He truly is a soldier of Uncle Ho's army!

(Baonghean)"He truly is a soldier of Uncle Ho!" These are the words of praise and affection that the people of Tan Lap village in particular, and the people of the town and Bong Khe commune (Con Cuong district, Nghe An province) have for Mr. Tran Mang Cuong, a veteran and Party member who refused to accept poverty, knew how to cultivate trees and nurture people to enrich his family and society.

Mr. Tran Manh Cuong was born on October 10, 1927, in Duy My commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. The heroic land of Quang Nam and his years in the military instilled in him diligence and courage; at eighty years old, he still looks healthy and agile.

At the age of 17, he joined the guerrilla forces to fight the enemy and defend his village. In 1949, he joined the regular army, fighting on the Quang Nam - Da Nang front. In 1954, he relocated to the North, continuing his military service as an officer in the special forces of the 324th Division. In 1959, due to the demands of national reconstruction, he transferred to the Bai Phu Agricultural Farm in Con Cuong district, Nghe An province. There, he married Ms. Lu Thi Nguyet, from Duc Tho district (Ha Tinh province). And the land of Con Cuong became his home. In 1965, when the US imperialists escalated their bombing campaign in the North, answering the call of the Party, he bid farewell to his young wife and two daughters and re-enlisted in the Air Defense unit. He served as Political Commissar and Company Commander in Company 1, Division 365, Regiment 803, Military Region 4, until 1973, when he was granted retirement by the Party and the army. During his eight years of military service fighting to protect the country's airspace, he was granted leave five times to visit his wife and children. The joy was immeasurable, but it also left a heavy burden on his wife: the birth of five more daughters. Even after retirement, the combined pension of both spouses had to be divided among nine mouths to feed, plus the children's education – a truly difficult situation. However, thanks to the training he received in the army and the good health he was blessed with, he worked tirelessly day and night to cultivate over 20 hectares of barren land in Tan Lap, transforming it into a landscape of corn, peanuts, beans, fruit trees, and timber. The Cua Ro area, surrounded by rocky mountains like a tightly woven mat, was once densely forested, but due to a long period of neglect, the vegetation had been cleared, leaving it barren. Since Mr. Cuong retired, the area has become lush and green again. Following the principle of "short-term gains to support long-term growth," he structured the entire valley, nearly 20 hectares, using an agro-forestry and livestock farming model. On the flat land, he planted food crops to provide for his family and feed his chickens, pigs, and goats; in the foothills, he grew gourds, pumpkins, and fruit trees such as bananas, custard apples, papayas, and sapodillas. No matter the season, visitors to his house can enjoy fresh fruit. In the upper areas, he planted timber trees like mahogany, teak, mahogany, bamboo, and ironwood. His rational farming structure and hard work transformed this "dead land" into rice and money, enabling him and his wife to raise and educate their children.

Looking back now at the hilly area with over 4 hectares of flowering teak and mahogany trees, each straight and large with a diameter of 35-40 cm, and the lush green bamboo grove and straight, sturdy mahogany hills, I estimate that in just five years this "green gold" area will bring him billions of dong. Most importantly, this forest has created a cooler ecological environment here, providing oxygen so that the air in the outskirts of Con Cuong town is fresh at night.

What the locals admire most is that, in addition to focusing on economic development, Mr. Cuong always prioritizes the education of his children and grandchildren, resulting in them all being diligent and excelling in their studies. With a humble demeanor, Mr. Cuong said: “What makes my wife and I happiest is that all seven of our daughters have achieved success. Our eldest daughter works in the pharmaceutical industry in Con Cuong district, and the other six have all graduated from university; some are teachers, some are agricultural engineers, and some are government officials and Party members serving the state.” Unable to hide his emotion, but very proud, Mr. Cuong continued: “In 2007, there were two pieces of good news, two great sources of pride for my wife and me: Ms. Tran Thi Ha (our fourth daughter, a lecturer at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry) successfully defended her doctoral thesis in Australia; and our sixth daughter, engineer Tran Thi Loc, was elected Vice President of the Bac Can Provincial Women's Union by the Bac Can Provincial Women's Congress and was elected by the people of Bac Can province as a representative to the 12th National Assembly, term 2007-2011.” Besides our seven successful children, we also have four grandchildren from our hometown in Quang Nam, whom we raised due to family difficulties. They are now also very successful; one is now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Vietnam People's Army, and the other three have all achieved great success.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Tam (Secretary of the Tan Lap Village Party Branch) said: “Mr. Cuong is an exemplary Party member, an enthusiastic and active member of the veterans' association and the elderly association. Mr. Cuong's family is a prime example in raising children and grandchildren.”

Now over eighty years old, he never rests. Twice a day he carries his knife and hoe to tend and protect his orchard. The rest of the time he helps his grandchildren with their studies, assists his wife with household chores, and, especially in the village, is always there to visit and help anyone who is sick, particularly in the Southern hometown association. At 81 years old, with over 50 years of Party membership, he has never missed a single meeting, whether it's a Party meeting, an association meeting, or a neighborhood meeting. He is one of the key figures in establishing and funding the Tan Lap village's senior citizens' association, contributing significantly to the Tan Lap Party branch's consistent strong and clean record for many years.

His "green gold" area is now becoming the "biosphere reserve" of Con Cuong town tomorrow. Birds, squirrels, monkeys, and apes have begun to take refuge and live here. Custard apples, guavas, bananas, longan, sapodilla... are laden with fruit, promising bountiful harvests in the coming seasons.

The saying, "He truly is a soldier of Uncle Ho," reflects the belief and respect that the people have for Mr. Tran Manh Cuong, a shining example for everyone to emulate.

Phung Van Mui