Deep memories of General Chu Huy Man
(Baonghean.vn) - General Chu Huy Man is considered a staunch communist, a talented and virtuous general. During his lifetime, the General was highly respected by his comrades, teammates, relatives and people, many of whom still hold unforgettable memories.
Love fellow countrymen
Nearly 50 years have passed, but Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba (born in 1935), residing in Hung Binh Ward (Vinh City), still remembers clearly the first time he met General Chu Huy Man. That was at the end of 1975, Mr. Ba was holding the position of Deputy Head of the Office of the Binh Tri Thien Provincial Party Committee, and was assigned by the Provincial Party Committee Secretary Le Sy Dong to contact the Military Region 5 Command to "request" a car for work.
Because during the Hue - Da Nang liberation campaign, almost all the puppet army, puppet government and vehicles fled to Da Nang, so there were many enemy vehicles left behind. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba and some cadres of Binh Tri Thien Provincial Party Committee went to Da Nang, and comrade Chu Huy Man - Political Commissar, Commander and Secretary of Military Party Committee of Zone 5 personally welcomed and discussed work.
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Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba talks about his memories with comrade Chu Huy Man. Photo: Cong Kien |
When they first met, hearing Mr. Ba speak with a Nghe An accent, comrade Chu Huy Man immediately asked: "Are you from Nghe An?", "Which district are you from?". Mr. Ba immediately replied: "Sir! I'm from Yen Thanh!". "I'm from Hung Hoa, Hung Nguyen!" - comrade Chu Huy Man was happy to meet his fellow countryman. The two became closer and closer like brothers who had met after a long time...
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| Comrade Chu Huy Man in the mountains and forests of Zone V during the years of fighting against the Americans. Photo: Archive |
“Before that, I didn’t think Mr. Chu Huy Man was so friendly, open and enthusiastic. After that time, he and I kept in touch, occasionally meeting at conferences, he was still friendly and cheerful,” said Mr. Ba.
Later, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba transferred to work at Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, still holding the position of Deputy Head of Office. Comrade Chu Huy Man was assigned to hold many important positions in the Central Government, the highest position being Vice Chairman of the State Council (1981 - 1986).
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Comrade Chu Huy Man directed the takeover of Da Nang Military Port right after the city was liberated (March 30, 1975). Photo: Archive |
Whenever he returned to Nghe An for work or to visit his hometown, General Chu Huy Man often proactively invited Deputy Office Chief Nguyen Xuan Ba to meet, exchange feelings and arrange work. The relationship between the two became closer and more intimate.
“I have met General Chu Huy Man many times and have many memories with him, but the two unforgettable memories are the time I accompanied him to visit his hometown Hung Hoa and the time I was sick and he personally came to my house to visit me”. Once, when he was Vice Chairman of the State Council, working with the leaders of Nghe An province, comrade Chu Huy Man took the opportunity to visit his hometown Hung Hoa and informed the Deputy Office Nguyen Xuan Ba to prepare. Knowing that Hung Hoa was a low-lying area, at that time the roads were still very muddy, Mr. Ba prepared a pair of boots. When the car stopped on the Hung Hoa dike, the road ahead was full of mud, Mr. Ba immediately took out the boots and gave them to the General. At this time, comrade Chu Huy Man patted Mr. Ba on the shoulder and said: “Wonderful! Thank you very much for understanding my hometown, a hometown that is always full of mud and boots are always precious!”
- Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba -
Another time, when he returned to Nghe An for work and did not see comrade Nguyen Xuan Ba at work, General Chu Huy Man immediately asked everyone and learned that Mr. Ba was sick and was resting at home. That afternoon, while he was resting, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, Mr. Ba was suddenly stunned to see General Chu Huy Man and his secretaries and bodyguards standing in front of him.
The General said: "When I came to work, I heard that you were sick, so I arranged to visit you at home." Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ba was so moved that he could not speak, because the General, Vice President of the State Council, was so busy with work but still came to visit him at home when he was sick...
Love through every word of advice
As the nephew of General Chu Huy Man, Mr. Chu Huy Bien (born in 1952) was fortunate to have met and talked with his talented and virtuous uncle. Every time the uncle and nephew met, the General always reminded Mr. Bien about the traditions of his family, clan and homeland to build his pride.
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Mr. Chu Huy Bien with documents about his uncle - General Chu Huy Man. Photo: Cong Kien |
Through their meetings, Mr. Chu Huy Bien felt that General Chu Huy Man was deeply attached to his homeland, especially during the years when he worked in the Central Government. Because his hometown Hung Hoa was a low-lying area, it was flooded almost every year, the people's lives were extremely difficult, hard, almost always hungry and deprived.
“Every time I had to go to Hanoi, I would visit my uncle’s house and chat with him, and he would always ask me: “Have the people in Hung Hoa, my hometown, been less hungry and miserable yet?” That shows that my uncle always turned his attention to his fellow countrymen and his homeland, the place where he was born and raised.”
- Mr. Chu Huy Bien -
General Chu Huy Man always turned to his ancestors and family and cared for and reminded his descendants to remember their merits. After retiring and having more leisurely work, the General often arranged time to visit his hometown, relatives and neighbors. Since retiring and still being healthy, almost every year the General returned on the occasion of the ancestral worship, sharing the joy with his family and relatives and chatting intimately and gently with generations of descendants.
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Handwritten instructions to his children and grandchildren by General Chu Huy Man. Photo: Cong Kien |
Currently, Mr. Chu Huy Bien still keeps the handwritten instructions to his children and grandchildren that General Chu Huy Man wrote in 2004, when he turned 92 and more than a year before his death. The General's instructions clearly show his love and responsibility for his relatives and children and grandchildren in the extended family.
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Memorial house of General Chu Huy Man in Hung Hoa commune (Vinh city). Photo: Cong Kien |
The General’s advice reads: “… Each person must be responsible for everyone, morality and sincerity are the strength of our clan and family, we must truly unite, love, support each other, take care of and raise our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have good learning aspirations, good personality and good health, to become useful people for society, family and ourselves. Each family and each person needs to encourage and promote the good things that our ancestors and forefathers left behind, to build a good and sustainable cultural family. Those things are the wishes of old age”.