When hanging the national flag in front of the house to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, I heard my 7-year-old son talking to his cousin who is 3 years older than him:
– Do you know how many people our army had when it was founded? – Only 34 people – the boy answered while the older sister mumbled.
– So do you know how “our soldiers” were injured in the first battle?
… You probably don’t know! Our army only had one person with a broken little finger, while the enemy had two outposts destroyed. Those were Phai Khat and Na Ngan outposts! Are our soldiers good?
- Who told you that? - asked the older sister.
- It's grandpa and dad!
I felt warm inside when I heard the children talking and I also felt proud to be born and raised in this land, this homeland, this country.
Perhaps millions of Vietnamese hearts are very proud of their country's history. Proud of the event on December 22, 1944, in Tran Hung Dao forest, Tam Kim commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army was established under the directive of President Ho Chi Minh. Initially, the name of this force was the Vietnam Liberation Army, but at the time of its establishment, our position and strength were not strong enough, so according to Uncle Ho's directive: "The name Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army means that politics is more important than military, it is a propaganda team..., at the same time it is the starting point of the liberation army, it can go from South to North...".
Only 3 days after its establishment, on December 25, the entire Team used a surprise attack to capture the entire Phai Khat post. Then, on December 26, the Team attacked and completely destroyed the enemy's Na Ngan post. As a result, we killed 5 enemies, captured 34 others, and seized 34 guns, ammunition, and some military equipment. Although the first victory was still modest in scale, it had great significance both militarily and politically, creating strong belief in the Party and the masses about an army born from the people, grown thanks to the people, fought and sacrificed for the people.
Less than a year later, from the initial modest army, the Vietnamese revolutionary armed forces, together with the masses of people across the country, rushed like a flood to create the August Revolution of 1945 that shook the world. Then, on the morning of September 2, in the “Capital of yellow flowers and sunshine, Ba Dinh/Millions of hearts wait, the birds are silent”, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He declared to the world that:“Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property, to maintain that freedom and independence.”
Also since that Autumn, a new era of the nation has been opened – the era of national independence associated with socialism. And let me quote the words of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Opening Ceremony of the 13th National Party Congress:“With all modesty, we can still say that: Our country has never had the foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today.”
