Phung Chi Kien - The enduring qualities and character of a son of Nghe An province.

For many, the name Phung Chi Kien remains a mystery. This is understandable because "comrade sacrificed himself too early, his activities and work were mainly overseas; his portrait and stories along his revolutionary path have not been fully and accurately recorded" (Phung Chi Kien - Mysteries Along the Wayrevolutionary path(Author: Hoàng Quảng Uyên, researcher of folk culture and arts). In August 2012, I met Mr. Hoàng Quảng Uyên when he attended a literary criticism writing camp organized by the Vietnam Writers Association in Cửa Lò. He told me that he had collected, researched, and read touching memoirs and notes about Comrade Phùng Chí Kiên; he greatly admired his talent, character, and noble sacrifice, and had built a portrait of this talented general in his historical novel.The sun of Pac Bo.

Comrade Phung Chi Kien. Archival photo.

In August 2008, the Ministry of National Defence, in coordination with the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, organized a seminar titled "Comrade Phung Chi Kien, a staunch communist, an outstanding revolutionary leader, accomplished in both politics and military affairs." In his letter to the seminar, General Vo Nguyen Giap wrote:“Comrade Phung Chi Kien is one of the senior leaders who has made great contributions to our Party and our Army, not only in terms of organization but also in terms of revolutionary line…”.

The deeply respectful assessments of the "elder brother" of the Vietnam People's Army have illuminated the character and noble sacrifices of Comrade Phung Chi Kien for the Fatherland during the days when the flames of revolution were blazing and the will to fight for independence and freedom was rising strongly. This demands that history today needs to understand, recognize, and properly evaluate the contributions of this first general of the pre-armed uprising period.

A glimpse of Dien Chau today. Photo: Ho Nhat Thanh

Born and raised in a poor rural area rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions in My Quan Thuong village, Van Phan commune, now Dien Yen commune, Dien Chau district (Nghe An province), Comrade Phung Chi Kien's birth name was Nguyen Vi, born on May 18, 1901. His father was Nguyen Khoan. Seeing his son's intelligence and thirst for knowledge, Mr. Nguyen Khoan had him study the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script and classical Chinese. At the age of 14, he passed the Elementary School examination and was proficient in classical Chinese. At the age of 17, he joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association and secretly went to Guangzhou, China, to attend a political training course organized and taught by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc.

Recognizing Nguyen Vi's revolutionary fervor, intelligence, and military acumen, Comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc selected him and several other young men to train at the Whampoa Military Academy. From then on, like a soaring eagle, Nguyen Vi participated in the Guangzhou Uprising led by the Chinese Communist Party, serving as the commander of the armed forces in the Haifeng-Lupu Soviet zone (Guangdong), repelling numerous attacks by Chiang Kai-shek's forces. He was then sent to Moscow to study at the University of the East by Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, representing the Communist International.

After graduating, Phung Chi Kien returned to Hong Kong to join the Overseas Work Committee headed by Comrade Le Hong Phong. At the First National Congress of the Indochinese Communist Party held in Macau in March 1935, he was elected a Standing Committee member. In August 1936, he was sent to Saigon to work with Comrade Ha Huy Tap to lead the revolutionary movement in the country. A year later, he returned to Hong Kong to lead the Party's Overseas Work Committee, publishing the newspaper Dong Thanh to propagate and guide the revolutionary struggle, supporting the Chinese people against Japan. This was a time when he was close to Uncle Ho, accompanying him to Yunnan to contact revolutionary mass bases and survey routes back to the homeland.

During this time, Phung Chi Kien was also assigned by Uncle Ho to work with comrades Pham Van Dong and Vo Nguyen Giap to compile lectures and directly teach 40 cadres sent to Cao Bang to build pilot Viet Minh organizations in three districts: Ha Quang, Hoa An, and Nguyen Binh. Here, he applied the knowledge he had learned and the experiences he had gained abroad to establish self-defense combat teams and participate in organizing training courses for cadres in various locations.

Guerrillas participating in the Bac Son uprising, September 1940. Archival photo.

At the 8th Central Committee Conference of the Party (May 1941) in Khuoi Nam, Pac Bo, Comrade Phung Chi Kien was re-elected to the Central Executive Committee, in charge of military affairs, and was assigned to the Bac Son base to command the National Salvation Army, building armed forces in preparation for the General Uprising.

The assignment of Comrade Phung Chi Kien to Bac Son was to implement a crucial shift in the Party's revolutionary line, placing national liberation at the forefront and clearly defining two urgent and important tasks: establishing the "Vietnam Independence League Front" (Viet Minh) and building the people's armed forces. This task was entrusted to him because, as Uncle Ho said before bidding him farewell:Being separated from Phung Chi Kien at this time was something Uncle Ho did not want, but the revolutionary task required the contribution and talent of an outstanding military officer who had been trained extensively by the Party.(Historical novel "The Sun of Pac Bo" - Hoang Quang Uyen).

And, on this borderland full of gratitude and loyalty, he sacrificed his life at the young age of 40, at the peak of his talent, full of energy, and equipped with ample knowledge and experience in command and leadership… President Ho Chi Minh proposed that the Government Council sign Decree No. 89/SL on September 23, 1947, posthumously promoting him to the rank of General.

A section of the Phung Chi Kien Memorial Area in Dien Chau district. Photo courtesy of Tien Hung.

Phùng Chí Kiên dedicated his youth and sacrificed himself to fulfill the noble mission entrusted to him by the Fatherland and the People. As an outstanding commander of the powerful National Salvation Army, to preserve his forces and the lives of the people around the Bắc Sơn base, he decided to break through the encirclement and withdraw to the border when the enemy mobilized over 4,000 soldiers to surround and destroy the base, wiping out any remaining armed forces that would pose a future threat to them. During the retreat, his unit was discovered and surrounded from all sides. He decided to stay behind, drawing enemy fire towards himself, fighting to the last bullet. Only he and his political commissar, Luong Van Chi, were wounded and captured by the enemy, subsequently killed. The other soldiers retreated safely, including prominent figures who went on to become outstanding generals, officers, and leaders such as Chu Van Tan, Dang Van Cap, and Hoang Van Thai. Later, Phung Chi Kien was recognized as a martyr by the State, and a memorial named after him was erected in his hometown of Dien Chau.

Although Phùng Chí Kiên is no longer with us, the courage, intelligence, and strategic brilliance of a general in the Vietnam People's Army remain a shining example and a great lesson for present and future generations. He contributed to bringing glory to his homeland of Nghe An - one of the cradles of the revolution in the country.