Red Army soldiers from Nghe An on the Moscow defense line

35 years ago, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Soviet people's victory over German fascism in 1941-1945, Moscow Radio - Vietnamese Service launched a contest to learn about the Soviet Red Army... Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh - an officer of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, a member of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, submitted an article: "Vuong Thuc Tinh - Vietnamese revolutionary soldier participating in the battle to protect Moscow - Winter 1941". This entry shook Moscow Radio and the Soviet press at that time!

Immediately afterwards, thanks to the participation of Moscow Radio, the Soviet Union - Vietnam Friendship Association, Russian historians and the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, the names of four more Vietnamese international soldiers who participated in the battle on the defense line of Moscow in the winter of 1941 were found.

In 1988, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birthday, Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee organized a scientific seminar on Uncle Ho's students who studied and fought in the Soviet Union before 1945. Photo courtesy

From the search for Red Army soldier Vuong Thuc Tinh

On December 12, 1986, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union decided to award the First Class Patriotic War Medal and the Victory Medal over Nazi Germany to five Vietnamese soldiers: Vuong Thuc Tinh, Ly Nam Thanh, Ly Thuc Chat, Ly Anh Tao and Ly Phu San.

Among the 5 people who were awarded medals, commemorative medals and posthumously awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Fatherland, there was Mr. Ly Phu San, real name Le Phan Chan, from Ha Son Binh (now Tan Uoc commune, Thanh Oai district, Ha Dong, Hanoi), who served in a military hospital of a Soviet Red Army unit in the suburbs of Moscow. He returned to Vietnam after 1955 and died in 1980 in Hanoi, at the age of 80.

The remaining 4 people belonged to the OMCBON International Regiment, from Nghe An, of which 3 people were honored with a memorial service, a Certificate of National Merit, a First Class Patriotic War Medal and a Commemorative Medal... on July 27, 1987 in Kim Lien Commune, Nam Dan District. They were: Ly Nam Thanh, real name Nguyen Sinh Than, born in 1908 in Lang Sen; Ly Thuc Chat, real name Vuong Thuc Thoai, born in 1910 in Lang Sen; Ly Anh Tao, real name Hoang The Tu, born in 1910 in Hoang Tru Village, all in Kim Lien Commune, Nam Dan District.

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on awarding the First Class War Medal to Vietnamese international soldiers. Photo: NVCC

At that time, Mr. Vuong Thuc Tinh had not yet determined some related information, so he could not be honored even though the Standing Committee of Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee had directed to award a certificate of recognition.

From 1988 to 1993, under the direction and attention of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, the responsible agencies of Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee (later Nghe An) such as the Propaganda Department, the Party History Research Department, the History - Geography Research Department under the Provincial People's Committee, the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, the Kim Lien Museum, the Union of Friendship Associations, the Nghe Tinh Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association and the Party Committee and People's Committee of Kim Lien commune continued to verify the Vietnamese Soviet Red Army soldier Vuong Thuc Tinh.

Through many discussions, exchanges, meetings and based on scientific historical data, historical witnesses, it was finally determined that Vuong Thuc Tinh (also known as Vuong Si), whose real name was Vuong Thuc Lien, was born in 1903, in a patriotic Confucian family in Hoang Tru village, Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district. His father was Vuong Thuc Do, his mother was Hoang Thi Dam. Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan, Uncle Ho's mother, and Mrs. Hoang Thi Dam were cousins.

Mr. Vuong Hoang Lich (Kim Lien, Nam Dan) is the nephew who is worshiping martyr Vuong Thuc Lien (Vuong Thuc Tinh). Photo: NVCC

Vuong Thuc Lien went to Thailand with Le Hong Phong, Ly Thuc Chat, Ly Nam Thanh, Ly Anh Tao... In 1925, he went to China and was given the name Vuong Si by Uncle Ho and sent to study at the Hoang Pho Military School. He was also sent by Uncle Ho to the Soviet Union for training and became a soldier in the International Special Mechanized Infantry Regiment (OMCBON) on the defense line of Moscow city.

After the Germans were pushed back from the Moscow defense line, the Soviet Red Army regained the initiative to attack the enemy on all fronts and began to counterattack the fascists. In early spring 1943, while the Red Army was advancing strongly to the West, there was an order from leader Stalin: "Send all Eastern cadres, including those from Asian countries, back to prepare to fight the Japanese on the Eastern front." Vuong Thuc Tinh returned to Vietnam in the above spirit, but unfortunately, when passing through Nanjing (China), Nguyen Hai Than secretly informed Chiang Kai-shek's agents to arrest and kill him!

While searching for documents about the character Vuong Thuc Tinh, the research team discovered new details. According to the memoirs of Mr. Ivan Ivarov (Bulgarian) - Commander of the OMCBON International Regiment: "Among the anti-fascists from Germany, Spain, Bulgaria... assigned to the Regiment's units, there were also 6 Vietnamese people."

We have found 5 people. Who are the others?

Nghe Tinh Newspaper No. 1155 published on July 31, 1987 reported the memorial service for three Nghe An martyrs who died in the battle to protect Moscow in 1941.

Shining with noble international spirit

In the scientific seminars: "Uncle Ho's students lived, fought and studied in the Soviet Union before 1945", May 19, 1988; "Searching for Vietnamese international soldiers who participated in fighting against German fascism to protect Moscow in 1941", May 9, 1989 and "Who is Vuong Thuc Tinh? Is it Vuong Si or Vuong Thuc Lien?", November 7, 1989, organized by Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee and Nghe Tinh Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, two new names were mentioned: Ly Van Minh and Ly Chi Thong. These were two people in the group of 8 young people organized and educated by Uncle Ho to prepare to send to the Soviet Union according to the Letter sent by the Soviet Union's Youth and Children's Committee in July 1926.

The names of these 8 people were confirmed by Mr. Vuong Thuc Oanh - a veteran revolutionary and provided documents to the Party History Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee when he was still alive (Mr. Oanh died in 1962) including:

Ly Chi Thongnamed Hong Son, real name is Ngo Tri Thong, hometown Dai Loc commune, Can Loc district (Ha Tinh);

Ly Phuong Duc, Ly Chi Thong's older sister; real name is Ngo Hau Duc.

Ly Van Minh, real name is Dinh Chuong Long, hometown is Y Bich village, Hai Loc commune, Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province.

Ly Thuc Chat, real name is Vuong Thuc Thoai, hometown is Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan, Nghe An.

Mr. Vuong Quoc Toan (Lang Sen, Nam Dan) is the nephew who is worshiping martyr Vuong Thuc Thoai (Ly Thuc Chat). Photo: NVCC

Ly Nam Thanhreal name is Nguyen Sinh Than, hometown Kim Lien, Nam Dan, Nghe An.

Ly Anh Tao, real name is Hoang The Tu, hometown Kim Lien, Nam Dan, Nghe An.

Ly Phuong Thuan, real name is Nguyen Thi Tich (unclear hometown).

Li Zizhong, real name is Le Huu Trong, hometown Thach Minh, Thach Ha, Ha Tinh.

The names of these eight people are exactly as documented by Russian historian A. Kobelev in his work "President Ho Chi Minh" published in 1980 in Russia.

According to the memoirs of Major General Le Thiet Hung: “In 1938, Uncle Ho returned to China from the Soviet Union and contacted them in the Chinese liberation army units and sent them to the Soviet Union for training. When Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, they participated in the fight to protect Moscow.”

Therefore, we have basis to conclude the names of 2 soldiers in the International Regiment commanded by Ivan Ivarov:

Mr. Ly Van Minh, real name Dinh Chuong Long, was born in 1912, in Hai Loc commune, Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province. His father was Dinh Chuong Duong (1885 - 1972) - a famous revolutionary intellectual. After the August Revolution of 1945, Mr. Dinh Chuong Duong became a member of the 1st National Assembly.

Mr. Dinh Chuong Long - one of the Vietnamese soldiers fighting in the Soviet Red Army; The legendary parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941. Photo archive

Mr. Ly Chi Thong, whose real name is Ngo Tri Thong, was born in 1910, in Dai Loc commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province. His father was Ngo Tri Tuan, a patriotic overseas Vietnamese. His family moved to Ban May, Thakhon Pha nom province (Thailand) with the family of Mr. Le Huu Dat (father of hero and martyr Ly Tu Trong).

Thus, except for Mrs. Ly Phuong Duc, Ly Chi Thong's older sister, we have 7 Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers participating in the great war of the Soviet people against Nazi Germany in the years 1941 - 1945.

Vietnamese soldiers were present at the historic parade on November 7, 1941 on Kremlin Square. They marched straight to the front to defend the Moscow defense line and together with the Soviet Red Army, drove out the German fascists until the historic victory on May 9, 1945. 6/7 soldiers heroically sacrificed their lives on the defense line outside Moscow and in the battles to protect the Soviet Union. They are no longer with us, but their names are engraved on the memorial and live forever in the pride of the people of Vietnam and the Russian Federation.