He always worried: "A day when the Fatherland is not unified, the people still suffer hardship, is a day when I cannot eat well, cannot sleep well...". Every time the compatriots and soldiers from the South visited the North, Uncle Ho called them to his stilt house to talk, encourage, advise and eat with him... Until the last days of his life on his sickbed, Uncle Ho still paid attention to the war situation in the South...
In return for Uncle Ho's kindness and affection, the army and people of the South, together with the army and people of the whole country, fought bravely, achieved many outstanding feats, the peak of which was the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, winning "total victory for us" on April 30, 1975. This was a great achievement of the Vietnamese revolution, affirming the unshakable will of our people to unify the country, forged over thousands of years of building and defending the country.
Representing that indomitable will of steel and also the soul of the resistance war, are the glorious Party and the great Uncle Ho. The great victory in the spring of 1975 was a brilliant feat, a great victory of the resistance war against the US to save the country. That feat reflected the extraordinary determination of our army and people; at the same time, it affirmed the determination of the Vietnamese people to liberate the South and unify the country. In particular, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign was the decisive blow that took place nearly 2 years earlier than the original plan, causing surprise and horror to the enemy. Implementing the strategic directive of the Politburo "lightning speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory", our army and people carried out the final campaign of the resistance war in an excellent and complete manner.
The great victory in the spring of 1975 opened a new era for the country; that is the Era of Independence, Unification and Socialism. During the long night of slavery and under the enemy's bombs and bullets, the greatest aspiration of our nation was Independence, Freedom, Peace and Unification. Today, the greatest aspiration of the Vietnamese nation is the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country. This content is clearly stated in the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of our Party, demonstrating the great political determination of the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army to "strive so that by the middle of the 21st century, our country will become a developed country, following the socialist orientation". This is a great aspiration, based on revolutionary practice under the leadership of the Party, especially from the great achievements of nearly 4 decades of national renewal, which has opened a new era - the era of national development.
To bring the country into a new era soon, our Party is continuing to innovate its leadership methods, urgently removing "bottlenecks" that hinder development; resolutely building a truly streamlined political system that operates effectively and efficiently, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new revolutionary period... It can be said that this is the second Renovation initiated and led by our Party, since the completion of the cause of national liberation and national reunification. The miracle of a semi-feudal colonial country that steadfastly fought and defeated the two most powerful imperialists and colonialists in the world; the miracle of a country that, from being besieged and embargoed, successfully carried out the Renovation with great achievements; the results of the fight against corruption, Party building and rectification in the recent past... are the energy and belief that fuel the nation's new journey.
As a country that has gone through long and arduous wars to liberate the nation and protect the Fatherland, the Vietnamese people understand better than anyone the cruelty of war. Those tragedies have receded for decades, but their legacy still haunts the material and spiritual lives of many fates, many families, many generations, poignantly reminding each person of the boundless value of a peaceful life today. What greater happiness than living and working in a peaceful country, and even more so a country that is gradually renewing and developing like our beloved Vietnam today; while in many places in the world there are still scenes of bombs falling, bullets exploding, death, and separation... Therefore, raising revolutionary vigilance, joining hands to preserve peace, and being determined to firmly protect the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam... are still the constant thoughts of every cadre, soldier, and all Vietnamese people.
The international context and the spirit of the times are opening up historic opportunities for our nation, but also posing enormous challenges. The lesson of “seizing the opportunity” and the rapid, bold momentum of the Great Victory in the Spring of 1975 still holds true. The spirit of patriotism, the will to be self-reliant, the aspiration to build a prosperous and happy country... together with the solidarity of all Vietnamese people both at home and abroad, are great endogenous resources, promoting the process of the nation's rise to early success.
History has some very meaningful coincidences: In mid-April 1975, based on our position and strength on the Southern battlefield, on April 14, 1975, the Politburo approved the Plan to liberate Saigon, called the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. General and Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap issued the directive: “Faster, faster; bolder, bolder; seize every hour, every minute, rush to liberate the South, unify the country!”
Exactly 50 years after the above historic campaign, in the middle of April, the 13th Party Central Committee held its 11th Conference to discuss important issues of the institutional reform revolution, streamlining the apparatus, promoting science and technology... and important contents towards the 14th National Party Congress. This is truly a historic conference to discuss historic decisions. It can be said that never before has the country faced such new opportunities for development as it does now.
And these days, the whole country is filled with the song "As if Uncle Ho were here on the day of great victory!". In the era of national development, "Uncle Ho is still marching with us", continuing the glorious revolutionary path that he has outlined and shown. The song resonates, urging the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army to tighten their ranks, overcome all obstacles, and keep pace with the times. Studying and following the ideology, morality and style of Ho Chi Minh, the army and people of the whole country "wish to move forward with him forever", fulfilling his wish before he passed away: "Building a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam".
