National Anthem and Patriotism

The Vietnamese army went...
I still remember the first flag-raising ceremony in my life. After carefully straightening each student's line to wipe each other, my teacher solemnly adjusted her posture, looking straight at the four rows of students with a stern expression. "Attention!...". I was startled, not knowing what important thing was about to happen, even though she had given me quite detailed instructions. She turned around, facing the national flag, a red background with a five-pointed yellow star...

We studied in the village school for the first grade, so there was only one class before first grade. The lyrics of the national anthem that she had taught us a few days ago, I sang it over and over again when I got home, but today I still felt very nervous while singing, sometimes it even seemed like my voice was lost, I couldn't even hear myself singing anymore.

At that time, in my immature childhood memories, I could not fully understand the meaning of each word in the lyrics, let alone understand each musical note or the majestic, proud melody of the song.

The Vietnamese army went...

Growing up, I left my hometown and was fortunate to visit many schools, offices, organizations, and military units... I attended many flag-raising ceremonies, each time with a different setting, but they all seemed to have the same feeling.

A combined class in Ten Tan commune, Muong Lat district, Thanh Hoa province; a newly built primary school in Nam Tam commune, Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province; a junior high school, high school in Ly Son island, Phu Quoc island or in Buon Trap, Krong Ana district, Dak Lak province; a meeting at the Vietnamese embassy abroad... all were solemn, all were filled with an indescribable sacred emotion.

Every time I sing, or every time I stand and sing, I feel like I am standing in front of an immense space, listening to every echo, every melody of the layers of time, and as if listening to the teachings of thousands of years of history, the spirit of the ancestors still accompanying each other forward: "The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country, we, your descendants, must work together to protect the country".

Fatherland! A sacred and greater love than all the values ​​of love. That is when going far away, suddenly the heart aches with nostalgia for the homeland, missing the loved ones on the roads of sea, forest, river and mountain, each familiar figure and joy. That is when, amidst the very strange skies, suddenly hearing the familiar Vietnamese language...

Every time like that, a line, an image of the homeland of Vietnam appears overwhelmingly and the image of people solemnly singing the national anthem comes flooding back. Fatherland! That is when the national anthem resounds, millions of people become one, the strength from a thousand years of tradition crystallizes in the present and looks towards the future.

The lyrics evoke in every Vietnamese a passionate spirit of patriotism, deepening national pride, the will to train independence and self-reliance; multiplying the sentiment of attachment to the "compatriots" of the Vietnamese people with their homeland and country.

No matter where, in what circumstances, whenever the song "Tien Quan Ca" is sung, in that proud melody, every Vietnamese person is in a solemn and respectful posture, proudly looking up at the red flag with a yellow star stained with the blood of their ancestors.

Fatherland! Singing the national anthem is also to express deep gratitude to the previous generations who sacrificed themselves to "Vietnam from blood and fire - Rise up from the mud to shine brightly", sing about the heroic tradition of Ba Trung, Ba Trieu; sing about the spirit of uprising at Bach Dang, Chi Lang, Dong Da, Dien Bien Phu; sing about Uncle Ho's great contributions to the Ho Chi Minh era,...

Every time the red flag with yellow star is raised, the national anthem resounds with each proud beat. The national anthem - a unique signal and also a unique and steadfast love of the descendants of Lac Hong. The song is not only sung with words, but also from the chest, from the blood vessels of the heart, condensing from the sacred spirit of the mountains and rivers for thousands of years.

The Vietnamese army went...

"The national anthem is the official song of a country. Like the national flag, national emblem..., the national anthem is an indispensable symbol of a sovereign country and is used in solemn ceremonies. The song Tien Quan Ca by musician Van Cao was chosen as the current national anthem of Vietnam and has a special expressive value. We often see in the ceremonies welcoming heads of state, the music of this song (the national anthem) resounds majestically and strongly. Sometimes, in between the music is the sound of cannons marking the rhythm" (Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Tinh).

Currently, singing the national anthem in schools in the national education system is a mandatory ritual, aiming to enhance the education of revolutionary ideals, ethics, and lifestyle for the young generation to become useful citizens, actively participating in building and protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in the period of industrialization, modernization, and international integration.

And, every day, in tens of thousands of those schools, there are tens of millions of students singing the national anthem, following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers, proudly voicing their patriotism.

Hanoi, August 19, 2018