People come back, warm with hometown love

(Baonghean) - We were fortunate to meet Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong (now deceased) - former Deputy Chief of Office of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, who was assigned to welcome Uncle Ho during his visits to his hometown.

Through Mr. Phuong's story, we understand more about the person and personality of Ho Chi Minh.

When Uncle Ho visited his hometown for the first time in 1957, the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee assigned Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong - an officer of the Provincial Party Committee Office, and Mr. Dang Tho Can - Chief of the Provincial People's Committee Office to approach and serve Uncle Ho.

At that time, the house of the Provincial Standing Committee had only 3 rooms, the middle room was for receiving guests, one room was for comrade Nguyen Truong Khoat - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and one room was for comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh - Secretary of the Inter-Zone IV Party Committee. Mr. Khoat was temporarily evacuated so that the Office could clean up and arrange accommodation for guests. It was not until the evening of June 13, 1957 that the comrades of the Provincial Standing Committee learned that Uncle Ho had returned to visit his hometown.

Vinh Town people welcomed Uncle Ho at Vinh airport (1961). Photo: Archive

On the evening of June 13, Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Secretary - Comrade Ngo Thuyen led the delegation accompanying Uncle Ho's car to Khe Nuoc Lanh bordering Thanh Hoa - Nghe An, where comrades: Nguyen Truong Khoat - Provincial Party Secretary, Nguyen Sy Que - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee were present to welcome Uncle Ho. Uncle Ho's car went straight to the Provincial Party Committee Hall, where everyone was eagerly waiting. Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh directed the welcoming ceremony to be short so that Uncle Ho could rest after nearly a day on the 300-kilometer journey.

On the morning of June 14, Uncle Ho met with the Provincial Party Committee, and that evening he met with the delegation of experts from all the republics of the Soviet Union who were helping us build the Vinh Power Plant. All that afternoon, Mr. Phuong and Mr. Can were busy preparing the hall so that at 7:00 p.m. Uncle Ho could meet the experts. The work was almost finished when around 5:00 p.m. Uncle Ho walked into the hall. He was as beautiful as an old man, with a silver beard and silver hair; wearing his usual brown clothes. Uncle Ho asked: "Are you guys preparing for me to receive the Soviet experts here tonight?"

“Yes!” – Mr. Phuong replied to Uncle Ho. Uncle Ho looked at the mahogany chair placed solemnly in the middle of the hall: “What are you putting this mahogany chair for?”. The two men were confused and didn’t know how to answer Uncle Ho, so Uncle Ho asked again: “How many guests are there?”. Mr. Phuong replied: “Sir! 40 experts, 20 officials from the Central and the province!”. “Do you have enough 60 mahogany chairs?” – Uncle Ho asked again.

Nghe An provincial leaders welcomed Uncle Ho at Vinh airport (1961). Photo: Archive

“Uncle, there are only four, we brought one, the whole office is sitting on the bench!” – Mr. Phuong and Mr. Can took turns answering. Hearing that, Uncle immediately said: “Please take the mahogany chair away, so I can sit with everyone!”. Although very worried, the two office staff had to carry the mahogany chair back to its original place.

Uncle looked up at the two ceiling fans in the hall: “It’s hot today, will two fans be enough to cool sixty people?” Mr. Phuong and Mr. Can were really worried. Uncle continued: “You guys call the Commerce Department to ask them to buy 60 paper fans. If there aren’t enough paper fans, then palm leaf fans or areca leaf fans are fine, as long as each person has one so everyone can fan themselves!”

At the meeting, the experts used both Vietnamese and Russian, and Comrade Suc, the best Russian interpreter at Vinh Power Plant, was assigned to interpret. Forty experts came from the republics of the Soviet Union. When Uncle Ho spoke directly to each of them, Comrade Suc could not translate because he had only learned common Moscow Russian. Seeing this, Uncle Ho said: "Sit down so I can speak directly to the guests!"

Uncle Ho said that, like the republics of the Soviet Union, Vietnam had just emerged from the war and was facing many difficulties and shortages. Comrades came here to help Vietnam build a power plant in Uncle Ho's homeland. He hoped that comrades would soon complete the work, because having electricity meant having everything! After Uncle Ho's opening remarks, the entire hall was filled with Vietnamese and Russian, the sympathy and sharing had erased the boundary between host and guest.

Everyone happily clinked glasses of beer, ate candy and fruit. In the middle of the fun, the Soviet experts simultaneously wrote on the fan blades the words “President Ho Chi Minh” in their mother tongue. After the fun, the friends happily asked to keep the paper fans - a special gift from President Ho Chi Minh - as souvenirs.

Uncle Ho talking with cadres and staff of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee (1961). Photo archive

In 1961, Nghe An solemnly organized a second visit to Uncle Ho's hometown. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong was honored to be assigned by comrade Vo Thuc Dong - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee to organize the reception. At that time, both the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee only had 2 old cars, so the provincial leaders decided to borrow a new car from Military Region IV to go to Vinh airport to welcome Uncle Ho. The car was covered with white sheets and decorated with flowers.

At exactly 12:30 on December 8, the plane landed. Comrades Chu Huy Man - Political Commissar of Military Region IV, Vo Thuc Dong - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Vo Trong An - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee invited Uncle Ho to get into the car. Uncle Ho looked around, quickly walked to the security car and sat in the front seat, then told the security comrades to remove the canvas so that he could wave to the people on both sides of the road.

When the comrades in the Provincial Party Committee and the Military Region were gathering to welcome Uncle Ho at the Guest House, as soon as he got out of the car, Uncle Ho asked comrade Vo Thuc Dong to lead him to the communal dining room. He personally lifted the table cover in which white rice and several sumptuous dishes were laid out. Uncle Ho said to the Provincial Party Secretary: "Is the agency feeding you guys well?"

Uncle Ho checks the food tray at the collective dining room of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee (1961). Photo archive

“Dear Uncle! Today, when you come back to visit your hometown, the office has decided to give you guys some improvements. Normally, you don’t have that!” - Comrade Vo Thuc Dong replied to Uncle. That day, the office prepared a sumptuous lunch to welcome Uncle. Near the time of the party, they received information that Uncle would have lunch with Comrade Vo Thuc Dong and Nguyen Sy Que in a private room (in addition, there was Comrade Nguyen Khai - Head of the Central Organizing Committee).

Mr. Phuong went down to the kitchen to get rice and food, including 2 dishes of Nghi Loc eggplant with Nam Dan soy sauce, everything was neatly arranged on the table. Uncle and 3 others finished the package of rice mixed with corn that he brought, then had rice prepared by the Provincial Party Committee Office. Uncle praised the Nghi Loc eggplant for its deliciousness, Nam Dan soy sauce for its good taste, full of hometown flavor.

Through the story of Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, we understand more clearly Uncle Ho's love for his homeland and more deeply understand the lessons about his personality and ideology. There, the closeness, simplicity and love for his compatriots and comrades of the beloved leader are revealed.

Symphony - Cong Kien