Trained in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, comrade Le Con made many contributions to the revolution.

Throughout history, the people of Xuan Hoi commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province have always had a patriotic spirit, contributing human and material resources to fight against foreign invaders, deserving the titles they have been awarded:"Kien Nghia Village", "Heroic Commune of Armed Forces".

Comrade Le Con is one of the outstanding sons of Xuan Hoi hometown. Born in 1907, in a fishing family in Hoi Thong village, Dan Hai commune, Le Con was enlightened early to participate in revolutionary activities.

Since early 1928, under the influence of the Tan Viet Party's patriotic activities inside and outside the district, Hoi Thong people have stood up to respond to the patriotic movement following the trend of national and democratic revolution. Comrade Thai Dinh, the son of Hoi Thong, a Tan Viet Party member at the Truong Thi locomotive repair workshop (Nghe An) returned to his hometown, met and propagated, enlightened some friends of the same age, such as comrades Le Con, Pham Nghi, Hoang Yen, ... From then on, comrade Le Con actively participated in the local revolutionary movement, participated in leaflet distribution, secret meetings to discuss and propagate the revolutionary line and fighting spirit to the people.

In April 1930, the Nghi Xuan District Provisional Party Committee was established, including comrades: Ngo Huu Yen (Secretary), Tran Manh Tao, Ho Van Ninh, Phan Viet Chieu, Nguyen Thi Kim. Implementing the Provincial Party Committee's policy on organizing the celebration of International Labor Day (May 1, 1930), the Nghi Xuan Party Committee prepared the organization work very urgently and assigned specific tasks to each person. Comrade Le Con was assigned by the organization to distribute leaflets in the Hoi Thong area and above.

On the morning of May 1, 1930, from dawn, the hammer and sickle flag flew on the top of Com mountain, south of Ben Thuy ferry and in front of the temple gate next to Nghi Xuan district office. Hundreds of leaflets were scattered in many places on the road stretching from Gia Lach to Xuan My, Dan Pho, Hoi Thong. While the mandarins in the district and the tyrants in the villages were shocked by this special event, thousands of Nghi Xuan people were delighted to admire the Party flag and read the leaflets with the following content:“Down with French imperialism and the feudal Southern Dynasty; 8-hour work day, increase wages for workers; Reduce taxes for farmers; Divide public land among farmers!”

In December 1930, comrades Phan Viet Chieu and Phan Nam Tuyet were assigned by Nghi Xuan District Party Committee to go to Dan Truong and Hoi Thong communes to contact comrades Le Con, Hoang Yen, and Pham Nghi to build a base and become the core of the movement. Comrade Le Con, together with key cadres of the commune and district, actively promoted and built the movement in the locality.

In 1931, the enemy intensified terror and suppression of the people's patriotic activities. Comrades Le Con, Thai Dinh, Thai Phuong, Vo Khang,... were arrested, interrogated, and brutally beaten by the enemy. Comrade Le Con was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Nam Trieu court of Ha Tinh province (Judgment dated March 13, 1932).

In early 1936, comrade Le Con finished his prison term, returned to his hometown, and continued to actively participate in the local revolutionary movement. Comrades Le Con, Thai Phuong, Hoang Yen,... mobilized the people to file a lawsuit against the local mandarins and officials Hoi Thong for embezzling public funds and seizing public land, forcing the Southern Dynasty of Ha Tinh to convict and sentence the local mandarins Hoi Thong to return to the people 75 acres of public land and 350 quan of public money.

In 1937, comrade Le Con and the People's Association sued the French contractor, district chief, and village chief for not paying the workers' wages in the dike construction. The lawsuit was successful, forcing the contractor to return 350 Indochinese piastres to the people.

The momentum of victory of the two lawsuits encouraged the revolutionary movement of the people in the commune. Under the direction of Nghi Xuan District Party Committee, many disguised organizations were born in Xuan Hoi commune, such as: book and newspaper reading association, plowing guilds, harvesting guilds, planting guilds, money and rice contributing guilds, etc. to gather a large number of people, awaken the spirit of solidarity, and help each other in life.

At the end of 1938, comrade Phan Nam Tuyet - a cadre of the District Party Committee, when he returned to direct the movement in Hoi Thong, was surrounded and arrested by secret police. Comrades Le Con, Thai Dinh, and Hoang Yen mobilized nearly 100 young and middle-aged men and women to organize the release of comrade Phan Nam Tuyet. After this incident, the green-clad soldiers came to suppress, with the information of the local leaders, comrades Hoang Yen, Le Con, Thai Phuong, Thai Dinh, Vo Tu, Tran Ba, and Vo Cung were imprisoned for 6 months in Nghi Xuan district. Facing the savage torture of the enemy, comrade Le Con was not the least bit afraid or shaken, always steadfast, determined, and steadfast in his revolutionary stance. Due to the lack of evidence to convict him, the French colonialists had to release him.

In April 1945, comrade Le Tinh (Xuan Giang) returned to Hoi Thong to contact comrades Thai Dinh, Le Con, Thai Khue, Thai Phuong,... to promote the establishment of the Viet Minh organization in the commune.

In July 1945, Viet Minh Hoi Thong was established, with the core being comrades: Le Con, Thai Dinh, Thai Phuong, Thai Khue, Hoang Yen.

Following the order of the District Uprising Committee, the Viet Minh leadership in Hoi Thong urgently made a plan and elected an Uprising Committee consisting of comrades Le Con, Thai Phuong, and Vo Dung. The comrades mobilized forces to go to the village chief's house and the village committee to confiscate bronze seals, books, and public funds.

On the morning of August 20, 1945, comrade Le Con and the people of Xuan Hoi commune gathered at Hoi Thong communal house to protest and march to the district to attend the launching ceremony of the Nghi Xuan district Provisional People's Revolutionary Committee.

On the morning of August 21, 1945, the Provisional People's Revolutionary Committee of Xuan Hoi commune was established, with comrade Vo Dung as Chairman, and comrade Le Con was assigned as the head of Viet Minh. Under the leadership of comrade Le Con, Viet Minh commune urgently built political forces, including mass organizations such as: Farmers' Association for National Salvation, Youth for National Salvation, Women for National Salvation, Self-Defense for National Salvation,... as the core for the movement of the entire people in the work of building a new regime.

On May 2, 1946, at comrade Le Con's house, the Nghi Xuan District Party Committee Standing Committee convened 10 typical key masses in Hoi Thong to admit new party members and establish a Party cell. Attending this historic conference were comrade Thai Dinh - representative of the District Party Committee and comrade Nguyen Tuy, special envoy of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee to direct the Nghi Xuan movement. On behalf of the District Party Committee Standing Committee, comrade Thai Dinh read the Nghi Xuan District Party Committee's Decision on admitting 10 new party members, from Hoi Thong: Le Con, Thai Phuong, Vo Long, Vo Nhu Dien, Vo Cung, Dao Chinh, Dao Trung, Le Duyen, Tran Hanh, Tran Canh. The decision to establish the Hoi Thong Party Cell and appoint the Party Cell Committee consisted of 2 comrades: Le Con - Secretary, Thai Phuong - Deputy Secretary. In early 1947, comrade Le Con went to study politics, comrade Thai Phuong was the Secretary.

Implementing the Resolution of the superiors on actively preparing to deal with the re-invasion of French colonialism, after the Preliminary Agreement (March 6, 1946), in addition to the Administrative Committee, there was a Defense Committee chaired by comrade Le Con. The Defense Committee was directly directed by the Party and arranged for core cadres specializing in military and police work to prepare for combat and protect the locality.

At the end of 1946, the Defense Committee was dissolved to establish the Xuan Hoi Commune Resistance Committee consisting of 5 people, with comrade Le Con as Chairman and 4 members in charge of specific tasks, such as: enemy mobilization, suicide, traffic and communication, propaganda and agitation, supplies, evacuation, sabotage, first aid, order and building the battle line.

In early 1951, the 3rd Congress of Xuan Hoi Commune Party Cell was held, consisting of 69 party members. The Congress elected a new Party Cell Committee consisting of 5 comrades, with comrade Dao Trung as Secretary. After the Congress, the Administrative Resistance Committee was consolidated at the end of 1951, comrade Vo Dung became Chairman of the Lien Viet Front, comrade Le Con - Deputy Secretary became Chairman of the Commune. In April 1957, the Congress of Xuan Hoi Commune Party Cell re-elected a new Party Cell Committee, appointing comrade Phan Giai as Secretary, comrade Le Con - Deputy Secretary, Chairman of the Commune Administrative Committee.

During his revolutionary career, despite many difficulties and hardships, comrade Le Con still maintained the qualities and will of a party member, always fulfilled his duties at work, and was exemplary in all activities. With his contributions to the cause of liberating his homeland, comrade Le Con was recognized as a veteran revolutionary cadre, worthy of being one of the Party's pioneers in the pre-revolutionary period and the August 1945 general uprising to seize power.

Due to many years of living in prison and torture by colonialists and feudalists, comrade Le Con's health gradually weakened. In 1970, he passed away at the age of 63. The patriotic example of comrade Le Con, along with many other outstanding children, contributed to beautifying the revolutionary tradition of his homeland Nghi Xuan.

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References:

- History of Nghi Xuan District Party Committee (1930 - 1945), published in 2000

- History of the Party Committee and people of Xuan Hoi commune (1930-2005), published in 2005

- Memoirs of comrade Phan Viet Chieu and Tran Manh Tao are kept at the archives of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum.

Nguyen Van Anh - XVNT Museum