Eighty years of keeping the oath to the Party.
“My life has two memorable moments: firstly, the honor of being admitted into the ranks of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1947, and most recently (June 2025) receiving the 80-year Party membership badge from Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung, Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee,” - Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai, 98 years old, a veteran Party member in Do Luong commune, emotionally expressed.
Author: Khanh LyTechnique:Hong Toai• July 13, 2025
Welcoming us into her small house with a spacious and airy courtyard, despite her advanced age and wheelchair, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai (born in 1928, commonly known as Mrs. Hung) was still quite lucid and had a witty way of speaking. When she talked about her revolutionary days, her expression brightened considerably. As she conversed with us, she recalled her life story like a film reel of memories.
Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition in Nhan Hau village, Dang Son commune, Anh Son district, now Do Luong commune, Nguyen Thi Dai's father, Nguyen Trong Can, was a veteran revolutionary cadre and Party member from 1930-1931, who was imprisoned in Vinh Prison for a period. The family had seven children, and Nguyen Thi Dai was the eldest daughter; like many other poor peasant families of that era, life was full of hardship and difficulty.
When she was young, Mrs. Dai had to work as a hired rice planter for landlords to earn rice, while her younger sister had to work as a domestic servant. She recounted: “Before the August Revolution of 1945, people’s lives were very hard, dependent on landlords, and taxes were heavy. Every day we went to work as hired rice planters, we had to go early, while it was still dark. If the rice pot was full, we could eat our fill; if we were later, we would only get the last scraps. Even working tirelessly all day, we only earned three small bowls of rice, with no money left…”
Just before the August Revolution of 1945, Ms. Dai was enlightened and joined women's activities. The organization assigned her the task of mobilizing women to participate in rallies and demonstrations in preparation for the general uprising to seize power.
At that time, she was 18 or 19 years old. Although she didn't understand much about the revolution, she enthusiastically joined other women in the village, carrying sticks and rice balls, to march in demonstrations and protests, expressing her patriotism and support for the revolution to "reclaim land, food, and warm clothes for the farmers."
The local Party history book still records that atmosphere:On August 13, 1945, under the direction of the Viet Minh General Headquarters, the people of the villages in Dang Son commune, armed with weapons, flags, drums, and gongs, poured out onto the streets to participate in demonstrations and show their strength, then gathered at the Thanh Vo house… At dawn on August 18, 1945, the sound of drums and gongs resounded everywhere. Under the guidance of the Viet Minh village, the people of Nam Son, along with 30,000 people from the five communes of Dang Son, Do Luong, Bach Ha, Thuan Trung, and Yen Lang, marched en masse towards the Do Luong district capital, shouting slogans as they went: Down with the puppet government of Japan! Long live completely independent Vietnam! "Support the Viet Minh!... Upon receiving the Viet Minh's order to launch the uprising, on the night of August 22, 1945, the atmosphere of preparation for the uprising was fervent throughout the villages of Dang Son district… On August 24, 1945, the people of all the villages gathered in large numbers at the village communal house to witness the village elders and local officials handing over the books and public funds to the Uprising Committee. On this day, the Provisional Revolutionary Committees of the villages also introduced themselves to the people…".
Thanks to her active participation in activities and women's work (Secretary of the Women's Association of Dang Son commune, Anh Son district from 1945-1946), and later working at the Anh Son military weapons factory, she was also given the opportunity by her family to attend evening literacy classes.
Back then, alongside the fight against famine, there was also the campaign to eradicate illiteracy. Literacy classes were continuously opened in villages and hamlets with slogans like "Those who are illiterate must learn, those who are literate must teach," and "Those who are literate must teach those who are illiterate"... The classes were held in people's homes, under ancient trees, or in the communal house of Nhan Hau village.
“Attending literacy classes not only taught me to read and write, but also enhanced my understanding and fostered greater maturity and wisdom. Thanks to my positive and progressive spirit, on January 4, 1947, I was honored to be admitted to the Party. At that time, it wasn't public knowledge; we were operating secretly, so after dinner, someone would take me 3-4 kilometers from Nhan Hau village to Long Son village to attend the admission ceremony at the old Dang Son Party branch. I felt so proud and emotional, it was like a dream… Not only me, but all my siblings are Party members. If it weren't for the Party guiding us, if I weren't a Party member, my life wouldn't be where it is today…,” Mrs. Dai expressed emotionally.
After joining the Party and participating in the national resistance and reconstruction efforts, from late 1947 to 1950, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was assigned by the organization to serve as Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of the Women's Union of Anh Son District. Simultaneously, she participated in training courses for Party committee members, women's cadres of Inter-regional Zone 4, and district-level cadres… Afterwards, she was assigned to work as a trade officer in Nghe An Province.
In 1952, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was transferred to work at the Central Women's Association. After a year, she returned to her hometown because, "partly, I felt that I lacked formal education and feared I wouldn't be able to handle the job well, and partly because my lover wrote to me urging me to come home to get married...", Ms. Dai said with a wry smile.
After returning home, she married Mr. Le Tien Thang, a fellow villager and 10 years older than her, who was an officer in the Vietnam People's Army holding the rank of Company Commander. They had one son, and after getting married, she continued to participate in local activities.
In March 1953, Tay Son commune was divided into three new communes: Bac Son, Dang Son, and Tay Son (comprising the villages of Phu Nhuan, Nhan Hau, Trung Thinh, Kha Phong, and Xuan Chi). One month later, the first Party Congress of Tay Son commune was held with the participation of 95 party members. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected as Vice Chairman of Tay Son commune.
During that time, Mrs. Dai, along with the entire community, thoroughly instilled in every party member and citizen the determination to implement the First Resolution of the Tay Son Party Branch with the urgent task of: continuing to uphold the banner of building a strong economy, continuing to effectively carry out the task of supporting the battlefield, and at the same time drastically reducing land rent.
In May 1954, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai received news that her husband had been killed in action at Giang River, Quang Binh (formerly). Despite her grief, this frail woman still strived to fulfill her duties to both her country and her family. After the Geneva Accords, the country was temporarily divided into two regions. The North was completely liberated and began its journey towards building socialism. Amidst the chaos of the post-war period, stabilizing the organization and consolidating the government was considered the most urgent and important task. Therefore, the Tay Son Party branch and the Tay Son commune government continued to be strengthened. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai was re-elected as Vice Chairman of the commune until 1956.
During this period, the dream of "land for the tiller" for the farmers of Tay Son became a reality, ending the era of "borrowing rice to plow shared fields." The day the farmers of Tay Son received their land became a major festival in the villages and hamlets... Later, with the approval of higher authorities, Tay Son commune was renamed Nam Son commune.
.jpg)
During the period when the former Nam Son commune implemented the first five-year State plan (1961-1965), the central task was to perfect and develop agricultural cooperatives, promote comprehensive development towards large-scale agriculture, and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people.
Nam Son commune decided to merge 14 small-scale cooperatives into 4 larger cooperatives; among them was Dai Thang Cooperative, chaired by Mr. Le Danh Sanh, and later, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected as Vice-Chairman.
Under the leadership of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors of Dai Thang Cooperative decided to demarcate land areas with suitable geographical conditions for crop restructuring. As a result, Dai Thang Cooperative received the largest share of profits. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected Vice-Chairperson of Dai Thang Cooperative from 1965 to 1968.
She then served as Vice President of the Women's Association of Nam Son commune until her retirement in 1985, after which she joined the village Party branch. She shared that it was because of their absolute loyalty to the revolutionary ideals of the Party that many Party members like her overcame the hardships of the two wars of resistance against France and the United States to continue contributing to the building of their homeland and country.
Regarding her personal life, after her first husband died, moved by the sincerity, empathy, and sharing of Mr. Mai Hao - originally from Binh Dinh, a soldier from the South who relocated to the North and worked in the 324th Division - towards her and her son, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai remarried; she had five more children and together with her husband raised six children to adulthood.
The couple had 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Currently, her husband has passed away, and Mrs. Dai lives with her son's family in the former Nam Son commune, now Do Luong commune. "My parents always lived a simple, exemplary life, a shining example for their children and grandchildren..." - Mr. Mai Van Linh, born in 1966, Mrs. Dai's son, proudly stated.
In our conversation, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai always expressed her good fortune at being alive and healthy enough to witness the prosperity of her homeland and the growth of the Party.
Looking back on her years of revolutionary activity and participation in local work, Ms. Dai proudly affirms that she has kept her oath to the Party – the oath she took as a young woman in her late teens or early twenties before the Party flag and the national flag nearly 80 years ago.
She also expressed her emotion and gratitude for the solemn ceremony organized by the former Do Luong District Party Committee to present the Party Badge on May 19, 2025, along with other veteran Party members in the area, before the end of the district-level term and the merger of communes into the new Do Luong commune. For Ms. Dai, "That is an unparalleled happiness, honor, and pride; it is also a milestone in the life of a communist."
Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, personally presented and pinned the Party Badge to veteran Party members such as Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai; and at the same time expressed his deep gratitude for the dedication and contributions of these veteran Party members to the Party and the revolution.
The Provincial Party Secretary also emphasized: The Party Badge is a noble reward bestowed by the Party upon loyal Party members, a recognition by the Party of their efforts, dedication, loyalty, and contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.
At an age rarely seen both in terms of age and Party membership, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai still boldly shared: "As long as I have breath left, I will remain a Party member, continue to uphold the exemplary qualities of a Party member, be a source of spiritual support in educating my children and grandchildren to abide by the Party and State's policies and laws; actively participate in local movements, contributing to building a modernized homeland and a strong Party."
The "tall and majestic trees" Her lifelong dedication, commitment, and unwavering service to the Party and the revolution serve as a shining example for future generations to learn from and emulate.
